Home crowd energizes Badgers to win

Saturday, April 15

UW Field House

6:30 p.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

Green Bay

0-1

Wisconsin

Photo by: David Stluka

Home crowd energizes Badgers to win

April 15, 2017 | Volleyball

Box Score Green Bay Boxscore

Wisconsin sweeps Green Bay in only home spring match

MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin volleyball team gave fans at the UW Field House something to cheer about, sweeping Green Bay, 25-13, 25-22, 25-16, in its sole home match of the spring season.

Every Badger saw action in the victory, outhitting the Phoenix .302 (38 kills - 9 errors - 96 total attack) to .124 (31-19-97) and crushing 11 aces to Green Bay's one. Green Bay outdug the Badgers 41-36.

"I liked what I saw from the team," head coach Kelly Sheffield said. "We've been in a coaching clinic since last night so they had a really hard session last night. We basically had two practices today and then the match and when they weren't in the practices for the coaching clinic, they were standing up helping. They were on their feet an awful lot."

Senior-to-be Lauryn Gillis led the Badgers with 11 kills, adding back-to-back aces in the first set. Fellow senior-to-be Kelli Bates added seven kills and led the match with a .500 hitting percentage (7-0-14). Bates also added a team-high 10 digs and three service aces.

Rookie setter Sydney Hilley recorded 30 assists, adding five digs, two blocks and an ace for a well-rounded performance. Fellow freshman Dana Rettke added five kills and two blocks as UW outblocked Green Bay 4-2.

"Your team is certainly going to be energized when you're playing in front of a great home crowd," Sheffield said. "I thought there were a lot of positives. I thought we served real well, I thought we passed well. Syndey was really looking for her middles late in the match. A lot of positives to draw upon."

UW went on a 5-0 run to lead 10-7 in the first set, forcing a Phoenix timeout after an ace for M.E. Dodge. The Badgers edged UWGB 7-4 over the next 11 points, leading 17-11 and forcing another Phoenix break after Gillis' back-to-back aces. The Badgers finished off set one on an 8-2 streak, taking the frame by a score of 25-13.

The teams began set two trading short runs with Wisconsin leading 7-4, but the Phoenix fought back on an 11-6 surge to take the lead, 15-13. Wisconsin bounced back to take a 17-15 lead, forcing a timeout and then edging the Phoenix 8-7 to take set two, 25-22.

After taking a 10-6 lead to start the final set, Wisconsin never looked back as it hit a match-high .378 percent (15-1-37) in the frame. Green Bay rallied to come within four, 15-11, but the Badgers took off on a 10-5 tear to take the set and match, 25-16.

"We came out there and I liked the energy and figuring things out," Sheffield said. "We had different lineups out there for all three sets. I thought we looked better than we did a week ago and that's what you're hoping."

The Badgers close out their spring season with a road match against Iowa State on Friday. First serve is set for 7 p.m., at West Delaware High School in Manchester, Iowa.

Volleyball vs. Green Bay by UW Badgers on Exposure