This week in Badger Volleyball: Aug. 28 - Sept. 3

WISCONSIN TAKES TO THE ROAD FOR FIRST TIME
No. 6 Wisconsin (2-0) takes to the road for the first time this season, traveling to Manhattan, Kan., for the K-State Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The Badgers face Syracuse (2-2) and Arkansas (3-0) on Friday before taking on host Kansas State (2-1) on Saturday.

Match 3 \| vs. Syracuse
Date	Friday, Sept. 1 \| 10 a.m.
Location	Ahearn Field House \| Manhattan, Kan.
Mobile App	Badger Gameday
Live Stats	UWBadgers.com
Radio	100.9 FM or iHeartRadio app
Social Media	@BadgerVB \| Facebook \| Instagram
Match Notes	Wisconsin \| Syracuse

Match 4 \| vs. Arkansas
Date	Friday, Sept. 1 \| 5:30 p.m.
Location	Ahearn Field House \| Manhattan, Kan.
Mobile App	Badger Gameday
Live Stats	UWBadgers.com
Radio	100.9 FM or iHeartRadio app
Social Media	@BadgerVB \| Facebook \| Instagram
Match Notes	Wisconsin \| Arkansas

Match 5 \| at Kansas State
Date	Saturday, Sept. 2 \| 1:30 p.m.
Location	Ahearn Field House \| Manhattan, Kan.
Video	ESPN3
Mobile App	Badger Gameday
Live Stats	UWBadgers.com
Radio	100.9 FM or iHeartRadio app
Social Media	@BadgerVB \| Facebook \| Instagram
Match Notes	Wisconsin \| Kansas State

2-0 TO OPEN SEASON
The Badgers opened the season 2-0 with wins over Louisville, 3-0, and No. 11 North Carolina, 3-0, in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in the UW Field House. UW also improved to 7-1 in four years of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Wisconsin improved to 30-14 all-time in season openers, including an 11-6 mark at home. The Badgers won their second-straight season opener and won their debut for the fourth time under fifth-year head coach Kelly Sheffield.

IN THE NEWS
Badgering: Tionna Williams - UWBadgers.com
Rettke, Hilley honored by Big Ten - UWBadgers.com
Badger volleyball returns to airwaves - UWBadgers.com
Depth on display in sweep of No. 11 North Carolina - Madison.com
Freshmen lead season-opening sweep of Louisville - Madison.com

VIDEOS TO WATCH
Badgers play Speak Up: Molly Haggerty and Grace Loberg
Driven - Season 3 | Episode 1
Badgers finish strong in Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Wisconsin volleyball begins 2017 season with a win
Badgers play Speak Up: Lauryn Gillis and Sydney Hilley

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

Syracuse
The Orange opened the 2017 season with a 2-2 mark at its own Syracuse Tournament. Cuse defeated Siena, 3-0, and Niagara, 3-0, but lost to Grand Canyon, 3-1, and Colgate, 3-0.

Junior Santita Ebangwese, a 6-0 middle blocker, shares the team lead with 2.62 kills per set. Senior Amber Witherspoon, a 6-4 middle blocker, also adds 2.62 kills per set. Ebangwese has a team-best .413 hitting percentage while adding 1.08 blocks per set. Witherspoon leads the Orange with 1.23 blocks per set while hitting .365. Freshman Ella Saada, a 6-1 outside hitter, adds 2.83 kills per set. Junior Jalissa Trotter, a 5-7 setter, puts up 7.17 assists per set but Cuse has also used a 6-2 offense with sophomore Dana Valelly, a 5-9 setter, adding 3.09 assists per set. Senior Belle Sand, a 5-6 libero, averages 5.46 digs per set. The Orange are a strong serving team, averaging 1.62 aces per set. Five players have three-or-more aces on the season.

vs. Syracuse
Wisconsin leads 1-0
Last meeting: UW swept Cuse 3-0 in Madison on Aug. 25, 2007.

Arkansas
The Razorbacks opened the season with a 3-0 mark, winning their own Arkansas Classic. The Hogs downed CSU Bakersfield, 3-0, before sweeping Louisiana Monroe and Utah State.

