MADISON, Wis – The top-ranked Badgers (27-7, 18-2 B1G in 2019) open the 2020-21 season this weekend, hosting No. 13 Purdue (24-8, 14-6) on Friday and Saturday in the UW Field House. First serve is at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and at 8 p.m. on Saturday. Both matches air live on the Big Ten Network.

In the abbreviated 2020-21 spring season, the Badgers will play 22 matches against Big Ten opponents. Wisconsin plays 11 conference foes in either home or away back-to-back series with the exception of Minnesota, which it will play in a home-and-home series. The two teams UW does not play are Maryland and Ohio State.

Here are six things we're serving up to you as the Badgers open the season.

1. WE'RE NO. 1: The Badgers enter the 2021 spring season as the No. 1-ranked team in the country, according to the AVCA Preseason poll for the 2021 spring season, released Jan. 5. Wisconsin has been ranked first only one other time in program history and that was on Oct. 9, 2016.

2. SEASON OPENERS: Wisconsin is 32-14 all-time in season openers, including a 12-7 mark at home. UW is also 22-15 in Big Ten openers, defeating Purdue, 3-0, at home in 2019.

The Badgers also celebrate the 29th-annual Steve Lowe Night on Friday, in honor of the former UW head coach. Lowe led the Badgers from 1986-91, guiding Wisconsin to its first Big Ten championship, first national ranking and first NCAA tournament appearance in 1990. Lowe passed away in August of 1991, and every year the Badgers honor Lowe at their Big Ten home opener and with the Steve Lowe Endowed Scholarship. This season's scholarship recipient is redshirt senior Molly Haggerty.

3. WE'RE NO. 1 - AGAIN!: Wisconsin was unanimously chosen as the Big Ten favorite for the 2020-21 season. The reigning Big Ten champions also picked up three preseason All-Big Ten picks. Reigning Big Ten Setter of the Year Sydney Hilley and reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Dana Rettke were unanimous picks while Molly Haggerty was also named to the honor team.  

4. ALL-AMERICAN BADGERS: UW returns four All-Americans, including two first-team selections for the first time in program history. Senior Dana Rettke is a three-time, first-team All-American while senior Sydney Hilley earned first-team honors as a junior. Redshirt senior Molly Haggerty earned second-team honors in 2019 while senior Grace Loberg was a honorable mention pick. UW shares the most returning All-America awards with Nebraska and Penn State.

5. THOSE ARE SOME GOOD NUMBERS: Wisconsin returns more than 63 percent of all statistical categories, including better than 84 percent of four statistics. UW returns 87% of kills (1458 of 1668); 94% of assists (1490 of 1589); 85% of service aces (161 of 190); 63% of digs (1084 of 1724); and 84% of blocks (253.5 of 300.5).

6. COACH SHEFF: Head coach Kelly Sheffield opens his eighth year at Wisconsin, counting down to 200 Badger wins. Sheffield has a seven-year mark of 187-49 (.792) at UW and a 460-161 (.741) record, entering his 20th year as a head coach. Sheffield has led UW to seven-straight NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to at least the Sweet 16 every season, and two Big Ten championships.