MADISON, Wis. --Â No. 3 Wisconsin (28-3) has advanced to NCAA Regional play for the 11th-straight season, hosting action in the UW Field House for the third-straight season. The Badgers open regional play on Thursday taking on No. 14, fifth-seed Penn State (23-8) at 6 p.m. live on ESPN2. No. 6, second-seeded Oregon (28-5) faces off against No. 12, third-seed Purdue (23-8) in the second regional semifinal at 8:30 p.m. live on ESPNU. All match times listed are central time zone.
1. ROAD TO THE SHIP: Regional semifinal winners play on Saturday at 7 p.m. for the right to the advance to the NCAA Championship on Dec. 14 and 17 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. UW is one of only three teams to advance to the Sweet 16 the last 11 years in a row, joining Nebraska and Texas, with the Badgers advancing to the national semifinals in three of the last four seasons.
2. HUGE HONORS: American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) post-season honors were announced Monday, and five Badgers were named to the Northeast All-Region squad. Head Coach
Kelly Sheffield earned his sixth AVCA Northeast All-Region Coach of the Year Award, and senior
Sarah Franklin was honored with All-Region Player of the Year honors. Following Big Ten awards,
Anna Smrek,
Carter Booth and
Devyn Robinson were also named to the Northeast All-Region Teams.
3. FRONT LINE BRICK WALL:Â The Badgers lead the nation with 3.01 blocks per set, outblocking 29 opponents this season and more than doubling up 16 foes in team blocks. Sophomore
Carter Booth ranks third nationally and leads the Big Ten with 1.57 blocks per set. Senior
CC Crawford ranks 32nd nationally and sixth in the Big Ten with 1.28 blocks per set while junior
Anna Smrek ranks 10th in the conference with 1.13 blocks per set.
4. HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS:Â Wisconsin is undefeated in the UW Field House this season at 15-0. The Badgers have also won 24 straight regular season matches versus Big Ten opponents at the Field House. Wisconsin is also 50-1 at the Field House versus Big Ten opponents including both regular season and post season play dating back to the 2019 season.Â
5. TOURNEY TEMI:Â Grad student
Temi Thomas-Ailara is making the most of her first NCAA tournament, averaging 3.33 kills per set while hitting .385. A four-year starter at Northwestern, the 6-foot-2 outside hitter had 10 kills against Jackson State and vs. Miami.
6. FIRE POWER:Â Wisconsin ranks second nationally with a .315 hitting percentage.
Carter Booth ranks second nationally and leads the Big Ten at .446 percent.
Anna Smrek ranks second in the Big Ten and 15th nationally at .406.
