The seventh-ranked UW volleyball team embarks on its first Big Ten road trip of the season this weekend.

The Badgers (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) head to Bloomington Friday to take on Indiana (3-6, 0-2 Big Ten). The Hoosiers are coming off a weekend of tough losses to sixth-ranked Penn State and No. 15 Ohio State.

Indiana is led by freshmen outside-hitter Christina Archibald, who recorded her first double-double of the season against Penn State. Archibald had a match-high 22 kills and 10 digs. Against Ohio State, Archibald again led her team with 16 kills.
The game against Indiana will be especially important to UW sophomore defensive specialist Korie Gardner. Her older sister Laurie is a junior setter for the Hoosiers, and the two will face off for the first time this season.

Wisconsin then travels to Champaign Saturday to take on Illinois (6-3, 0-2 Big Ten). The Illini are also coming off a losing opening weekend to Penn State and Ohio State.

Seniors Lydia Gard and Shadia Haddad led Illinois’ offense against the tough conference opponents. Gard had a team-high 11 kills against Penn State, while Haddad recorded 10.

UW goes into this weekend’s competition after a successful Big Ten home opener. The Badgers defeated Michigan and Michigan State last weekend behind the strong offensive and defensive play of the entire UW squad.

Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in team kills (683) and team assists (618). UW senior Lizzy Fitzgerald is the individual assist leader of the conference, averaging 14.33 per game.

Following the successful home opener, UW moved up two spots in the USA Today national poll to seventh. Penn State remains the Big Ten leader at sixth, Ohio State held onto the No. 15 spot and Minnesota stayed at No. 17.