| | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | MSU
| 29 | 13 | 21 | 9 | -- | Wisconsin
| 27 | 25 | 25 | 25 | -- | | Stats Leaders
| | MSU | | WIS | | Johnson - 18 | Kills | Chapman - 14 | | McCarter - 45 | Assists | Carlini - 51 | | Wright - .471 | Hit %
| Nelson - .647 | | Hogan - 18 | Digs | Carlini, Morey - 16 | | House - 2 | Blocks | Nlsn, Chpmn - 4 | | Johnson - 2 | Aces | Chapman - 2 | | Stats Comparison
| MSU | WIS | | Kills | 53 | 60 | | Hitting Pct. | .196 | .362 | | Assists | 50 | 58 | | Service Aces | 3 | 4 | | Digs | 59 | 67 | | Total Blocks | 3 | 8 | | |
Sept. 13, 2014
MADISON, Wis. -- The fourth-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team showed strong arms at the net Saturday as four Badgers contributed double-figure kills in the team's 27-29, 25-13, 25-21, 25-9 victory over Missouri State in second round of the HotelRed Invitational at the UW Field House.
UW seniors Ellen Chapman and Courtney Thomas led the strike with 14 and 12 kills, respectively. Sophomore Haleigh Nelson added 11 and recorded a team-high attack percentage of .647 (11 kills - 0 errors - 17 attempts). Redshirt senior Dominique Thompson joined in the push with 10 kills while freshman Kelli Bates added nine kills.
| Fast Facts | | • Four Badgers record double-figure kills | | • Lauren Carlini records a double-double with 51 assists and 16 digs | | • Wisconsin remains undefeated with a 7-0 record | |
The Badgers were balanced on the defensive front as well, with three players contributing double-figure digs. Sophomore Lauren Carlini and junior Taylor Morey each recorded 16 digs, while freshman Kelli Bates tallied a career-high 14 saves.
Wisconsin outblocked the Bears 8-3, led by four apiece from Chapman and Nelson. Chapman's two service aces aided the Badgers to a 4-3 edge at the serving line.
Both teams battled in a close first set that saw 12 tied scores and two lead changes, but MSU overcame some costly service errors in the final points to defeat the Badgers. The Badgers had three opportunities to win the set, but the Bears' defensive play kept them in the game. UW served for set point at 24-23, 25-24 and 26-25 before Missouri State went up 27-26 on a service ace by MaryJo Kolze. Wisconsin rallied to set the score at 27 before back-to-back kills by Simone House and Olivia Brand put the Bears up 1-0.
Lily Johnson put away 11 of the Bears' 23 kills in the first set, while Ellen Chapman led the Wisconsin offense with six. The Badgers recorded a .341 hitting percentage (16 - 2 - 13) as MSU marked a .422 (23-4-45) percent.
Wisconsin came out strong in the second period, going on a 4-0 run early to take a 10-5 lead. MSU recovered two points, but the Badgers were relentless as UW went on a 10-0 run to create a 20-7 advantage. The Bears held off five Wisconsin set points before Thompson made a big block to award the Badgers the 25-13 win.
A balanced Wisconsin defense kept the Bears to a negative .029 (8-9-34) attack percentage in the second set, as four different Badgers contributed to the team's four blocks. Nelson was a perfect 6-0-6 on offense as Wisconsin recorded a .312 (13-3-32) hitting percentage.
The Badgers jumped to a quick lead in the third set as Chapman drove an ace through the middle of the MSU defense. The score remained close until the end of the period when a line-drive by Chapman put the Badgers up 23-21. UW followed with a big block to take a 24-21 lead before an MSU hitting error gave Wisconsin the 25-21 win.
Missouri State raised its attack percentage to .297 (17-6-37) in the third period, but Morey tallied eight digs to help the Badger defense hold.
Wisconsin kept the heat coming in the fourth set, taking six points before MSU's House put the Bears on the board with her fifth kill of the match. The Badgers lead only increased as the set went on as UW went on a 7-0 run to create a 21-6 advantage. MSU would only earn three more points as two kills by Bates and another by Chapman brought the Badgers to 24-9. Thompson sent a bullet to the ground in her 10th kill of the match to give Wisconsin the set and the win.
The Badgers recorded a .432 (18-2-37) attack percentage in the final set, with Bates, Chapman and senior Courtney Thomas each tallying four kills. Wisconsin also had 21 digs in the period, holding the Bears to just five kills on 37 attempts.
Wisconsin hit .362 (60-10-138) overall, as sophomore Lauren Carlini tallied 51 assists to complete her double-double effort. Chapman and Nelson each marked four blocks, helping hold the Bears to a .196 (53-23-153) hitting percentage. MSU continued to be plagued by service errors, ending the match with 12.
Wisconsin rises to 7-0 on the season and 2-0 in the tournament with the victory. The Badgers conclude their play in the HotelRED Invitational with a match against Ball State at 7:30 pm in the UW Field House.
