BADGERS WRAP UP REGULAR SEASON
No. 11 Wisconsin (19-8, 10-8 B1G) wraps up the regular season with two home matches in the UW Field House.The Badgers host No. 1 Penn State (27-1, 17-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Rutgers (5-25, 0-18) comes to town for a 7 p.m. match. 

Saturday is Senior Night as UW honors seniors Kelli Bates and Lauryn Gillis in post-match ceremonies.

The 64-team bracket for the 2017 NCAA Championship will be announced on Sunday at 8 p.m. on ESPNU. The Badgers are 37-18 in 18 years of play. Wisconsin has made four-straight appearances in the post-season classic, advancing to at least the Sweet 16. UW is 12-4 under head coach Kelly Sheffield in NCAA tournament play.   
 

Match 28 | #1 PENN STATE  Date  Friday, Nov. 24 | 7 p.m.  Location  UW Field House | Madison, Wis.   Mobile App  Badger Gameday  Video  BTN Plus  Live Stats  UWBadgers.com  Radio  100.9 FM or iHeartRadio app  Social Media  @BadgerVB | Facebook | Instagram  Match Notes  Wisconsin | Penn State  Parking  Parking map

Match 29 |  RUTGERS  Date  Saturday, Nov. 25 | 7 p.m.  Location  UW Field House | Madison, Wis.  Mobile App  Badger Gameday  Video  BTN Plus  Live Stats  UWBadgers.com  Radio  100.9 FM or iHeartRadio app  Social Media  @BadgerVB | Facebook | Instagram  Match Notes  Wisconsin | Rutgers  Parking  Parking map

AT THE NET

• The Badgers wrapped up the road portion of the Big Ten season with two wins. Wisconsin downed Illinois, 3-1, on Friday before sweeping Northwestern, 3-0, on Sunday, marking the first time since Oct. 11-13 that UW won both weekend matches. 
• For a record ninth time this season, Dana Rettke was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. The 6-8 middle blocker averaged 3.86 kills and 1.86 blocks per set while hitting .561 on the weekend. She had her first career double-double at Northwestern with 13 kills and a career-high 10 blocks. 
• Freshman Sydney Hilley earned her second Big Ten Setter of the Week award after averaging 12.71 assists per set on the weekend. The 6-0 Hilley put up a career-high 57 assists in only four sets at Illinois on Friday.  
• Three Badgers recorded double-doubles at Illinois on Friday. Senior Lauryn Gillis had 13 kills and 12 digs; senior Kelli Bates added 11 kills and 12 digs; and freshman Sydney Hilley had 57 assists and 10 digs. 
• Wisconsin recorded one of its most balanced matches at Illinois on Friday as five players recorded 10-or-more kills and four players had double-digit digs. 
• Redshirt sophomore Madison Duello has turned up her offense the last seven matches, hitting a team-best .451. The 6-4 right-side hitter is averaging 2.36 kills per set while adding a team-high six service aces.
   

TWO BIG TEN WINS
The Badgers wrapped up the road portion of the Big Ten season with two wins. Wisconsin downed Illinois, 3-1, on Friday before sweeping Northwestern, 3-0, on Sunday.   

It was the first time since Oct. 11 and Oct. 13, when UW downed Nebraska and Indiana at home, that the Badgers have won both weekend matches. it is also the first road sweep of the season. 

UW finishes the Big Ten-road season with a 5-5 record and improves to 10-8 in conference play.   

BADGERS IMPROVE TO 11TH
Wisconsin moves up one place to 11th in the AVCA Top-25 Coaches' Poll released Nov. 20. The Badgers have been ranked in the national poll for 57 consecutive weeks.
 
The top five remain the same as last week with Penn State (27-1) and Texas (22-2) ranking first and second, respectively. Florida (23-1), Stanford (24-3) and Nebraska (24-4) completes the top five.  

The Big Ten has six teams in the top 25 and two teams receiving votes. In addition to Penn State and Nebraska, Minnesota (25-4) falls one spot to eighth while Michigan State (20-7) drops two places to 10th. Wisconsin (19-8) is next at 11th while Purdue (21-8) falls one place to 16th. Michigan and Illinois receive votes in this week's poll.  AVCA Poll

WISCONSIN MOVES UP TO 10TH IN RPI
The Badgers move up three places to 10th in the NCAA RPI, released Monday.  The rating percentage index is used to rank teams based upon wins and losses, and strength of schedule. This system is used to aid in the selecting and seeding of teams appearing in the NCAA tournament. 

