MADISON, Wis. — Sixth-ranked Wisconsin (6-2, 0-0 B1G) opens the Big Ten season this weekend with a match at home and one on the road. The Badgers host Northwestern (11-0, 0-0 B1G) at the UW Field House Friday at 7 p.m. On Sunday, UW travels to No. 8 Minnesota (5-3, 0-0) for a 7 p.m. from Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis, live on the Big Ten Network.
1. HONORING LOWE: Every year, Wisconsin honors former head coach Steve Lowe at its Big Ten home opener. Lowe led the Badgers to their first Big Ten championship and first NCAA tournament appearance in 1990. UW will recognize the recipient of this season’s Steve Lowe Memorial Scholarship, graduate student Danielle Hart, in a pre-match ceremony.
2. BIG TEN OPENERS: The Badgers are 24-16 all-time in Big Ten openers, including a 16-8 record at home. Wisconsin fell at Maryland, 3-2, in its conference opener in 2021.
3. THANK YOU FANS! UW set the NCAA regular-season attendance with 16,833 fans at the Kohl Center on Friday night. That total broke the previous mark of 15,797 set by Creighton at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, on Sept. 7, 2022. The Wisconsin attendance is also the 15th largest to ever watch a college volleyball match. Following the record attendance, the Badgers currently lead the nation with an average attendance of 9,624 fans per match.
4. SERVING DOMINATION: The Badgers had 12 service aces against Rhode Island on Sunday, which ties the Wisconsin single-match record under 25-point rally scoring. UW also had 12 service aces at North Texas on Sept. 9, 2018. The Badgers have used a strong serving game to control their opponents’ offenses. Wisconsin averages 1.90 service aces per set, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 40th nationally.
5. JUST CALL HER “ACE”: Freshman Gulce Guctekin recorded a career-high six service aces against Rhode Island on Sunday. Her aces ties the UW single-match record under 25-point rally scoring set by Lauren Carlini at Rutgers on Oct. 5, 2016 and tied by Izzy Ashburn at Indiana on Feb. 13, 2021. Guctekin leads the Badgers with 0.62 service aces per set, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 18th nationally.
6. BLOCKING BADGERS: Wisconsin continues to be one of the nation’s best blocking teams, ranking third with 3.10 blocks per set. Graduate student Danielle Hart ranks second nationally and second in the Big Ten with 1.81 blocks…
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