The Wisconsin Women’s Volleyball Team made a big leap in the rankings all the way to No. 2 in the polls after knocking off the previously second-ranked Longhorns Saturday night. However, as sophomore setter Sydney Hilley explained, “rankings are just rankings,” which is the mindset the girls need to have for this upcoming road trip down to Waco.
Friday at 6 p.m. the Badgers will square off against No. 15 Baylor in Waco, Texas. Baylor is sporting a 4-2 record after dropping their last two games to ranked opponents. The Bears came out strong winning their first four games, including a big win over the now-25th-ranked Marquette. After the hot start to the season, Baylor lost in five sets to ninth-ranked UCLA before losing again the next day to No. 16 San Diego in the USD Invitational out in San Diego California. Although they are now 1-2 against ranked opponents, there is nothing to take lightly about this Baylor team, especially when playing in Waco, where the Bears are undefeated this season.
The Badgers will have to focus on containing the stealthy six-foot sophomore, Yossiana Pressley. Pressley has already made a significant impact for the Bears this season recording 116 kills through the first six games. Pressley also has her name on the 2018 Preseason All-Big 12 Watch List, which is not an unfamiliar sight for the Texas native.
As a freshman, Pressley raked in the awards as she earned herself the 2017 Big 12 Freshman of The Year award, and she was a unanimous pick for the All-Big 12 First team and the Big 12 All-Freshman team. Pressley was also a five-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and a four-time Big 12 Freshman of the week, leading to an eventual AVCA All-American honorable mention. Pressley will be looking to make the difference on Friday but she still must go through a red-hot Badger team.
This game will be another great test for the Badgers as they look to build off their 4-0 start to the season and begin preparation for Big Ten play. Baylor will be a tournament team this year which means these two foes may even meet again come November. As for Friday, you can catch the game on Fox Sports Go or you can listen to the game on the Badger Sports Network, channel 100.9FM.