Kentucky (24-3) take over the top of the rating while Florida (23-1) moves into second. Texas (22-2), Penn State (27-1), and Stanford (24-3), respectively, round out the top five. The Big Ten has four teams in the top 10 and eight teams in the top 30 while the Pac-12 Conference also has eight teams in the top 30.  NCAA RPI

FIFTH TOUGHEST SCHEDULE
Wisconsin has played the fifth toughest scheduled in the nation this season, according to the NCAA strength of schedule released Nov. 20. The Badgers have the toughest schedule in the Big Ten ahead of No. 6 Ohio State. Texas A&M has played the toughest schedule this season followed by Kentucky, Washington, Washington State and Wisconsin, respectively.

GREAT DANA
For a record ninth time this season, Dana Rettke was named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week. The 6-8 middle blocker averaged 3.86 kills and 1.86 blocks per set while hitting .561 on the weekend.  Rettke had her first career double-double at Northwestern with 13 kills and a career-high 10 blocks. She also had a match-high 14 kills at Illinois. 

On the season, Rettke leads the Badgers and ranks second in the Big Ten with a .445 hitting percentage. She also leads the team and ranks 12th in the conference with 3.42 kills per set. The freshman has a team-best 1.43 blocks per set, which ranks third in the Big Ten.

OFFENSIVE-MINDED SYD
Freshman Sydney Hilley earned her second Big Ten Setter of the Week award after averaging 12.71 assists per set on the weekend. The 6-0 Hilley put up a career-high 57 assists in only four sets at Illinois on Friday. She also added 32 assists at Northwestern while setting the Badgers to a 2-0 road record and a .312 team hitting percentage. She recorded her team-best ninth double-double with 57 assists and 10 digs vs. the Illini. On the weekend, Hilley added 2.14 digs, 0.86 kills and 0.71 blocks per set.   

DUELLO ON THE RIGHT
Redshirt sophomore Madison Duello has turned up her offense the last seven matches, hitting a team-best .451. The 6-4 right-side hitter is averaging 2.36 kills per set while adding a team-high six service aces.

On the season, Duello ranks fifth on the Badgers with 2.02 kills per set and fourth with a .285 hitting percentage. She also ranks second with 18 service aces (0.19/set) and third with 0.93 blocks per set.

DOUBLING UP
Three Badgers recorded double-doubles at Illinois on Friday and freshman Dana Rettke recorded her first career double-double at Northwestern on Sunday with 13 kills and 10 blocks.

Against the Illini, senior Lauryn Gillis had 13 kills and 12 digs; senior Kelli Bates added 11 kills and 12 digs; and freshman Sydney Hilley had 57 assists and 10 digs. 

• Five Badger players have 19 double-doubles this season. 
• Freshman Sydney Hilley has a team-best nine double-doubles this season.    
• Senior Kelli Bates has seven double-doubles this year. The 5-11 outside hitter has 29 double-doubles in her career, which ties for 10th at UW. 
• Junior Tionna Williams earned her first career double-double with 10 kills and 11 blocks vs. Lipscomb on Sept. 7. 

BALANCED OFFENSE AND DEFENSE
Wisconsin recorded one of its most balanced matches at Illinois on Friday as five players recorded 10-or-more kills and four players had double-digit digs. It was the first match this season with five players recording 10-or-more kills and the third match with four players in double-digit digs.   

The Badgers have five players that average 2.0 or more kills per set on the season. Freshman Dana Rettke leads the team with 3.42 kills per set. Senior Lauryn Gillis adds 2.75 kills per set while senior Kelli Bates chips in 2.59 kills per set. Junior Tionna Williams contributes in 2.53 kills per set. Sophomore Madison Duello adds 2.02 kills per set.

In the back row, Wisconsin has four players that averaged 2.0 or more digs per set. Sophomore Tiffany Clark has a team-best 3.90 digs per set while Bates ads 2.58 digs per set and M.E. Dodge contributes 2.34 digs per set. Freshman Sydney Hilley chips in 2.15 digs per set.

Wisconsin also has four players that average 0.60 or more blocks per set. Rettke (1.43), Williams (1.08), Madison Duello (0.93) and Hilley (0.67) lead the team. 

