MADISON, Wis – After a three-week hiatus, the top-ranked Badgers (10-0, 10-0 B1G) face their toughest challenge of the season. Wisconsin plays a home-and-home series with No. 4 Minnesota (11-1, 11-1) this week. The first match-up is Thursday in the UW Field House at 7 p.m. Wisconsin then travels to Minneapolis on Sunday for a 7 p.m. first serve from Maturi Pavilion. Both matches air live on the Big Ten Network.

Here are six things we're serving up to you before this weekend's matches.

1. THREE SERIES POSTPONED: The Badgers have had three straight weekend series postponed, two due to a COVID outbreak on the UW team, and one due to Northwestern halting team activities. It will be nearly a month since Wisconsin last played on Feb. 21 at Michigan State.

2. IN CASE YOU FORGOT, WE'RE UNDEFEATED: Wisconsin is off to one of the best starts in program history at 10-0, one of only 16 teams undefeated this season. The best mark was an 11-0 start in 2010 while the 1987, 1994 and 1996 teams were also 10-0. The Badgers have dropped only two sets this season, both in the third set. UW dropped a 25-21 third-set at Illinois on Jan. 30 and a 25-21 third set at Michigan State on Feb. 21. Wisconsin is 30-2 in sets this season. The Badgers have also been pushed to extra points in a set only three times.

3. WE LIKE IT AT HOME!: Wisconsin has won its last 18 matches at home, dating back to the 2019 season. The Badgers wrapped up the 2019 Big Ten season with a perfect 10-0 record, the first undefeated home conference record in program history, and went 4-0 in NCAA tournament play. UW has not lost a home Big Ten match since November of 2018, winning 16 straight conference matches.

4. LEADING THE BIG TEN: Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in five statistical categories. The Badgers lead the conference in hitting percentage (.351), opponent hitting percentage (.122), kills by opponent (10.28), assists by opponent (9.28) and blocks by opponent (1.38). Senior Dana Rettke also leads the league in blocks per set with 1.66.

5. HIGH HITTING: The Badgers have hit better than .300 in 9-of-10 matches this season, including a season-high .420 (42K-8E-81TA) at Indiana on Feb. 13. UW leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally with a team hitting percentage of .351. Wisconsin is also holding opponents to .122, which leads the Big Ten and ranks 13th nationally. Individually freshman Devyn Robinson ranks second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally with a hitting percentage of .459. Senior Dana Rettke sits third in the Big Ten and 14th nationally at .452 while redshirt junior Danielle Hart is eighth in the Big Ten 51st nationally at .380. 

6. SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GOPHERS: After a two-week hiatus, Minnesota (11-1) returned to action last weekend, sweeping Illinois 3-2 and 3-0 at home. The Golden Gophers have dropped only one match this season, a 3-0 loss to Nebraska on Feb. 21.

Senior Stephanie Samedy leads UM with 4.53 kills per set, which leads the Big Ten. Freshman Taylor Landfair chips in 3.16 kills per set while Adanna Rollins adds 2.60 kills per set. Freshman Melani Shaffmaster runs the Gopher offense, putting up 9.68 assists per set while ranking third on the team with 2.97 digs per set. Libero CC McGraw has a team-best 4.35 digs per set, which ranks second in the Big Ten. Minnesota has two blockers that average 1.0-or-more blocks per set as Katie Myers leads the team with 1.41 blocks per set and Regan Pittman adds 1.21 blocks per set.