[media-credit name=’AJ Maclean’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]During the conference season, the Wisconsin block was the best in the Big Ten. In the NCAA tournament, it has been even better.

With a roster boasting an average height of 6-foot, Wisconsin posted 3.11 blocks per game during the regular season, tops in a conference known for physical play. Through two matches in the Big Dance, the Badgers have recorded an average of 5.6 blocks per game, leading them to a pair of victories and a place in the Sweet 16.

In Friday’s 3-0 sweep of Loyola, Wisconsin took away the Ramblers’ top offensive weapon in senior outside hitter Nichol Amberg. The 5-foot-11 Amberg, who averaged 4.32 kills per game this season and was named Horizon League Championship MVP, was stymied all night long by a much-taller UW frontline. Amberg finished with just four kills and was forced into 12 attack errors, on route to a negative .242 hitting percentage.

“They effectively took away our left-side attack,” Loyola head coach Tim O’Brien said. “They keyed on her. We scored in other places, we stayed right in the game, but when it came down to it, we would have needed a couple more kills on the left side.”

In all, the Badgers tallied 18.5 blocks in the first-round win and held the Ramblers to a .085 team hitting percentage. Freshman middle Taylor Reineke anchored the block by recording 10 block assists, while fellow middle Sheila Shaw added one solo and six assists. The 18.5 blocks were the third most by a Wisconsin team in a three-game match.

Saturday, UW faced a tall Notre Dame team that hit .253 during the regular season and limited it to a negative .015 performance. On the strength of 15.5 team blocks, the Badgers forced the Irish into 33 attack errors.

Of the 15.5, 10.5 of UW’s blocks came in game one alone and four of them after Wisconsin had fallen behind 23-29.

“Last night and tonight they were blocking very strong,” Notre Dame head coach Debbie Brown said. “They did a good job tonight of getting us out of our system a little bit. I think when, last night against Loyola, whenever they were out of system, the Wisconsin block was really, really strong and did a really good job. I think that’s how they capitalized on some of our mistakes tonight as well.”

Shaw recorded a team-high eight total blocks in the 3-0 win over Notre Dame. Maria Carlini and Aubrey Meierotto effectively controlled the left side, tallying three and two solo blocks, respectively.

“We were just really focusing on being disciplined and blocking their big hitters and shutting them down,” Shaw said.

In the two weekend matches, Wisconsin opponents hit a mere .036 and were out-blocked by a combined total of 34.0 to 11.0.

“I think the best teams we’ve had here have been able to hold the opposition’s hitting percentages down, and that was huge,” UW head coach Pete Waite said. “Early in the year, we weren’t doing such a good job of it. Our block became much more disciplined and aggressive. The more their confidence grew, the better we got.”