Serving up six: Badgers on the road at Michigan State

#1 Wisconsin

8-0, 8-0 B1G

Michigan State

2-4, 2-4 B1G

Game Coverage

Saturday, Feb. 20 & 21 | 1:30 p.m. CT Saturday / 2:30 p.m. CT Sunday | Jenison Field House | East Lansing, Mich.

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MADISON, Wis – The Badgers (8-0, 8-0 B1G) wrap up their four-match road trip this weekend, traveling to Michigan State (2-4, 2-4) for a weekend series. First match is on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT live on the Big Ten Network. Sunday's match serves off at 2:30 p.m. CT, streamed live on B1G Network+.

Here are six things we're serving up to you.

1. GREAT START: Wisconsin is off to one of its best starts in program history at 8-0. The best mark was an 11-0 start in 2010 while the 1987, 1994 and 1996 teams were all 10-0. A 9-0 start would equal the openings of the 1976, 2014 and 2017 teams.

2. STILL UNDEFEATED: Wisconsin continued its undefeated streak, improving to 8-0 with two sweeps at Indiana last weekend. The Badgers have won their last 13 consecutive sets.
The Badgers have dropped only one set this season, a third-set 25-21 loss at Illinois on Jan. 30, going 24-1 in sets this season. The Badgers have also been pushed to extra points in a set only three times

3. FANTASTIC FROSH: Freshman Devyn Robinson had a career weekend, leading the Badgers with a .614 (29K-2E-44TA) hitting percentage over two matches. The 6-foot-2 right hitter led the Badgers with a career-high 18 kills on Friday and added 11 kills on Saturday to average 4.83 kills per set. She also added five blocks and three digs.

4. IZZY IN A TIZZY: Sophomore Izzy Ashburn recorded a career high and tied the UW single-match record under 25-point rally scoring with six services against the Hoosiers on Saturday. The 5-foot-11 defensive specialist leads the Badgers with 16 service aces, tying for the Big Ten lead with 0.67 aces per set.

5. BLOCKING BADGERS: After recording only four blocks in its first match of the season, Wisconsin has tallied seven-or-more blocks in the last seven matches. Wisconsin ranks third in the Big Ten with 2.62 blocks per set and senior Dana Rettke leads the conference with 1.72 blocks per set. Right-side hitter Devyn Robinson adds 0.92 blocks per set and middle blocker Danielle Hart chips in 0.76 blocks per set.

6. SCOUTING THE SPARTANS: Michigan State begins a five-match homestand this week when it hosts Michigan (Wednesday) and No. 1 Wisconsin (Saturday/Sunday) at Jenison Field House. MSU's offense has seemingly flipped a switch in the last three matches, with significant statistical improvement in all facets of the game. MSU has hit .194 or better in each of its last three matches, for a composite .251 in those contests. MSU is averaging 12.62 kills (compared to 11.33 in its first three matches, when it hit .109), and also averaging 1.92 blocks (1.11 in the first three matches) and is averaging 1.31 aces (0.89). MSU has limited opponents to a .206 hitting percentage in the last three matches compared to .282 in the first three.

Sarah Franklin was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday. She averaged 4.50 kills per set in the two matches against Maryland, putting down 16 kills and had 11 digs for her second career double-double on Friday, then followed that up with a 20-kill, three-block performance in which she hit .395 on Saturday. She ranks third in the league and 28th nationally in attempts (11.77 per set), and seventh in the B1G in kills per set (3.82).