Wisconsin Badgers
23-2,14-2Big Ten
Penn State
17-8,11-5Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 25 | 27 | 23 | 18 | 1 |
| Penn St. | 23 | 29 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Wisconsin falls to Penn State
November 11, 2023 | Volleyball
Badgers drop just second match of the season
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Wisconsin volleyball team suffered a hard fought loss as the team fell 25-23, 27-29, 23-25, 18-25, on Saturday night at Penn State.Â
After a back and forth first set battle, Wisconsin (23-2, 14-2) went on a 3-0 run to finish the set, winning 25-22. The Badgers created a bit of distance for themselves, as they led 19-15 after a 7-2 run, but Penn State (17-8, 11-5) responded with a 4-0 run of their own, and tied it up at 19 apiece. UW closed it out from there.Â
Despite a late rally in the second, as the Badgers came back from down 18-24 to tie it up at 24 apiece, Penn State put two points together to win the set 29-27 and even the match up at 1-1.Â
After another set filled with ties and lead changes, Penn State came out on top, 25-23 and took a 2-1 advantage.Â
As Wisconsin hit only .206 compared to Penn State's .405 in the final frame, the Nitanny Lions picked up momentum early and carried it to the end. Penn State took the final set, and match, 25-18.Â
Sarah Franklin led the Badgers with 19 kills. Julia Orzol also finished in double figures with 11 kills. UW hit .176 (50 kills - 23 errors - 153 attempts) on the night.Â
Penn State hit .238 (63 - 25 - 160) as Camryn Hannah led the Nittany Lions with 19 kills.Â
Izzy Ashburn finished with 26 assists and MJ Hammill added 11 helpers. Franklin and Ashburn each added 12 digs, as they both posted a double-double. Gulce Guctekin led the team with 16 digs.Â
Wisconsin edged Penn State in blocks, 11-9. Carter Booth led UW with seven total blocks.Â
Straight from the court
Head coach Kelly SheffieldÂ
On the difference in the match: "There were hesitation points … one team had a few of them and one team didn't. When you are playing a match like this that is as close as it is, is this my ball is this your ball type of deal. It probably can be expected that when we hae three people moving around. In a match like that, those hesitation points can end up being really big."
On battling: "I was really happy with how we responded with last night, with flight issues and having to pivot and bus here. I thought they did everything to kind of handle that adversity and put themselves in a position to play… you're playing against a team that is tough to score. We had a really tough time scoring against them. They got the momentum of the crowd behind you."
Notes to knowÂ
- Penn State is the first opponent to have a higher hitting percentage this season as the Badgers hit a season-low .176 (50-23-153). Penn State hit .238 (63-25-160).
- Senior Sarah Franklin had a career-high 59 attempts against the Nittany Lions.
- Junior Julia Orzol had a season-high 11 kills and 25 attempts.
- Orzol also had a season-high four blocks.
- Badgers recorded 11 blocks, marking the 13th match where the Badgers have recorded double-digit blocks.
- Grad student Izzy Ashburn picked up her 11 double-double of the season with 26 assists and 12 digs while senior Sarah Franklin earned her fourth double-double of the season with 19 kills and a season-high 12 digs.
