Serving up six: Wisconsin hosts UIC in exhibition match

MADISON, Wis. — No. 2 Wisconsin (28-4 in 2022) opens the 2023 season with an exhibition match against UIC (22-10) on Aug. 19. First serve is at 1 p.m. in the UW Field House. 

1. FIVE-PEAT? The Badgers are picked to win their fifth-consecutive Big Ten championship in a preseason vote of conference coaches. Wisconsin landed four players on the preseason All-Big Ten team, the most of any school— Carter Booth, Sarah Franklin, Devyn Robinson, and Temi Thomas-Ailara.



2.  BADGERS ON TOUR: Wisconsin spent 12 days during June 2023 traveling to Turkey, Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland. UW went to Istanbul, home of libero Gülce Güçtekin as well as Maribor, Slovenia, where it first saw outside hitter Julia Orzoł in 2019. The Badgers went 3-2 in matches on the trip.

3. NATIONAL POLL: The 2023 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coaches Poll was released Tuesday and the Badgers came in preseason ranked No. 2 in the nation. Wisconsin has now been ranked in the AVCA national poll for 152 consecutive polls, including the last 55-straight polls in the top 10. 

4. BADGERS ARE BACK: UW returns more than 73 percent of its statistics for 2023. The Badgers return 98% (1413 of 1429) of their assists; 91% (1543 of 1585) of their digs; 90% (175 of 194) of their service aces; 82% (1265 of 1537) of their kills; and 73% (261.5 of 357.5) of their blocks.



5. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Wisconsin add three players for the 2023 season, including two of the Big Ten’s top players. Wisconsin adds Carter Booth, who earned All-Big Ten honors at Minnesota as a freshman last season, and Temi Thomas-Ailara, a 2022 AVCA second-team All-American. UW also brings in freshman defensive specialist Saige Damrow.

6. BATTLE-TESTED: The Badgers face a tough schedule in 2023, playing 13 matches against opponents that were ranked in the final 2022 AVCA ranking, and 16 matches against teams that participated in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Wisconsin plays a tough non-conference schedule with eight of nine matches against opponents that ranked in the top 60 of the 2022 NCAA RPI.