BLOG: Volleyball vs. Minnesota

12:52

JT Luljak:

Good afternoon and thank you for joining me, JT Luljak, for today's women's volleyball match against No. 13 Minnesota.

Sunday November 15, 2009 12:52 JT Luljak

12:54

JT Luljak:

Today, Wisconsin looks to end its four match losing skid. The Badgers own an 11-13 overall record and rank sixth in the Big Ten with a 6-9 record.

Sunday November 15, 2009 12:54 JT Luljak

12:55

JT Luljak:

Minnesota will be a tough matchup for the Badgers, as they are ranked third in the Big Ten with an 11-4 record. The Gophers have posted a solid 20-7 overall record this season.

Sunday November 15, 2009 12:55 JT Luljak

12:56

JT Luljak:

Minnesota's top offensive hitter has not played in the team's last seven matches. Prior to her absence, she had been leading the team with 3.94 kills per set.

Sunday November 15, 2009 12:56 JT Luljak

12:57

JT Luljak:

This will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams. The Golden Gophers swept the Badgers on Sept. 25 in Minneapolis. Minnesota won both matches in 2008, as well.

Sunday November 15, 2009 12:57 JT Luljak

12:58

JT Luljak:

Senior Brittney Dolgner headlines the UW offense. Dolgner leads the Badgers with 3.35 kills/set.

Sunday November 15, 2009 12:58 JT Luljak

1:00

JT Luljak:

Freshmen Kirby Toon and Alexis Mitchell have both emerged as strong players for Wisconsin. Toon averages 0.20 service aces/set and contributes 2.18 kills/set. Mitchell has been one of the team's more consistent hitters, as she maintains a .229 hitting percentage. Mitchell also leads the team with 0.70 blocks/set.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:00 JT Luljak

1:01

JT Luljak:

Sophmore Janelle Gabrielsen directs the Badger offense, putting up 9.63 assists/set. Junior Kim Kuzma highlights the Wisconsin defense. Kuzma tallies a team-high 3.62 digs/set.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:01 JT Luljak

1:06

JT Luljak:

Minnesota's top hitter is now Lauren Gibbemeyer who averages 3.09 kills/set. Two setters split time for the Gophers. Senior Taylor Carico averages 10.20 assis/set, while freshman Mia Tabberson puts up 7.50 assists/set.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:06 JT Luljak

1:06

JT Luljak:

And we are underway here in the UW Field House.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:06 JT Luljak

1:07

JT Luljak:

Starting for the Badgers front line is Brittney Dolgner, Allison Wack and Alexis Mitchell. In the back line we have Caity DuPont, Kim Kuzma and Janelle Gabrielsen.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:07 JT Luljak

1:08

JT Luljak:

Wack just had a long shot that sailed out of bounds. The Gophers currently lead 3-0.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:08 JT Luljak

1:09

JT Luljak:

Starting for Minnesota is Jessica Granquist at defensive specialist, Taylor Carico at setter, Ariana Filho at middle blocker, Christine Tan at libero, and Katherine Harms at outside hitter.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:09 JT Luljak

1:10

JT Luljak:

Following a timeout, the Badgers still look out of sync as some miscommunication just led to another Gopher point. The Gophers lead 6-0.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:10 JT Luljak

1:11

JT Luljak:

Brittney Dolgner just put down a kill to put the Badgers on the board for the first time today.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:11 JT Luljak

1:11

JT Luljak:

Mitchell just found a hole on Minnesota's side of the floor for a nice score.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:11 JT Luljak

1:12

JT Luljak:

Minnesota's blocking game looks strong today. They just had two in a row. They average 1.91 blocks per set this season.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:12 JT Luljak

1:13

JT Luljak:

Looking for some more defensive help here. Kelli Kasha just entered for the UW.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:13 JT Luljak

1:13

JT Luljak:

Mary Ording is seeing some time today. She just put down a powerfull kill. Badgers trail 12-4 now.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:13 JT Luljak

1:14

JT Luljak:

Gabrielsen is proving that Wisconsin can play the blocking game too. She just stuffed a Gopher attempt.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:14 JT Luljak

1:16

JT Luljak:

Minnesota's passing game is solid today. It's really helping them maintain control in the set.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:16 JT Luljak

1:17

JT Luljak:

Badgers take another timeout and will look to regroup. Down nine, they can still come back here.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:17 JT Luljak

1:18

JT Luljak:

Another Gopher block.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:18 JT Luljak

1:18

JT Luljak:

And another.. UW's got to get it over their frontline.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:18 JT Luljak

1:19

JT Luljak:

DuPont got it over their line just now.... but it was a bit too high and went out of bounds.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:19 JT Luljak

