Badgers say good(k)night to Rutgers

PISCATAWAY, NJ. — The No. 9 Wisconsin volleyball team took care of business on the road, sweeping Rutgers 25-18, 25-14, 25-18, on Wednesday night. 

Sarah Franklin led the Badgers (8-4, 2-1 B1G) offensively, with 12 kills, as the Badgers hit .370 (45 kills – 11 errors – 92 attempts) on the night. 

Rutgers (5-9, 0-3 B1G) hit .140 (31 – 17 -100), as the Australia native, Alissa Kinkela, led the Scarlet Knights with 10 kills.

Wisconsin racked up seven service aces, with defensive players Gucle Guctekin and Lola Schumacher both chipping in two apiece. Charlie Fuerbringer put up 36 helpers to pair with four kills. 

Schumacher had a match-high 16 digs. UW outblocked Rutgers 7.0-4.0, as CC Crawford tallied four

After a slow start and an early timeout from the Badgers, trailing 5-3, they responded with 6-0 run to force a Rutgers timeout. The Scarlet Knights sided out after the timeout, as the UW led 9-6. The Badgers maintained a steady lead, as Rutgers attempted to chip away, bringing it within two (17-15). UW put away three kills in a row to force a second Rutgers timeout. From there, UW closed out a set one victory, 25-18. 

In a much more evenly matched set two, the teams battled back and forth until a kill from Sarah Franklin kicked off a 7-0 run for UW. Freshman Lola Schumacher tallied two service aces within that run. After a Rutgers side out, UW led 20-12. Back-to-back service aces from Gulce Guctekin inched the Badgers to a second set win, as a kill from Franklin clinched it, 25-14. 

In the final set, Rutgers led early at 5-4,…