After picking up its first conference win of the season at Northwestern Wednesday, the Wisconsin volleyball team returns to Madison. The Badgers will play host to the Fighting Illini of Illinois Sunday at the Field House, as UW (7-4) looks to even its conference record, which currently stands at 1-2.
Wisconsin was sparked in its 30-28, 30-20, 30-18 sweep of Northwestern by the play of sophomore setter Katie Lorenzen. Running the Badger offense for the first time this season, Lorenzen recorded 37 assists and popped up seven digs. Three UW hitters finished double-digit in kills. Middle blocker Sheila Shaw led the way with 12 kills, while outside hitter Aubrey Meierotto and middle Taylor Reineke added 11 and 10, respectively. For Reineke, the total matched a career high.
No. 19 Illinois (9-2) will take on Northwestern Friday night before heading to Madison Sunday. In their first weekend of league play, the Illini dropped a 3-1 match to Purdue and swept Indiana 3-0. UI is recovering from the loss of senior setter Erin Virtue, who has been lost for the year due to a torn ACL in her right knee. Virtue, who was named Honorable Mention All-American and Pre-Season All-Big Ten, will undergo surgery. In her place, redshirt freshman Stephanie Obermeier has averaged 12.50 assists per game. In conference play only, she leads the Big Ten in assists per game at 14.0.
The Illini attack is spearheaded by junior hitter Rachel VanMeter, who averages 4.29 kills per game this season, although she is hitting just .202. Last season, VanMeter tallied a combined 24 kills in two matches against Wisconsin. Sophomore Meghan Macdonald (2.51 kills per game) and junior Rasa Virsilaite (3.75 kills per game) are also viable options for the new setter. Redshirt sophomore Meg Griffin is leading the Illini block with 1.20 blocks per game.
The meeting will also be a reunion of sorts for several players. Virtue and Wisconsin’s Marian Weidner played together at St. Francis High School in Warrenville, Ill. Macdonald and sophomore Beth Vrdsky will also look across the net at a prep teammate, freshman Badger setter Jackie Simpson. The trio played together at Downers Grove South High School in Illinois. Jill Odenthal (Geneva) and Reineke (Naperville) are also Illinois residents.
The UI squad that arrives at the Field House is the same team that pulled the biggest upset of the season Sept. 11. Illinois dethroned two-time defending NCAA champions and No. 1-ranked USC, 3-2. The come from behind win snapped a 52-match winning streak for the Women of Troy.
The Illini have not won in Madison since 1995 — eight consecutive matches. In that stretch, UI has taken just one game from UW, which came last season. In that match, then-No. 23 Wisconsin defeated Illinois 3-1 at the Field House, by scores of 28-30, 30-27, 30-22, 30-23. Odenthal led the Badgers with a match-high 22 kills.
Illinois does lead the all-time series 36-23-1, including a 13-11-1 mark in Madison.
