MADISON, Wis. — The No. 6 Wisconsin volleyball team will return to the UW Field House to welcome No. 16 Minnesota on Wednesday night. The match is slated for 8 p.m. and will be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network.

Before the match begins, here are six things to know: 

1. LAST TIME OUT: The Badgers headed out west to L.A. to take on USC and UCLA last weekend. They finished the weekend 6-1, sweeping USC 25-18, 25-19, 25-12 and downing UCLA 20-25, 25-15, 25-22, 25-15. UW outblocked its opponents 21.0-7.0. In the match against UCLA, Sarah Franklin and Anna Smrek combined for 35 kills.

2. SILENT SET: The Silent Set portion of Wednesday's match will be indeed silent from a fan's perspective! For the first 8 Wisconsin points, we encourage fans to cheer using American Sign Language (ASL) prompts that will be put up on the video board. For Wisconsin's 9th point, cheer as loud as you can and keep it loud for the rest of the match! Hearing aids, especially for youth who have to obtain multiple sizes as they grow older, are often not covered under insurance and can put quite a financial burden on families. The Silent Set match is aimed at raising awareness for these costs as well as the growing number of resources that are being made available for the hard of hearing and deaf communities. Stop by any Bucky's Locker Room location prior to or on Wednesday to purchase the limited-edition Silent Set t-shirt, with $5 from every shirt sold benefitting Chasing Greatness and their goal to help provide financial assistant for families in need of hearing aids.

3. GET SMREK'D: Senior Anna Smrek has quietly become one of Wisconsin's deadly offensive weapons as the season continues. The 6-foot-9 opposite is averaging 3.00 kills per set, with a .337 hitting percentage, and 3.62 points per set. In 24 matches, Smrek has recorded double-figure kills in 13 matches, and seven in the last 10 matches.

4. FRANK IS A TANK: In all but two matches this season, fifth year senior Sarah Franklin has recorded double-digit kill totals, and is currently on a 17-match streak with such numbers. Franklin has also steadily raised her hitting percentage to .308 on the season, committing just eight hitting errors in her last five matches, including back-to-back matches (Iowa and Penn State) without a hitting error.

5. CHARLIE IN CHARGE: Freshman setter Charlie Fuerbringer nears reaching the top five for most assists by a freshman in a single season. Fuerbringer currently sits at 912 with four regular season matches left. Lizzy Fitzgerald recorded 919 in 1999. Four-time All-American Lauren Carlini has the program record with 1472 in 2013.

6. SCOUTING THE GOPHERS: This marks the second meeting between the Badgers and the Gophers this season. Back on September 25, Wisconsin fell to Minnesota 25-19, 15-25, 27-25, 15-25, 16-18 at Minnesota. The history runs deep between these two programs, as the Gophers lead 53-38 overall. The Badgers have not lost at home since the 2018 season. Minnesota holds a 17-9 record overall and are 10-6 in Big Ten play. They are coming off a 3-1 win against Michigan. Outside hitter Julia Hanson leads the team averaging 3.88 kills per set.