Box Score

AMES, Iowa – The 11th-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team opened up the 2017 NCAA tournament with a first-round sweep of in-state rival Marquette. The Badgers downed the Golden Eagles 27-25, 25-21, 25-11 at Hilton Coliseum Friday evening.
 
The Badgers staged a balanced offensive attack with Kelli Bates, Dana Rettke, and Grace Loberg earning 11 kills apiece. Bates also added 10 digs to earn her ninth double-double of the season.
 
As a team, Wisconsin (21-9) hit .337 (49 kills – 14 errors – 104 attempts). Marquette (22-10) earned a .184 (34-15-103) hitting percentage.
 
Libero Tiffany Clark was phenomenal in the backcourt, notching a match-high 19 digs. Wisconsin had 49 saves to Marquette's 33.
 
At the net, Rettke had three stuffs to help the Badgers out block MU, 4-2.
 

Notable

• Freshman Grace Loberg recorded career-high 11 kills after coming off the bench in the middle of the first set. The 6-3 outside hitter hit .550, recording 11 kills on 20 attempts with zero errors.
• Senior Kelli Bates recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 10 digs, which ties freshman Sydney Hilley for the most on the squad this season. Bates has 31 double-doubles in her career, which ranks 10^th at UW.
• Sophomore Tiffany Clark recorded a match-high 19 digs, a three-set high for the Badgers this season.
• Freshman Sydney Hilley went over 1,200 assists in tonight's match. The 6-0 setter has 1,244 assists in her rookie season, which ranks fifth on the UW season record list under 25-point rally scoring.
• Wisconsin improves to 19-0 all-time against the Golden Eagles.
• The Badgers improve to 16-0 when they hit over .300 this season as they connected on .337 percent of their attacks tonight.
• UW improves to 19-1 in first-round NCAA tournament matches.
• Thirteen Badgers saw action in the match as head coach Kelly Sheffield went to his bench late in the third set.

 

Quotable

"No matter what you say to your players, they know it is not just another match. You lose and your season is over. You try to settle into your routine. This match wasn't going to be decided in the first 10 minutes. Whatever happens we wanted to get stronger and better throughout the match, and we did that.
 
"I thought we got stronger as the match went on and we played well at the end. Grace (Loberg) did a great job and everybody else we subbed in came in and did their job."
 
-Head Coach Kelli Sheffield
 
"We had some jitters. That is natural. We had some young people playing in their first NCAA tournament game. Our goal was to get stronger throughout the match and we did that. We really put the hammer down. We punched hard when they were punching. I am happy the team responded the way they did. Early leads are big because it's hard to come out of that hole."
 
-Outside hitter Kelli Bates
 

It was over when

After winning the first two sets, the Badgers dominated the third game to secure a spot in the second round. Strong serving and a explosive offensive presence gave UW a 25-11 set win. Marquette scored the first point of the set but the Badgers went on a 5-0 run to lead 5-1 and never look back. Wisconsin hit .583 (15-1-24) with Grace Loberg collecting five kills.
 

Up next

The Badgers advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament and will play the winner of tonight's match between Iowa State vs. Princeton Saturday night at 6:30 p.m.