The sixth-ranked UW volleyball team wraps up the first half of its Big Ten season this weekend on the road against Minnesota and Iowa.
Friday night Wisconsin (8-0) heads to Minneapolis to take on the 21st-ranked Gophers (4-4). Minnesota lost a closely contested match against Ohio State (7-1) last weekend. Ohio State, the second-ranked team in the Big Ten, was pushed to five games, overcoming the Gophers in the fifth 11-15 to take the match.
Minnesota is tied for sixth in the conference with Michigan State. Senior setter Lindsey Berg, who is currently ranked 10th in the Big Ten for all-time assist leader, leads the Gophers. Offensively, Minnesota holds an impressive weapon in sophomore OH Bethany Bradford, who leads the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.454).
Wisconsin heads to Iowa City Saturday to take on the last-place Hawkeyes. Iowa is winless in the Big Ten and currently suffers from a 10-game losing streak.
Despite residing in the cellar in almost every Big Ten statistical category, the Hawkeyes maintain an impressive defensive back row. Iowa is fourth in the Big Ten in dig-percentage, averaging a respectable 13.17 digs/game. In their loss to 11th ranked Penn State last weekend, Iowa out-dug the Nittany Lions 44-40.
The Hawkeye defense will have their work cut out for them against Wisconsin. Posing the most formidable front line in the Big Ten, the Badgers head into this weekend’s competition on an eight-game winning streak, and the Big Ten lead.
Maintaining their hold on sixth place on the USA Today/Coaches Poll for the third straight week, Wisconsin looks to end the first half of conference play unbeaten.
The Badgers have thus far been led by the outstanding front row play of senior setter Lizzy Fitzgerald, senior MB Sherisa Livingston, junior OH Erin Byrd, and sophomore OH Lisa Zukowski.
