Game Coverage
Friday, September 13 | 5pm — Clemson, S.C.
Madison, WI – The ninth-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team (2-2) hits the road for the second time this season, traveling to Clemson, South Carolina, on Friday-Saturday for the Clemson Invitational. The Badgers face South Carolina (5-3) at 5 p.m. on Friday and host Clemson (5-3) at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
1. THIS IS NEW: Wisconsin has never before played either school that it will see this weekend in Clemson. The Badgers will look to start off both series with a win.
2. NOT SO NEW: UW has some "family" ties to Clemson as former All-American Jackie Simpson Kirr is an assistant coach with the Tigers. The setter played at Wisconsin from 2004-07, finishing with 5,235 career assists, which ranks third at UW. She also averaged 12.70 assists per set, which also ranks third.
3. BLOCK PARTY: UW is the only Big Ten school that has three players who rank in the top 10 in blocks per set. Redshirt sophomore
Danielle Hart ranks second in the Big Ten with 1.47 blocks per set, while junior
Dana Rettke ranks fifth with 1.33 blocks per set. Junior
Sydney Hilley ties for eighth with 1.27 blocks per set.
4. SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks are 5-3 on the season, coming off a 2-1 finish at the UCF Challenge in Orlando, Florida. South Carolina fell to host UCF, 3-0, but rebounded to down Kansas (3-1) and Albany (3-0). USC edged Clemson, 3-2, in the first match of the tournament on Thursday night. Senior Claire Edwards, a 6-2 middle blocker, leads the team with a .438 hitting percentage and 1.30 blocks per set. She also adds 1.97 kills per set. Senior Mikayla Shields, a 6-0 right-side hitter, leads the Gamecocks with 3.50 kills per set while adding 2.41 digs per set. Junior Mikayla Robinson, a 6-2 middle blocker, adds 2.57 kills and 0.86 blocks per set. Senior Addison Bryant, a 5-7 libero, has a team-best 4.40 digs per set while senior Courtney Koehler, a 5-11 setter, puts up 9.68 assists per set.
5. SCOUTING CLEMSON: The Tigers are 5-3 on the season after going 1-2 at the K-State Invitational in Manhattan, Kansas, last weekend. Clemson lost to Kansas State (3-2) and Omaha (3-0) before downing Central Arkansas (3-0). Redshirt junior Kaylin Korte, a 6-0 outside hitter, leads the team with 3.12 kills and 0.71 service aces per set. Redshirt junior Brooke Bailey, a 6-2 outside hitter, adds 2.75 kills per set. Freshman Annika Clark, a 6-3 middle blocker, leads the team with a .302 hitting percentage and 0.89 blocks per set. She puts away 1.39 kills per set.
