Five things to know: Volleyball opens Big Ten season

Wisconsin

4-4, 0-0

Purdue

8-1, 0-0

Game Coverage

Friday, Sept. 27 | 7 p.m. | UW Field House | Madison, Wis.

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Madison, Wis. – No. 13 Wisconsin (4-4) opens the Big Ten season with three straight home matches, playing two this weekend. The Badgers kick off conference play on Friday when No. 15 Purdue (8-1, 0-0) comes to the Field House for the 28th-annual Steve Lowe Night. First serve is at 7 p.m. The Badgers also host Indiana (11-2, 0-0) on Sunday at 1 p.m.

1. CELEBRATING LOWE: Steve Lowe was UW's head coach from 1986-90, guiding the Badgers to their first Big Ten title, first NCAA tournament appearance and first national ranking in 1990. He passed away from lung cancer in August of 1991 despite never having smoked. Wisconsin honors Lowe in its Big Ten home opener every year and also recognizes him with the Steve Lowe Endowed Scholarship. This year's scholarship recipient is senior M.E. Dodge.

2. SUCCESS BIG TEN OPENER: Wisconsin is 22-15 all time in Big Ten openers, including a 14-8 record at home. The Badgers swept Ohio State, 3-0, in its home opener last season.

3. TOUGHEST SCHEDULE IN THE NATION: UW has played the toughest schedule in the nation according to the most recent NCAA toughest schedule report released Sept. 24. Wisconsin will play 16 matches against teams ranked or receiving votes in this week's AVCA poll during the 2019 season.

4. HILLEY HITS 3,000: With her 25th assist of the match against Washington on Sept. 19, which came in the third set when a kill by Molly Haggerty put the Badgers up 8-5, junior Sydney Hilley recorded her 3,000th career assist. She became the ninth UW player to tally 3,000 career assists. The setter has 3,052 assists in her third season.

5. SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS: The Boilermakers are 8-1 on the season, coming off a tournament title at their own Stacy Clark Classic. Purdue downed Texas A&M Corpus Christi (3-0), Murray State (3-0) and Eastern Michigan (3-1) to the championship. Purdue leads the Big Ten with 3.04 blocks per set behind 1.66 blocks per set from redshirt senior Blake Mohler. The 6-foot-2 middle blocker also adds 2.24 kills per set while hitting .336. Junior Caitlyn Newton, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, has a team-best 3.94 kills per set while sophomore Grace Cleveland, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter, adds 3.51 kills per set. Cleveland ranks third on the team with 1.06 blocks per set. Redshirt sophomore Hayley Bush, a 5-foot-10 setter, puts up 10.83 assists per set and adds 2.00 digs per set. Redshirt senior Shavona Cuttino, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker, has a team-best .348 hitting percentage while contributing 1.50 kills per set. She also ranks second with 1.32 blocks per set. Junior Jena Otec, a 5-foot-10 libero, has a team-high 4.60 digs per set.

The Hoosiers wrapped up the non-conference season with an 11-2 mark, including a 3-2 win at No. 15 Kentucky on Sept. 14. Indiana has won seven straight, including two straights wins over South Florida last weekend. Sophomore Breana Edwards, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter, leads the team with 3.35 kills per set. Senior Deyshia Lofton, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker, adds 2.61 kills per set while hitting a team-best .454. Lofton also leads the Hoosiers with 1.16 blocks per set. Indiana runs a 6-2 offense with senior Victoria Brisack, a 6-foot setter, putting up 5.59 assists per set, and freshman Emily Fitzner, a 6-foot setter, averaging 4.82 assists per set. Freshman Haley Armstrong, a 5-foot-7 libero, has a team-best 4.23 digs per set.

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