Redshirt senior Pilar Victoria, a 5-11 outside hitter, is averaging 6.80 kills per set while hitting .406 on the year. Sophomore Reagan Robinson, a 5-11 outside hitter, adds 2.86 kills per set. Sophomore Rachel Rippee, a 6-0 setter, averages 11.80 assists per set while adding 2.10 digs per set. Arkansas is a strong serving team, averaging 2.30 aces per set. Senior Krista Kobinskie, a 5-9 defensive specialist, and junior Okiana Valle, a 5-2 libero, both have six service aces on the season. Rippee and Victoria add five and four aces, respectively. Valle leads the team with 3.90 digs per set while junior Kelly O'Brien, a 6-1 middle blocker, has a team-best 1.10 blocks per set.

vs. Arkansas
Arkansas leads 2-1
Neutral: Arkansas leads 2-1
Last meeting: The Razorbacks edged the Badgers, 3-2, at the Creighton Classic in Omaha on Sept. 19, 2015.

Kansas State
The Wildcats are 2-1 to start the season, coming off a second-place finish at the Oregon State Invitational. K-State downed Pacific, 3-1, swept Idaho, 3-0, but fell at Oregon State, 3-0.

Redshirt junior Kylee Zumach, a 6-4 outside hitter, leads the Wildcats with 4.0 kills per set and adds 2.0 digs per set. Freshman Peyton Williams, a 6-4 middle blocker, adds 3.20 kills per set while hitting a team-best .727. Williams has yet to record a hitting error this season. Senior Bryna Vogel, a 6-0 opposite hitter, and freshman Brynn Carlson, a 6-4 outside hitter, add 2.89 and 2.67 kills per set. Sophomore Sarah Dixon, a 5-9 setter, runs the Wildcat offense, putting up 10.70 assists per set. Junior Reilly Killeen, a 5-4 libero, has a team-best 3.60 digs per set while Williams averages a team-high 1.20 blocks per set. Junior Zsofia Gyimes, a 6-1 middle blocker, comes off the bench to add 1.00 blocks per set.

vs. Kansas State
Tied 2-2
In Manhattan: Kansas State leads 1-0
Last meeting: This is the third straight year that the two teams are meeting. The Badgers have won the three meetings, including a 3-0 sweep in Honolulu on Aug. 28, 2016. .

BADGERS MOVE UP TO SIXTH IN COACHES' POLL
UW moved up to sixth in this week's AVCA Top-25 Coaches' Poll released Monday. The Badgers have been ranked in the national poll for 45 consecutive weeks, including 22 straight weeks in the top 10.

Stanford (3-0) takes over the top spot in the poll while Minnesota (2-0) moves up two spots to second. Florida (2-0) jumps up nine places to third while Texas (1-1) falls three places to fourth. Penn State (3-0) rounds out the top five.

The Big Ten has eight teams in the top 25. In addition to Minnesota, Penn State and Wisconsin, Nebraska (0-2) falls seven positions to 12th. Michigan (2-1) drops three places to 19th while Ohio State (2-1) moves up one spot to 20th. Purdue (3-0) takes a four-spot leap to 21st and Michigan State (2-1) drops six places to 23rd.

RETTKE EARNS WEEKLY HONORS
Freshman Dana Rettke was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week and Co-Freshman of the Week after averaging 5.0 kills, 1.83 blocks and 0.83 digs per set. The 6-8 middle blocker had a career-high 15 kills in both matches while hitting .619 on the weekend. The Riverside, Illinois, native hit a career-best .778 (15 kills – 1 error – 18 attempts) vs. the Tar Heels, which ranks second on the UW 25-point rally scoring single-match record list. She also led the Badgers in blocks in both matches, including a career-high six blocks vs. Louisville.

Rettke was also named the National Player of the Week by VolleyMob.

HILLEY NAMED SETTER OF THE WEEK
Freshman Sydney Hilley was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week. The 6-0 Hilley ran the Badger offense that hit at a .340 clip on the weekend, including .361 vs. the 11th-ranked Tar Heels. The Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, native averaged 13.17 assists per set, including a career-high 43 helpers vs. North Carolina. Her single-match figure ties for fourth on the UW record list under 25-point rally scoring.

BIG TEN LEADERS
After the first weekend of competition, Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in kills per set (15.50) and assists per set (15.00).

