[media-credit name=’Zhao Lim/The Badger Herald’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]

Emotions ran high for three Wisconsin seniors after they played their last home match.

The Badgers (16-13, 5-13) split their final two matches at the Fieldhouse, losing Friday to No. 19 Minnesota 3-0, but came back Saturday night to defeat Iowa in four sets on senior night.

Unable to sustain energy and intensity on Friday night, the Badgers were outmatched by Minnesota, a team headed for a high seed in the NCAA tournament.

But Wisconsin came out revived with a renewed sense of why they were playing.

They were playing for each other, the fans, and most importantly, for their seniors.

Seniors Allison Wack, Kim Kuzma and Jessa Benson all suited up at home for the last time. Walk-on redshirt junior Ashley Wiedmeyer also played her last match, as she will drop from the team to focus on her studies.

Head coach Pete Waite was able to find space for 11 of his players to play against Iowa, letting reserve players taste the competitive stage of the Big Ten.

Wiedmeyer was one of the beneficiaries, playing in all four sets in the backcourt.

“It is nice that they can get out there, contribute and get the win and feel good about everything. Wiedmeyer has not been playing a lot for us, but we know she’s got a good serve from deep in the court and that’s hard for opponents,” Waite said. “It was nice with some different people out there, but they play together in practice all the time and we change the lineup around in practice all the time so they are very comfortable.”

With the win, the Badgers moved to 16-13, guaranteeing a winning season. It is Waite’s tenth winning season in his 11th season coaching at Wisconsin.

“To get the win is amazing for our last home match,” Benson said. “It hasn’t hit me yet, and I don’t think it will until it is time to come back for spring training and I’m not coming to the Fieldhouse for practice everyday.”

Benson, a 2009 transfer from Northern Iowa, had only played in 33 sets in her career for the Badgers before last night. She was given the opportunity when starting setter Janelle Gabrielsen went out with what appeared to be a bloody nose. Benson played admirably, racking up 52 assists, two kills and four digs as she picked up substantial playing time in the second and third sets.

Sophomore middle blocker Alexis Mitchell, a native Iowan, continued her strong play, rebounding from a tough night Friday to accumulate 15 kills and three blocks.

“Nellie and Jessa both did a good job spreading out the offense, so when I was in the middle I was one-on-one and the passing up there was great,” Mitchell said. “We were moving the ball around a lot and I think that opened up the court for everybody.”

The Badgers out-dug Iowa by 22, which played a significant role in the turnaround.

“Our passing was the big thing,” Wack said. “We had one short streak where our passing was up and we had one-on-one’s everywhere and that helped a lot.”

Wack, a four-year starter, led all players with 17 kills in her last home match. Her older sister Jocelyn, former UW libero, was in attendance Saturday night. Next year will mark the first time in eight years there is not a member of the Wack family playing for Waite.

“It was great,” Wack said smiling after the game. “Especially winning those games big, it was a team effort, everyone was contributing, and almost everyone got in. It hasn’t really hit me that that was the last game.”

Kuzma had a dramatic difference in emotions from Wack in the press conference immediately following the game.

“I was crying pretty much the whole match, but it was definitely nice to get the win, winning’s obviously is a lot more fun than losing,” Kuzma said. “I feel like everyone did a good job tonight, it was all around a great effort and it is so much more fun to play like that.”