For the sixth-straight year, Wisconsin has advanced to regional play of the NCAA tournament. The sixth-seeded Badgers (24-6) will take on San Diego (18-12 in the regional semifinals on Friday at 1:30 p.m. from Huff Hall in Champaign, Illinois.
No. 3-seed Illinois (30-3) and No. 14 Marquette (28-6) open regional play on Friday at 11 a.m.
Semifinal winners face off on Saturday at 3 p.m. for the right to advance to the 2018 NCAA Championship at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Wisconsin is one of only five programs that have advanced to the Sweet 16 the last six years in a row. UW joins BYU, Nebraska, Penn State and Texas on this elite list.
The Badgers are 8-7 all time in the Sweet 16, including falling at No. 3 Stanford in four sets in 2017. Wisconsin is 2-6 in the Elite Eight, advancing to the NCAA championship match in 2000 and 2013.