Freshman Dana Rettke leads all conference players with 5.00 kills per set while freshman Sydney Hilley has a Big Ten-best 13.17 assists per set. Rettke also ranks second in hitting percentage at .619 while junior Tionna Williams ranks fifth at .552. Rettke is third with 1.83 blocks per set and sophomore Madison Duello is 13th at 1.17 blocks per set. Hilley ties for eighth with 0.50 service aces per set. Sophomore M.E. Dodge ranks 13th in digs per set with 3.67.

IN THE NATIONAL STATS
In the first NCAA stats of the season, Wisconsin is one of 69 teams that are undefeated after the first weekend. The Badgers rank fifth in assists per set (15.00), seventh in hitting percentage (.340) and 11th in kills per set (15.50). Freshman Sydney Hilley ranks third in assists per set (13.17) while freshman Dana Rettke is third in hitting percentage (.619). Rettke is also fourth in points per set (6.08), eighth in blocks and 11th in kills per set (5.00).

As a team, Wisconsin ranks:
T1. W/L percentage   1.000 (69 tied)
5. Assists per set   15.00
7. Hitting percentage   .340
11. Kills per set    15.50
56. Blocks per set   2.50
76. Opp hitting percentage   .160

THANK YOU FANS!
Less than one week into the season, Wisconsin has already sold out the UW Field House for nine matches. The Badgers sold a record 4,885 season tickets, an increase of 1445 from last year. UW sold 2,350 reserved seats and 2,535 general admission seats.

Wisconsin set a school record for attendance in 2016, averaging 5,927 fans per match.

HAVING CAREER SEASONS
Five Badgers are having the best seasons of their careers in at least one statistical category.

Senior Kelli Bates is hitting a season-best .275.
Sophomore Sarah Dodd is averaging a season-best 1.83 digs per set.
Sophomore M.E. Dodge is averaging a season-best 3.67 digs per set. She also recorded the first service ace of her career.
Redshirt sophomore Madison Duello has a season-best 1.83 kills and 1.17 block per set.
Junior Tionna Williams is hitting a season-best .552. She is also averaging a season-best 3.17 kills per set.

FRESHMAN SEE FIRST ACTION
Five freshmen saw their first action in the Cardinal and White last weekend. Sydney Hilley and Dana Rettke started both matches while Mariah Whalen played in five sets. Riley Bell and Grace Loberg both played in one set.

Sophomore Sarah Dodd also earned her first career start, earning a starting role in both matches.

HILLEY WITH THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Freshman Sydney Hilley earned the first double-double of her career and the first double-double for the Badgers this season. The 6-0 setter had a career-high 43 assists and 11 digs vs. North Carolina on Saturday. Hilley leads the Big Ten with 13.17 assists per set while ranking second with 2.33 digs per set. An active attacker, Hilley averages 1.33 kills per set, hitting a perfect 4-0-4 vs. UNC.

PERSONAL BESTS SETS
Three upperclassmen recorded career bests in the first weekend of competition.

Sophomore Sarah Dodd had a career-high eight digs vs. North Carolina and tied her career best with two assists against the Tar Heels.
Sophomore M.E. Dodge had the first service ace of her career against the Tar Heels. She also tied her career high with four assists vs. Louisville.
Redshirt sophomore Madison Duello recorded a career-high seven kills and 18 attack attempts vs. UNC. She also had a career-best five blocks vs. Louisville.

I GOT THAT!
One Badger surpassed a career milestone against Louisville and North Carolina.

Senior Kelli Bates had 15 kills on the weekend to go over 800 in her fourth season. She has 811 kills in her career.

IRON BADGERS

Senior Kelli Bates has played in all 102 matches and all 361 sets as a Badger.
Junior Tionna Williams has played in all 68 matches at Wisconsin.

SHEFFIELD COUNTING DOWN TO 400 CAREER WINS
Head coach Kelly Sheffield is only 14 wins away from 400 victories for his career. He is 386-137 (.738) in 16 years as a head coach. Sheffield is 113-25 (.819) in four years at Wisconsin. He was also 131-33 (.799) in five years at Dayton and 142-79 (.643) in seven years at Albany..