MADISON, Wis. — Led by a career-high 17 kills from freshman Julia Orzol, the No. 5 Wisconsin volleyball team handed No. 7 Minnesota its first Big Ten Conference loss of the season on Friday night. The Badgers (10-1, 2-1 B1G) swept the Gophers, 25-17, 25-21, 25-17. 

Orzol was one of three Badgers to put away 10-or-more kills as UW finished with 14 more kills (52-38) than Minnesota. Fifth-year senior Dana Rettke added 13 kills while hitting a match-high .611 (13 kills - 2 errors - 18 attempts) and grad student Grace Loberg added 11 kills.

Wisconsin  hit .372 (52 - 10 - 113) as a team while the Golden Gophers (7-4, 2-1) hit .198 (38-14-21). Sydney Hilley had 41 assists for the Badgers.

That momentum continued into the second set as Wisconsin took a 5-1, forcing Minnesota to call a time out. The Gophers rallied to tie the set at 10 as UW couldn't pull ahead by more than three points until a 4-0 Badger run, including two kills by Orzol, put Wisconsin up 20-15. Wisconsin served for set point five times, including two successful challenges by Minnesota, before a kill by Rettke ended the period. 

In the third set, Wisconsin held the Gophers to their lowest hitting percentage of the match (.108) while the Badgers continued to dominate on offense, hitting .400. It was Orzol who served for four straight points to give UW a 15-8 lead, an advantage Minnesota could not overcome.

Defensively, Wisconsin outblocked the Gophers, 4-3, with Devyn Robinson recording a team-best three blocks.

Lauren Barnes helped the Badgers get the edge in digs 59-42, recording 23 saves followed by Orzol with 10 digs.

Wisconsin also scored on five service aces, including two from Izzy Ashburn, while giving up three aces.

Straight from the Court
Head Coach Kelly Sheffield 
"I thought our left sides did a really good job tonight. Julia (Orzol) and Grace (Loberg) were just playing smart, working the court and getting the ball into good areas. They were smart with their shots which was a big difference from last week. Both teams served really well and I think the passers from both teams were under a lot of stress throughout the night and overall, I like the progress that we've made from last week to tonight"

Dana Rettke
"I think our servers just went back with confidence. They weren't doing too much (and) they weren't doing too little. Every ball that was put in, was put into great space and it really made Minnesota work. Serving aggressively and serving in a good space were some things we focused on this week, and I think our servers did a great job of that." 

Julia Orzol
"Playing in that Field House, I can't compare it to anything I experienced before. You can't find any better place to play and get energy than from the Badger community."

Notes to Know

• Freshman Julia Orzol recorded a career high 17 kills, marking the sixth time in seven matches that she has reached double figures. The 6-foot outside hitter also added 10 digs for her second career double-double, and put up a career-best four assists.  
• Grad student Lauren Barnes led all players with 23 digs, a season high and her second 20-plus dig match of the season.
• Anna MacDonald recorded her first career service ace, coming at 21-11 in the first set.
• Fifth-year senior Dana Rettke added 13 kills, her sixth-straight match with 10-plus kills.
• Sophomore Jade Demps started for the first time in her career on the right side, tying her career high with one assist.
• Freshman Lauren Jardine tied her career high with one block.
• Wisconsin tied its season low with four blocks but also held Minnesota to a season-low three stuffs. 

Up Next: 

The Badgers go back on the road to face Illinois (11-3, 3-0) on Sunday from Huff Hall in Champaign, Illinois. First serve is at 12 p.m. and will be streamed live on B1G+.