HITTING CONNECTION
Wisconsin has hit better than 22 of 27  opponents this season, connecting on .300 percent of its attacks on the year, which ranks third in the Big Ten. That mark would set a UW season record for highest hitting percentage by a Badger team. The previous best is .289 set by the 2001 team.

The Badgers have hit better than .400 in seven matches and better than .300 in 14 matches. Wisconsin is 14-0 when it hits better than .300. UW hit a season best .461 (40-5-76) vs. Southern Miss on Sept. 16 and a season-low .189 (59-26-175) at Minnesota on Oct. 21. 

IN THE NATIONAL STATS
In the NCAA stats through Nov. 19, Wisconsin ranks ninth in hitting percentage (.300), 16th in assists per set (13.48), and 24th in blocks per set (2.67). The Badgers are 31st in kills per set (14.04) and 40th in opponent hitting percentage (.170).  

Freshman Dana Rettke is fourth in hitting percentage (.445) and 17th in blocks per set (1.43). Junior Tionna Williams is 16th in hitting percentage (.408). Freshman Sydney Hilley is 12th in assists per set (11.66). NCAA Statistics

PERSONAL BESTS SET
Three Badgers tied or set career bests at Illinois or Northwestern last weekend.

• Senior Lauryn Gillis put up a career best three assists against the Illini.
• Freshman Sydney Hilley had a career high 57 assists at Illinois.
• Freshman Dana Rettke stopped a career best 10 blocks at Northwestern. 
   

I GOT THAT!
Four Badgers surpassed career milestones against the Illini or Wildcats last weekend.

• Senior Kelli Bates picked up career dig No. 1300 and career block No. 200 against the Ilini.
• Sophomore Tiffany Clark earned her 500th career dig at Northwestern. She also played in her 200th career set against the Wildcats.
• Sophomore M.E. Dodge played in her 200th career set at Northwestern.
• Freshman Sydney Hilley tallied her 200th career save at Illinois.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Four UW players are closing in on career milestones.

• Sophomore Madison Duello is only five digs and three blocks away from 100 in each category.
• Freshmen Sydney Hilley and Dana Rettke will play in their 100th set in four games.
• Junior Tionna Willams needs just three blocks for 400 career stops.\

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
No. 1 PENN STATE (27-1, 17-1)
The Nittany Lions have been unstoppable ever since they were swept by Nebraska in their first Big Ten match of the season, ranking first in the nation and first in the Big Ten. Last week they earned sweeps of Indiana and Rutgers.

Penn State leads the conference with a hitting percentage of .355. Middle blocker Haleigh Washington hits a team and conference-best .517. Outside hitter Simone Lee averages a team-high 3.91 kills per set.

The Nittany Lions are tied for first in the Big Ten, earning 2.96 blocks per set. Washington averages a team-high 1.50 stuffs per set with middle blocker Tori Gorrell and right side Heidi Thelen adding another 0.93 and 0.92 blocks per set, respectively.

Running a 6-2 offense, PSU setters Bryanna Weiskircher and Abby Detering average 6.49 and 5.61 assists per set, respectively.  

vs. Penn State
Penn State leads 47-8
In Madison: Penn State leads 18-7
Last meeting: The Badgers lost at Penn State in four sets on Oct. 25, 2017.

RUTGERS (5-25, 0-18)
The Scarlet Knights are winless in Big Ten play with a record of 0-18. Last weekend they were swept by No. 15 Purdue and No. 1 Penn State. Rutgers has not won a set in conference play since losing to Indiana in five sets on Oct. 20.

Right side Kamila Cieslik leads the Scarlet Knights on offense. The freshman averages a team-high 2.53 kills per set. Junior outside hitter Sahbria McLetchie contributes 2.51 kills per set.

At the net, middle blockers Stasa Milijevic and Jasmine Stackhouse average 0.81 and 0.77 blocks per set, helping Rutgers to an average of 1.74 stuffs per set.

Libero Karysa Swackenberg notches a team-high 2.87 digs per set. As a team, the Scarlet Knights dig up 10.44 balls per set. Behind the service line, Rutgers averages 1.16 aces per set led by Cieslik who adds 0.36 aces per set.
    
vs. Rutgers
Wisconsin leads 6-0
In Madison: Wisconsin leads 3-0
Last season: UW swept Rutgers on the road and at home during the 2016 season.
The streak: Wisconsin has topped Rutgers in all of the six meetings.