WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After six match points in the fourth set, the seventh-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team defeated No. 5 Purdue 16-25, 25-19, 25-18, 30-28 Saturday night.
The Boilermakers (14-2, 5-1 BIG) started the match strong, taking the first set. After Wisconsin (11-3 5-1 BIG) won the second set, the Badgers went on to take the third set (25-18) and close the match off with an exciting, extra point fourth set (30-28).
Wisconsin hit .204 (60 kills-27 errors-162 attempts) while holding Purdue to a .129 (41-23-140) hitting percentage.
Julia Orzol led the Badgers with a career-high 19 kills, followed by
Sarah Franklin with 15 putaways.
Devyn Robinson and
Anna Smrek contributed with 10 kills each as well.
Freshman
Gulce Guctekin led all players with 22 digs while Orzol followed with 10 saves.
Izzy Ashburn added 26 assists to lead UW, and was closely followed by
MJ Hammill, who added 23 helpers.
The Badgers finished with a 13-9 block advantage, with
Caroline Crawford leading the way with eight total blocks. Robinson followed with five blocks.
Wisconsin additionally outscored Illinois, 7-4, from the service line behind three aces from Hammill.
Straight from the CourtS
Head Coach Kelly Sheffield
"They had everything going their way, and nothing going ours. Everything was one-sided in that first set and I thought we did a great job battling."
"Defensively, I think we were really gritty, we had quite a few blocks and dug like crazy, and I am proud of a lot of them."
Notes to know
- The Badgers improve to 4-3 against ranked teams this season. Purdue is the highest-ranked team (No. 5) that UW has defeated this year.
- Sophomore Julia Orzol tied her career high with 19 kills and added a double-double with 10 digs. The 6-foot outside hitter has recorded 10-or-more digs in her last three matches and now has nine double-doubles in her career.
- Freshman Gulce Guctekin tallied the second 20-plus dig match of the season, finishing with a match-high 22 digs - just one off her career high.
- Last time UW won in West Lafayette was during the 2018 season.
- For the first time this season, Wisconsin had four players record 10 or more kills in a match - Julia Orzol (19), Sarah Franklin (15), Anna Smrek (10) and Devyn Robinson (10).
Up next
The Badgers travel to Coralville, Iowa, to face Iowa on Friday at 7 p.m. The match airs live on B1G+ and can be heard on Fox Sports 1070. Wisconsin returns home to host No. 24 Michigan on Sunday from the UW Field House. The match starts at noon live on ESPN2.
