Two straight in-conference losses left Wisconsin volleyball in a precarious situation, along with their hopes of retaining the Big Ten title. No. 7 Illinois then came to the UW Field House Wednesday night, and the Badgers seemed poised to take their knockout blow.

The Badgers’ demise, as head coach Kelly Sheffield put it, had been greatly exaggerated.

Through the graces of some foreign aid, by way of redshirt junior Romana Kriskova, Wisconsin staved off attack after attack from the Fighting Illini and took the match by a score of three sets to one.

Kriskova, a native of Bratislava, Slovakia, the country’s capital city, has seen limited action in her time at Wisconsin thus far.

A bicycle injury that left her with extensive knee troubles forced her to miss most of the 2014 season, but after a strong showing Wednesday night, the 6-foot-2 outside hitter seems poised to launch her comeback.

“We went to her an awful lot,” Sheffield said. “I think people were able to see what we see in the gym. A player that’s really, really talented … She’s been patient with her coach as he’s trying to figure things out. I think everybody saw what she was capable of.”

Kriskova’s saving grace for Wisconsin was also a test of her own limits.

She connected on exactly half of her kill attempts and ended the night with 15 kills, a career high at Wisconsin. Three hitting errors pushed her attacking percentage down to .400 percent, the second best average among Wisconsin players on the night.

“I tried to come out strong from the beginning and put pressure on the Illinois defense,” Kriskova said. “I was glad that Lauren trusted me. I feel awesome … like I’m getting better every day.”

The chemistry building between Carlini and Kriskova adds to an already diversifying lineup of capable front-line players.

Three Badgers who occupy front-line roles topped double-digits in successful kills during the match; Kriskova (15 kills), Haleigh Nelson (12 kills) and Lauryn Gillis (11 kills).

Whether Kriskova’s performance is the product of a system that will continue to distribute kills amongst outside hitters is yet to be seen. Although her stat line and the praise garnered from her coaches point to the contrary.

Yet even if her performance is systematic, a night in which she averaged five kills per set and the manner in which her kills came can’t be overlooked.

Almost as if knowing her team needed a spark at certain times throughout the match, Kriskova delivered.

One specific kill from Kriskova at the end of the second set halted a late run by Illinois, which had diminished the Badgers lead to two points and set momentum back in Wisconsin’s favor for what little remained of the set. The Badgers held on to take the set and then remained comfortable for most of the match thanks to that two-set lead.

Kriskova said she was just happy to contribute and hopes to continue doing so.