Following a week of uncertainty, the No. 4 Wisconsin volleyball team (14-4, 10-0 Big Ten) faces a generous stretch with four straight matches against unranked teams.
The Badgers sit atop the Big Ten with Penn State and Minnesota close behind — only one game back.
Volleyball: Badgers rebound from poor start, sit atop Big Ten standings
Wisconsin faces the Maryland Terrapins (12-10, 4-6) and the Indiana Hoosiers (12-10, 1-9) this week. The Badgers are a combined 17-4 against Maryland and Indiana over the last 10 years.
UW comes off wins against Michigan State and Michigan. Two-time All-American Dana Rettke returned to action in the Michigan match and led the team in kills, blocks and aces.
The Badgers’ continued success in the Big Ten vaulted them to No. 4 in the AVCA Coaches Poll ahead of Stanford and Nebraska, who both lost last week.
The Maryland volleyball program is improving seemingly every year. Last year’s 9-11 finish in Big Ten play was their best conference record since joining the conference in 2014.
The Terrapins are led by junior outside hitter Erika Pritchard. The 6-foot-3 native of Middletown, Maryland led the Big Ten in kills per set last season with 4.32 and earned First Team All-Big Ten honors.
Pritchard, however, is prone to attacking errors. She has managed five or more errors in each of her last 10 matches. Don’t be surprised to see a Badger defense keying in on Pritchard as she averages more than eight attempts per set.
Sunday, the Badgers will head to Bloomington to face the Hoosiers — a team with their lone Big Ten win coming against the winless Northwestern Wildcats. Wisconsin beat Indiana 3–1 early on in this blazing 10-game winning streak. The Hoosiers have stolen a few sets from some top teams this year and even took down No. 15 Kentucky in mid-September.
Senior middle blocker Jacqui Armer is the only Hoosier hitting above .200, but she is only averaging 1.38 kills per set for the worst offense in the Big Ten.
Volleyball: Badgers extend winning streak to six, sit alone atop Big Ten
Indiana ranks among the Big Ten’s worst in most statistical categories. In Wisconsin’s victory over the Hoosiers, the Badgers ripped off 11 aces, but only hit .213 in the contest — their lowest mark in conference play.
Look for the Badgers to make up for their lowly attack in September against the Hoosiers. Their polished offensive attack is much more explosive and much more varied than it was when the Hoosiers came to Madison.
