Wisconsin wins K-State Invitational

Saturday, September 2

Manhattan, KS

1:30 p.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

5-0

Kansas State

2-4

Wisconsin

K-State

Photo by: Diane Nordstrom

Wisconsin wins K-State Invitational

September 02, 2017 | Volleyball

Box Score Boxscore vs. K-State

Badgers sweep K-State to improve to 5-0

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The No. 6 Wisconsin volleyball team clinched the K-State Invitational with a sweep of Kansas State, 25-17, 25-16, 25-20, at Ahearn Field House Saturday afternoon.

The Badgers' key to victory was at the net where they out blocked the Wildcats 11-3.

Wisconsin (5-0) hit .436 (52 kills – 8 errors – 101 attempts) while holding K-State (2-4) to .149 (33 – 19 – 94). Both teams collected 36 digs and one service ace.

Redshirt sophomore Madison Duello led all players with a career-best eight blocks as well as a career-high 12 kills. Senior Kelli Bates earned her first double-double of the season and the 23rd of her career with 11 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore M.E. Dodge had a match-high 12 digs.

Noteables

Kelli Bates earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors. The outside hitter collected 38 kills in three matches, averaging 4.22 kills per set while hitting .435. The 5-11 outside hitter also added 2.44 digs per set.
Redshirt sophomore Madison Duello was named to the K-State Invitational all-tournament team. Duello had 29 kills, averaging 3.22 per set while hitting .521, and 10 blocks in the tournament (1.11 per set). The 6-4 right-side hitter had a career-high 12 kills and eight blocks against the Wildcats.
Setter Sydney Hilley was also named to the all-tournament team. The freshman averaged 12.89 assists per set on the weekend. She added 2.00 digs and 0.44 service aces per set. The 6-0 setter had a career-high four aces against Syracuse.

Quotables

"I thought she (Madison Duello) was great. Attacking, blocking, I thought she was great. Offensively I thought we were awfully good today.

"We were just steady. A few more service errors than what we would've wanted in the third (set) but you're probably knitpicking when you're doing that. I thought we had great balance and Syd (Hilley) did a great job of setting. Less than eight percent in hitting errors, that's pretty low. We passed well, I thought we set well, and we were hitting what they were giving us.

"Our block came to life a little bit later on. We were picking up the tips, which was an emphasis going in there. We picked up the tips early and then I thought we did a good job blocking late.

"Grace (Loberg) has an arm. She was in there and when there was a seam in the block, she was burying them. She's getting a little bit more comfortable."

- Head coach Kelly Sheffield

It was over when

After winning the first set 25-17, freshman Riley Bell keyed a 5-0 run in the middle of the second set. A Kansas State service error sent Bell back to the line where she earned her first career service ace. Tionna Williams and Grace Loberg teamed up for a block, Duello spiked the ball down the line, and Williams and Duello added another stuff to extend the run.