Game Coverage
Friday, Aug. 30 | Carmichael Arena | Chapel Hill, N.C.
MADISON, Wis. -- No. 5 Wisconsin (25-7 in 2018) opens the 2019 season on Friday-Saturday, competing in the sixth-annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Wisconsin and No. 3 Minnesota (27-4) represent the Big Ten, taking on Florida State (19-10) and North Carolina (8-19) from the ACC in the tournament at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C. All matches will air on ACC Network Extra.
1. WE LIKE SEASON OPENERS: The Badgers are 31-14 all time in season openers, including a 13-5 neutral mark. Wisconsin opened the 2018 season with a 2-0 mark, defeating North Carolina, 3-0, and Florida State, 3-1, at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in Minneapolis. Wisconsin is 9-1 in the five years of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge with its only loss coming at then-No. 11-North Carolina in 2016.
2. OH, AND THIS HAPPENED!
3. NOW THAT'S IMPRESSIVE: Wisconsin returns five All-Americans in 2019, tying for the second most in the nation. Junior Dana Rettke is a two-time first-team All-American while junior Sydney Hilley earned second-team honors in 2018. Senior Madison Duello and senior Tiffany Clark earned third-team and honorable mention accolades, respectively, last season. Redshirt junior Molly Haggerty was a third-team All-American in 2016.
4. MOVING UP TO SECOND: Head coach Kelly Sheffield has 160 wins at Wisconsin, needing only one more win to move into a tie for second on the UW all-time winningest coach list. He would equal John Cook (1992-98), who won 161 matches with the Badgers.
5. SCOUTING FLORIDA STATE: The Seminoles have been picked to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as voted on by the 15 ACC head coaches. FSU received two first-place votes and 174 points, which trailed 2018 ACC Champion Pitt, which garnered 195 points and 13 first-place votes. Following a pair of AVCA All-American Honorable Mention seasons a year ago, junior Taryn Knuth and senior Payton Caffrey are recognized on the 18-member 2019 Preseason All-ACC Team. It is the second year in a row that both Knuth and Caffrey have earned preseason accolades from the conference. FSU lost in the first round of the 2018 NCAA tournament, falling to Florida, 3-0.
