Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield
With the top spot in the Big Ten Conference on the line, number seven Wisconsin swept number six Minnesota in a battle for the top spot in the league on Sunday.
The Badgers swept the Gophers, 25-18, 25-15, 25-20, to earn its third straight sweep, its third win over a top-10 team in its last four matches, and its first Border Battle win since 2014 – also when it won its last Big Ten Championship.
The Badgers held Minnesota to a .188 hitting percentage (31 kills – 12 errors – 101 attempts). Senior libero Tiffany Clark totaled a match-high 14 digs, and Madison Duello and Danielle Hart finished with three blocks each, holding down the front line.
Offensively, junior Dana Rettke finished with a match-high 16 kills, hitting an even .500 (16-2-28) on the day. Molly Haggerty added 12 kills for the Badgers.
UW dominated the Gophers in nearly every statistical category. Wisconsin finished with the advantage in kills (47-31), hitting percentage (.270-.188), service aces (8-1), and digs (52-40).
The Badgers took over the top spot in the Big Ten standings with the win and Michigan’s loss to Nebraska. They also snapped an eight-match losing streak to the Golden Gophers, sweeping Minnesota for the first time since Oct. 18, 2014.
The Badgers have nearly a week off as the top team in the Big Ten, as No. 18 Illinois comes to the UW Field House on Friday.