MADISON, Wis. — The No. 6 Wisconsin volleyball team will travel to California to play new Big Ten west coast foes, No. 23 USC and UCLA. First serve versus USC is set for 10 p.m. on Thursday night, and Saturday night’s match up against UCLA is slated for 9:30 p.m. Both matches will be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network.
Before the match begins, here are six things to know:
1. LAST TIME OUT: The Badgers took care of business last weekend, with two three-set sweeps over Iowa and No. 3 Penn State. Wisconsin hit .394 in the sweep of Iowa, as UW outperformed them in every area. With eyes on the Badgers again on the big stage on NBC, they did not disappoint. Wisconsin swept Penn State for just the fifth time in history, 25-23, 25-12, 25-13. UW recorded just three hitting errors, hitting .465 on the day.
2. B1G HONORS: Charlie Fuerbringer and Sarah Franklin tabbed Big Ten weekly awards, winning setter of the week and co-player of the week. Over the weekend, Fuerbringer recorded two double-doubles as she averaged 11.67 assists per set and 4.00 digs per set. She added 4.0 total blocks and four kills. Franklin shares honors with Purdue’s Eva Hudson. The outside hitter averaged 4.67 kills per set and hit .431 (28-0-65) and added 2.50 digs and .33 blocks per set.
3. PRIME TIME BADGERS: In its two matches on NBC, the Badgers swept both of its opponents, 3-0. On Oct. 26, UW took down Purdue 25-20, 25-23, 25-13 at Mackey Arena in front of a crowd of 14,876. Saturday, in prime time, the Badgers also swept No. 3 Penn State, in a full house at the UW Field House.
4. BIGS GOT BUTTER: Wisconsin’s front row isn’t afraid to lend a helping hand as Sarah Franklin, CC Crawford, Devyn Robinson, Anna Smrek, and Carter Booth have combined for 51 assists.
5. SCOUTING THE TROJANS: The Badgers and the Trojans don’t have a very deep history, only facing each other eight times, with the most recent match up coming in 2014 as UW defeated USC 3-1 in Seattle, Wash. The Badgers lead the overall series 5-3. Currently, the Trojans hold a 17-7 overall record and are 9-5 in the Big Ten. They are coming off a 3-1 win at Indiana. Nebraska transfer Ally Batenhorst leads the team with 3.77 kills per set.
6. SCOUTING THE BRUINS: The Bruins are currently 11-12 overall and 5-9 in the Big Ten conference. Wisconsin has the edge over UCLA in the…
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