Nov. 3, 2010
6 Illinois 3, Wisconsin 0
Huff Hall • Champaign, Ill.
| |
| |
 |
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Illinois
| 25
| 25 | 25
| -- | -- | Wisconsin
| 19
| 21
| 23
| -- | -- | | | | Stats Leaders
| Illinois
|
| Wisconsin
| Feldman - 13
| Digs | Kuzma - 18
| Haen - 41
| Assists | Gabrielsen - 33
| Ward/Bartsch - 15
| Kills | Mikaelsen - 16
| Orozco - .526
| Hit % | Gabrielsen - .333
| Haen/Bangert - 3
| Blocks | Mikaelsen - 3
| | Stats Comparison
| ILL | WIS
| Kills
| 49 | 45 | Hitting Pct.
| .274 | .188 | Assists
| 49
| 43
| | Service Aces | 1
| 1
| Service Pct.
| .973
| .938
| Digs
| 60 | 51 | Total Blocks
| 5.0 | 5.5 | | |
| |
• Box Score | Box Score 
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Despite a strong effort from freshman Julie Mikaelsen, the Wisconsin volleyball team was unable to pull an upset over the sixth-ranked Fighting Illini on Wednesday night.
Though all three sets were tight, the Wisconsin volleyball team (14-10, 4-10) could not finish things off as Illinois (20-3, 12-1) took the three-set win over the Badgers, 25-19, 25-21, 25-23.
Fast Facts
| | • Mikaelsen made a career high 16 kills and seven digs | • The two teams ended with 28 total tie scores
| |
The defending Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Mikaelsen continued her dominant play with a career-high 16 kills and seven digs against the Fighting Illini. Mikaelsen's kill count was a match-high for the night. The freshman also tied a match high with three blocks and added a service ace to her stat line.
Sophomore Alexis Mitchell continues to be an asset for the Badger squad, marking eight kills on the night to go with two blocks. Elle Ohlander also finished with two blocks, while Elise Walch contributed seven kills.
Janelle Gabrielsen led the team once again with 33 assists and added a block to the team's 5.5 total blocks on the night. Kim Kuzma finished with 18 digs for a match high.
Illinois was led by Colleen Ward and Michele Bartsch who finished with 15 kills apiece. Hillary Haen also had a big night for the Fighting Illini by recording a match-high 41 assists, one service ace and three blocks. Johannah Bangert tied for the match-high in blocks with three.
Illinois edged out the Badgers finishing with 49 total kills and 49 assists to UW's 45 kills and 43 assists. The Fighting Illini also finished ahead with 54 digs in comparison to the Badger's 51, but the biggest difference came in Illinois's .274 hitting percentage while Wisconsin ended with .188. The Badgers finished ahead in blocks with a small margin for 5.5 to 5.0.
The two teams kept the first set close with 12 ties as a kill by Mitchell made the score 19-19. The Illini's Ward brought the momentum back to the Illinois bench, though as they finished the set off with a big 6-0 run to take the 25-19 first set win.
The second set remained just as close with six ties early on. Illinois went on a 3-0 run to bring its lead to 11-8. Mikaelsen ended the run with a big kill to bring the Badgers back in the set.
After a timeout from Wisconsin, kills from Walch and Mitchell tied the score back up at 13-13. Four more ties continued to keep the set close until the Fighting Illini went on a pair of 3-0 runs to take a 23-18 advantage. Walch answered back with three big kills late in the set, but it was not enough for a comeback as Illinois took the set, 25-21, to go up 2-0 in the match.
The third set started in similar fashion as Illinois and Wisconsin found themselves in four early ties. The Fighting Illini pushed ahead with a 4-0 run and then a 5-0 run to take the score from 8-7 to 12-7, and then from 17-15 to 22-15, respectively.
The Badgers were not about to give up that easily using an Illinois service error in their favor. Mikaelsen made a big kill to follow the error and sparked a 6-0 Wisconsin run. Mikaelsen dominated the run making four kills and a block assisted by Mitchell to tighten the score at 22-21 with Illinois still in the lead.
The Illini iced the Badger run with a timeout and stopping Mikaelsen with a block from Bartsch and Bangert. Mary Ording and Mitchell answered back with two kills for a tied score at 23, but Illinois' Jazmine Orozco finished things off for a heartbreaking, 25-23, Badger loss.
The tight match between the young Badger squad and the highly-ranked Illini featured 28 ties and nine lead changes.
Wisconsin will try to spark a comeback as it continues its four-match road swing against Northwestern on Saturday. Match time is set for 7 p.m. in Evanston, Ill.
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Julie McKay
UW Athletic Communications
