Serving up six: Wisconsin travels to Ohio State

Wednesday, September 27

Columbus, OH

7 p.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

Ohio State

Temi Thomas-Ailara hits the ball in match vs Northwestern

Serving up six: Wisconsin travels to Ohio State

September 25, 2023 | Volleyball

Wisconsin faces another road test against No. 22 Buckeyes

By: Ellie Culver

Venue	Covelli Center \| Columbus, Ohio
TV	BTN
Radio	FoxSports 1070
Team Information	Wisconsin \| Ohio State
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Social Media	Facebook \| Twitter \| Instagram
Tickets	Ohio State Ticket Office

MADISON, Wis. -- No. 1 Wisconsin volleyball (11-0, 2-0 B1G) splits its week of Big Ten play, playing one match on the road and one at home. The Badgers travel to Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday to face No. 22 Ohio State (4-7, 1-1). First serve is at 7 p.m. CT from Covelli Center live on the Big Ten Network.

1. TOP OF THE LIST: The NCAA DI Women's Volleyball Committee revealed its first in-season top-10 ranking on Sunday with Wisconsin at the top of the list. The Badgers are one of only four remaining undefeated teams in the nation and have dropped only eight sets all season.

2. HOT STREAK: UW is on an 20-match Big Ten winning streak dating back to the 2022 season, including a 15-match conference winning streak in the Field House.

3. 11-0 START: Wisconsin's 11-0 start ties for the second-best opening in program history. The best start was a 16-0 start in 2020-21 while UW was also 11-0 in 2010.

4. POWER HOUSE: The Badgers have stymied opponents in conference play, leading the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage (.089), opponent kills (9.67), and opponent blocks (1.67).

5. SERVING UP ACES: Wisconsin struggled with its serving during non-conference play, averaging just 1.26 service aces per set. After the first weekend of Big Ten play, the Badgers lead the Big Ten with 2.33 aces per set. Junior Julia Orzol leads UW and ties for fourth in the conference with 0.67 aces per set. The 6-foot libero also ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 3.67 digs per set.

6. RIGHT-SIDE DOMINANCE: The Badgers take advantage of running a 6-2 offense as the right-side hitting duo of Devyn Robinson and Anna Smrek combine for 5.51 kills and 1.73 blocks per set while hitting a combined .379. Individually, Robinson ranks second on the team with 2.98 kills per set while hitting .359. She also adds 0.88 blocks per set. Smrek ranks third on the squad with 2.54 kills per set while ranking second with a .406 hitting percentage. She also adds 0.85 blocks per set.