1:20

JT Luljak:

Minnesota's hitting percentage sits at .333. Meanwhile, the Badgers have a -.143 hitting percentage.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:20 JT Luljak

1:21

JT Luljak:

The ball is just not bouncing UW's way today. With every dig the Badgers get, no one is there to finish the job.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:21 JT Luljak

1:22

JT Luljak:

A nice give and go from Toon to Ording. Badgers now in double-digit points with 10.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:22 JT Luljak

1:23

JT Luljak:

The Gophers just capped off the set 25-11.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:23 JT Luljak

1:24

JT Luljak:

Minnesota has got the Badgers running all over the court today. Eventually the UW players are just caught out of position, giving the Gophers an easy point.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:24 JT Luljak

1:26

JT Luljak:

Gibbemeyer had a set-high six kills for the Gophers. She also had an impressive .625 hitting percentage. That's out of this world.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:26 JT Luljak

1:26

JT Luljak:

The Gophers totaled seven blocks in the set. The UW had none.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:26 JT Luljak

1:27

JT Luljak:

Minnesota also finished the set with a team hitting percentage of .320, while Wisconsin is in the red with a -.081 hitting percentage.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:27 JT Luljak

1:28

JT Luljak:

Looking to switch things up here, Ording and Jessa Benson start the second set.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:28 JT Luljak

1:28

JT Luljak:

Minnesota's Megan Wilson just had a beautiful, lofty pass, but Taylor Carico missed it completely. Good for Wisconsin as the score is now 2-2.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:28 JT Luljak

1:29

JT Luljak:

Two straight points and the Badgers have their first lead of the day, 4-3.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:29 JT Luljak

1:30

JT Luljak:

Mitchell and Benson just had a nice block, but Minnesota returned it immediately.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:30 JT Luljak

1:31

JT Luljak:

Two straight hitting errors by the Gophers. All tied up at six.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:31 JT Luljak

1:32

JT Luljak:

Wisconsin is passing much better this set. They're also making all the tough plays necessary to hang with Minnesota.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:32 JT Luljak

1:32

JT Luljak:

Dolgner just fooled Minnesota's Tabitha Love, dropping it softly right over the net.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:32 JT Luljak

1:33

JT Luljak:

An emphatic slam from Allison Wack. Badgers lead 8-7.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:33 JT Luljak

1:34

JT Luljak:

Another powerful strike from Wack bounced right off of the hands of Minnesota's Hailey Cowles.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:34 JT Luljak

1:35

JT Luljak:

Three straight points for Minnesota, two of them coming off of blocks.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:35 JT Luljak

1:36

JT Luljak:

Wisconsin answers with a block of its own from Ording and Wack. Badgers also just caught Minnesota sleeping and dropped it softly right over the net. All tied up at 12.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:36 JT Luljak

1:37

JT Luljak:

Wisconsin's really pulling out the trickery today. Gabrielsen just had another sneaky shot, finding the back corner.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:37 JT Luljak

1:38

JT Luljak:

Nice team block from Ording and Gabrielsen. Badgers trail by one, 15-14.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:38 JT Luljak

1:39

JT Luljak:

Gabrielsen just gave out a nice dish to Mitchell, who slammed it home.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:39 JT Luljak

1:40

JT Luljak:

Wisconsin is still fooling Minnesota. Wack had a slick kill right over Minnesota's front line. Minnesota leads 18-16.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:40 JT Luljak

1:42

JT Luljak:

Timeout Wisconsin. Score is 19-16 in favor of Minnesota. This next series of points will be critical. The Badgers cannot afford to be down two sets to none versus Minnesota.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:42 JT Luljak

1:43

JT Luljak:

Kuzma just had an acrobatic dig, but Wack's shot went out of bounds.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:43 JT Luljak

1:43

JT Luljak:

Clare Liston just entered for the Badgers. She's a freshman outside hitter.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:43 JT Luljak

1:45

JT Luljak:

Minnesota is hitting just 0.77 for the set. Wisconsin's at .000, but it's an improvement.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:45 JT Luljak

1:46

JT Luljak:

Following a timeout, the Badgers look pumped up out on the court. They trail 22-18. Let's see what happens..

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:46 JT Luljak

1:47

JT Luljak:

Wack was again blocked by Minnesota's front line. Badgers still have a shot, it's 23-19.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:47 JT Luljak

1:48

JT Luljak:

Gabrielsen had a nice hit to save the Badgers. 24-20 Minnesota. UW with the serve.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:48 JT Luljak

1:49

JT Luljak:

Minnesota's Harm just finished off the set. Gophers win set two 25-21.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:49 JT Luljak

1:50

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]

How does the crowd look today in the field house?

