Mimi Colyer celebrates after a rally against Michigan
Ashley Steltenpohl
0
Michigan Mich 11-4,1-3 Big Ten
3
Winner Wisconsin Wisc 11-1,4-0 Big Ten
Michigan Mich
11-4,1-3 Big Ten
0
Final
3
Wisconsin Wisc
11-1,4-0 Big Ten
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Michigan Mich 22 22 20 (0)
Wisconsin Wisc 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball | | Maddox Durst

No. 7 Badgers rally in 10th-straight victory, sweep Michigan

Offense, underclassmen provide spark in conference battle

MADISON, Wis. - The No. 7 Wisconsin volleyball team defeated Michigan (25-22, 25-22, 25-20) in straight sets for it's 10th-consecutive victory on the second annual Silent Set Match at the UW Field House. 

The Badgers (11-1, 4-0) broke the silence in set one on their ninth point with a service ace from setter Addy Horner, who filled in for an injured setter Charlie Fuerbringer in the early stages of the match. 

Halfway through the set, the Wolverines (11-4, 1-3) built a 18-14 advantage to tie their largest lead of the match. UW provided a quick response, rallying to win six of the next eight points to tie it up at 20-20, as middle blocker Carter Booth and outside hitter Mimi Colyer combined on a block to even the score. 

With a Badgers' 24-22 lead, defensive specialist Maile Chan entered with a clutch serve to get Michigan out of position—allowing middle blocker Alicia Andrew to cap off the set with her second kill in a row and provide Wisconsin with a 1-0 advantage. 

Set two began as a back-and-forth affair before UW was able to separate in the latter half. Early on, the Badgers went out in front at 12-11 with the help of kills turned in by right side Madison Quest and Colyer—capping off a 4-0 run. 

Wisconsin and the Wolverines found themselves in a deadlock at 20-20 once again, but the help of an attack error and one kill apiece from Quest and Colyer allowed the Badgers to take a lead and claim the second set. Outside hitter Una Vajagic completed set two with a kill, tallying double-digit totals in her second consecutive match and fifth of the year with 10. 

UW utilized a pair of 4-0 runs in set three to down the Wolverines, highlighted by back-to-back kills from Colyer to give themselves a 23-18 cushion. The senior put together another strong performance in the red and white, as she finished with a hitting percentage of .538 (23 - 2 - 39) to pace the Badgers. 

Wisconsin went on to notch a fourth-straight sweep, each of which coming against conference foes. Booth and Andrew were forces in the middle, combining for nine kills on 18 attempts with zero hitting errors. 

Horner concluded the match with career-highs in multiple categories, leading the way in the assists department with 35. The freshman added seven digs, a trio of blocks and a pair of service aces on the afternoon, too. 

Defensively, libero Kristen Simon led the Badgers with 12 digs, marking her seventh match in double figures this season. 

Straight from the Court:
Head Coach Kelly Sheffield (on handling the early adversity): "One thing we talk about is that we have something called adversity school. It's what are you, and what is your mentality when things don't go your way or you've got a little bit of adversity in front of you.  Obviously, our All-American setter going down early in that match,  there is an opportunity that is in front, how do you respond in those types of situations?  We try to be a program and a team that doesn't make excuses because there are opportunities to rise up."

(On the performance of freshman Addy Horner):  "Don't try to be somebody else; be the best you. Addy does not need to be Charlie, that would be unfair to her, but there are some things as she does that other setters aren't able to do. So she needs to be the best her, she needs to go out there, and she needs to lead the team. She needs to keep her poise and her composure and run the offense... I'm really proud of her and her ability to move on to the next play. She's unflappable; that is one of her greatest strengths. Nothing weighs her down. She does an elite job at just moving onto the next play, and that's what you need in that position."

Middle Blocker Carter Booth (on the Badgers' response in set one): "We don't just sit around all week and then show up for matches. There are people on the other side of the net who play against us in practice and that's Addy most of the time. It's not a situation she was anyway under-prepared for and I think she was able to show just how good she is by going out there, and like you (Kelly) said, and have no adjustment period. To come back and still win that first set is a testament to the fact she was ready to go. We didn't take long to get our rhythm again."

Middle Blocker Alicia Andrew (on Addy Horner's presence): "I think she's a really impressive athlete overall. I think that her ability to come in cool, calm, and collected and be like 'okay, this is what we're running, this is what we're doing,' and she's got a wicked serve. She does a heck of a lot of damage behind the line, too. I was just super impressed by her serve and then how she was running the offense."

Notes:
  • For the eighth time this season and in four consecutive matches, the Badgers hit .300 or better.
  • The Badgers have now recorded 10+ blocks in six matches, including back-to-back matches against Michigan and Illinois.
  • Career best 35 assists for freshman setter Addy Horner who replaced Charlie Fuerbringer in the first set. Horner added seven digs, three blocks and two service aces against Michigan
  • With a 23 kill performance, senior Mimi Colyer has now totaled three matches with 20+ kills on the season. She also hit .538 against the Wolverines, marking it the fifth time this season where she has hit .500 or better.

Up Next: The Badgers will return to conference play on Friday, Oct. 10, when they travel to State College, Pennsylvania to take on No. 16 Penn State at Rec Hall. The match is set to start at 6:00 p.m. CT and will be televised on Big Ten Network.
 
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