After a week off from competition, the UW volleyball team looks to come back from its first home loss of the season.
After the loss to the unranked Northern Iowa Panthers in the final game of the Badger Invite, the previously third-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team dropped six spots to ninth place on the USA Today/ Coaches poll last week.
The Badgers (6-2) lost to UNI 3-2 Sept. 8 — a loss that also cost them the Badger Invitational Championship.
Nebraska (6-1) retained their hold of first place in the poll for the fourth-straight week. Long Beach State remained in second, while Arizona jumped two spots from fifth to third.
Northern Iowa made its first appearance on the 2001 poll released Sept. 10. The Panthers are ranked No. 24, receiving 187 points, and are the only new team to appear on the poll.
By slipping down a few notches UW is no longer the highest ranked Big Ten school. Penn State (6-1) dropped two spots from fourth to sixth — but remains ahead of Wisconsin. Ohio State (7-0) moved up two spots from No. 17 to No. 15, and Minnesota (6-2) dropped three spots to No.17.
Wisconsin also dropped in the Volleyball magazine poll released Sept. 12, falling three spots to No. 7. Long Beach State currently leads the Volleyball poll for the second consecutive week, while Nebraska remains second and Stanford (6-0) third. Arizona (5-0) moved up to fourth and USC stayed at fifth.
Big Ten Action Begins
Meanwhile, the Big Ten conference will begin its season Sept. 19 when Iowa and Minnesota face off in Iowa City, Iowa.
Michigan State and Ohio State are the only two remaining unbeaten teams in the Big Ten. Illinois and Penn State each have one loss on the season, while Wisconsin and Minnesota each have two. Purdue (0-6) is the only team in the Big Ten to not yet have recorded a victory.
Wisconsin will face Michigan State (7-0) Friday night at the Field House and Michigan (3-3) on Saturday night.
Inntowner Invitational Canceled
The Wisconsin volleyball team did not get to play in their final tournament before conference competition begins.
The Inntowner Invitational was not played in accordance with the NCAA’s cancellation of all athletic events over the weekend. The tourney will not be rescheduled, as there will not be time available in any of the participating team’s schedules when they begin conference play. The tournament, hosted by Wisconsin, was to feature Cincinnati, Duke, and Central Florida.
Wisconsin won the Inntower last season, and had won the championship seven out of the last eight years. UW senior Sherisa Livingston was named the tournament MVP last year after leading her Badgers to a victory over Rice.
Fans who had purchased tickets for last weekend’s tourney will receive full refunds. The Badgers look to redeem themselves in front of their home crowd this weekend as they host the Spartans and the Wolverines.