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:50 Guest

1:50

JT Luljak:

Pretty good. Minnesota has a decent sized crowd, though. The Badger fans are pretty quiet today.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:50 JT Luljak

1:52

JT Luljak:

Wisconsin finished the second set with a .026 hitting percentage. Certainly an improvement over the first set (-.081 percent).

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:52 JT Luljak

1:53

JT Luljak:

Minnesota only had five team blocks in the second set, allowing Wisconsin's offense to flow a little bit more easily.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:53 JT Luljak

1:55

JT Luljak:

The Badgers tallied three team blocks in the second frame, after none in the first.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:55 JT Luljak

1:57

JT Luljak:

Minnesota's hitting regressed in the second set. The Gophers hit .133 percent of its shots.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:57 JT Luljak

1:59

JT Luljak:

In other Wisconsin athletic news, the women's soccer team leads Central Florida 1-0 at the half. Wisconsin is currently competing in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Sunday November 15, 2009 1:59 JT Luljak

2:01

JT Luljak:

The third set is underway..

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:01 JT Luljak

2:01

JT Luljak:

Jessa Benson and Mary Ording get the starting nod.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:01 JT Luljak

2:03

JT Luljak:

After the first few plays, Wisconsin doesn't look very focused, while Minnesota's played very determined.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:03 JT Luljak

2:04

JT Luljak:

Dolgner just had a nice hit. Let's hope this gets the Badgers going. They trail 6-3.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:04 JT Luljak

2:05

JT Luljak:

A net serve from the Gopher's gives Wisconsin an easy point.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:05 JT Luljak

2:07

JT Luljak:

A strong kill from Wack keeps the deficit marginal. Badgers trail 9-6.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:07 JT Luljak

2:08

JT Luljak:

After a nice set up pass, Dolgner got a great hit on the ball but two Minnesota defenders sent it right back.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:08 JT Luljak

2:08

JT Luljak:

Mitchell finds some open ground. Badgers trail 12-9.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:08 JT Luljak

2:10

JT Luljak:

An attack error by Mitchell leads to a Minnesota point. The Gophers now have a five point advantage over Wisconsin, 14-9. Coach Waite takes a timeout to settle the team.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:10 JT Luljak

2:13

JT Luljak:

A great rally that ended in the Badgers' favor. Two Minnesota defenders blocked a UW shot, but Elle Ohlander had an incredibly acrobatic hit to keep the play alive before Wack would finish it off.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:13 JT Luljak

2:14

JT Luljak:

Minnesota's Filho just had a great hit. Dolgner could only watch as it went by. Badgers trail 17-14.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:14 JT Luljak

2:15

JT Luljak:

Minnesota couldn't cleanly return Jessa Benson's shot. UW's within two, 17-15.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:15 JT Luljak

2:16

JT Luljak:

Minnesota's Christine Tan aced her serve to give Minnesota a 19-15 lead.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:16 JT Luljak

2:18

JT Luljak:

Following a timeout, Wack returns a Minnesota serve for a nice kill. A Gopher hitting error pulls the UW within three, 20-17.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:18 JT Luljak

2:19

JT Luljak:

Dolgner puts down a kill and the Badgers now trail by just two, 20-18. Minnesota takes a timeout.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:19 JT Luljak

2:19

JT Luljak:

Badgers are hitting a match-high .161 hitting percentage in this third set.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:19 JT Luljak

2:20

JT Luljak:

After another Dolgner kill, Minnesota's top hitter, Gibbemeyer, answers to build the Gopher lead back to two.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:20 JT Luljak

2:22

JT Luljak:

Dolgner puts down another. Badgers trail 23-22. What a fantastic set.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:22 JT Luljak

2:23

JT Luljak:

Miscommunication between the Badgers leads to an easy Minnesota point.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:23 JT Luljak

2:24

JT Luljak:

Minnesota's Tabitha Love then slams the final point to earn the sweep.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:24 JT Luljak

2:25

JT Luljak:

The Badgers finish with a .026 hitting percentage and are led by Allison Wack with 11 kills, while Brittney Dolgner chipped in 10. Janelle Gabrielsen put up 21 assists to direct the UW offense. Wack also had a match-high 10 digs.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:25 JT Luljak

2:26

JT Luljak:

The Badgers fall to 11-14 and 6-10 in the Big Ten, while Minnesota improves to 21-7 overall and 12-4 in the Big Ten.

Sunday November 15, 2009 2:26 JT Luljak

10:19

University of Wisconsin Athletics

BLOG: Volleyball vs. Minnesota

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