Wisconsin volleyball, riding a four-game winning streak, is finally coming into their own, according to head coach Kelly Sheffield.

And just in time.

This weekend the Badgers will host Georgia and Kent State in the Badger Classic at the UW Field House.

Each team has a Badger alum in their coaching staff, most notably former Wisconsin standout and current Georgia head coach Lizzy Stemke, who will be inducted into the Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend.

“I think we’ve got 56 alums that are coming back for this weekend,” Sheffield said. “Lizzy getting into the Hall of Fame, we are excited for her and to celebrate the 25-year reunion of our first Big Ten title and the 15-year reunion of the first title for our team.”

With excitement buzzing all around the tournament this Thursday and Friday, the Badgers will look to continue their hot streak and build off of two solid wins over North Carolina and Louisville last week.

Senior Taylor Morey earned Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors after compiling 39 total digs and averaging 5.6 per set, while upping her streak of double-digit digs in a match to 13.

Junior Lauren Carlini and sophomore Kelli Bates built off Morey’s performance and led a Wisconsin attack that proved steadfast against two stout defenses, posting 103 kills over seven sets on teams that each averaged 14.9 (UNC) and 15.5 (UL) digs per set, respectively.

While none of the teams coming to Madison possess the talent of UNC or Louisville, Georgia has Sheffield anxious about how his team will respond.

“If you watch them, athletically, they can be pretty nasty,” Sheffield said. “I think [Lizzy] has got a lot of young pieces in that she’s trying to fit out. They are a team that I think she probably feels really, really good going forward.”

Georgia and Kent State, who both currently stand at 4-3, have not had the starts to their seasons they hoped for. They both show signs of life, however, and could rain on Wisconsin’s parade.

Kent State boasts an impressive 16.3 digs per set that will surely give the Badgers attack fits, along with counterattacking ability to the sound of 13 kills per set.

While Georgia does not have quite as impressive metrics, their youth disguises their strengths, Sheffield, who is expecting an interesting match, said.

With Wisconsin ranked at No. 11, each opponent will each be dreaming of upsets to turn their seasons around.