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Wisconsin sweeps Minnesota, sits along atop the Big Ten

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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. [Read more…]

Wisconsin selected as Preseason Volleyball Favorite

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Dana Rettke

Wisconsin was chosen as the conference favorite for the 2019 volleyball season, voted on by the Big Ten coaches and announced Monday.  The Badgers start the 2019 season ranked No. 5 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).  It is the fifth straight season the Badgers will open the year ranked among the top 10 teams in the country.

Nebraska, ranked second nationally, was also selected No. 2 in the preseason poll.  Defending 2018 Big Ten Champion Minnesota was tabbed third.  Penn State was voted to finish fourth, while Illinois rounded out the top five of the preseason poll.

Additionally, conference coaches selected a Preseason All-Big Ten Team featuring three unanimous selections and four previous preseason honorees.  Illinois’ Jacqueline Quade, Penn State’s Kendall White and Wisconsin’s Dana Rettke were unanimous selections.  Minnesota’s Alexis Hart receives Preseason All-Big Ten honors for the third straight season, while Gopher Stephanie Samedy, White and Rettke claim the recognition for the second time.

U.S. Women’s Volleyball team secures Olympic berth

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Dana Rettke

The U.S. women’s volleyball team has secured its berth to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, beating Argentina in straight sets on Sunday at a qualifying tournament in Louisiana.

The third-ranked Americans went unbeaten in Pool C of qualifying this weekend, rallying from a set down and again from a 2-1 deficit Saturday night to beat 16th-ranked Bulgaria before the win over No. 11 Argentina.

The U.S. has never won an Olympic gold medal, capturing bronze in the Rio Games three years ago.

The U.S. team features two players with Wisconsin Badger ties.  Current Badger Dana Rettke and former standout Lauren Carlini are both a part of the squad.

Wisconsin falls to Minnesota in Big Ten Volleyball

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The fifth-ranked Wisconsin volleyball dropped its first Big Ten match of the season, falling to sixth-ranked Minnesota on Wednesday night in three sets, 25-17, 25-21, 25-15.

Wisconsin (9-2 overall, 2-1 BIG) hit .221 (39-14-11) for the match but could not slow Minnesota (9-2, 3-0), who hit .386 (46-7-101).

Sophomore Dana Rettke earned a team-best 12 kills while adding three digs, an ace and a block.  Grace Loberg and Tionna Williams combined for three blocks as the Badgers earned a slight 4-3 advantage at the net.

Libero Tiffany Clark earned a match-high 16 digs in tonight’s effort.  Minnesota out dug UW, 50-41.

The Badgers are back on the road this weekend, traveling to West Lafayette, Indiana, on Saturday for a 6 p.m. match against Purdue.

Badger volleyball off to 4-0 start

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The eighth-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team captured the HotelRED Invitational after knocking off High Point Sunday night at the UW Field House.  The Badgers dropped the first set but won the next three, 23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-17, to hand the Panthers their second loss of the day.

Wisconsin (4-0) hit an impressive .328 (53 kills – 9 errors – 134 attempts).  Dana Rettke led the Badgers with 16 kills while Molly Haggerty added another 10.

The Badgers recorded a season-high 17 blocks led by middle blockers Dana Rettke and Tionna Williams with nine and eight respectively.

The Badgers knocked off second-ranked Texas just one day earlier.

Wisconsin sold out their second straight match of the season at 7,052 fans in attendance, which ties for fifth on UW single-match attendance list.  Wisconsin has sold out the Field House 14 straight times.

Wisconsin picked second in preseason Big Ten Volleyball poll

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Dana Rettke

After tying for seventh in last year’s Big Ten Conference race, the Wisconsin volleyball team is picked to finish second in this year’s contest based on a preseason vote of league coaches.  The Badgers, who were 11-9 in Big Ten play in 2017, are picked to finish second behind reigning NCAA and Big Ten Champion Nebraska.

The Huskers (19-1 Big Ten record in 2017), who shared the 2017 conference championship with Penn State (19-1), are picked to win the Big Ten title this season.  Minnesota (15-5) finished third last season and is picked to finish third in 2018.  The Nittany Lions are ranked fourth while Illinois (12-8) is expected to finish fifth this season after tying for fifth with Purdue in 2017.

The Badgers landed two players on the preseason team, including unanimous selection Dana Rettke.  The 6’8 middle blocker was named the 2017 National Player of the Year by three separate organizations and was also named the 2017 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.  Senior Tionna Williams, a two-time All-Big Ten selection, was also named to the preseason All-Big Ten team for the second-straight year.

Wisconsin hosts its annual Red vs. White Scrimmage on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the UW Field House.  The season opens on Aug. 24-25 at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in the Target Center, the site of the 2018 NCAA Championship, in Minneapolis.  The Badgers host No. 3 Texas in their home opener on Sept. 1 in the Field House.

Rettke named to USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team

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Dana Rettke

Wisconsin sophomore-to-be, Dana Rettke, has been named to the U.S. Women’s Collegiate National Team China Tour roster.  It’s comprised of current collegiate players who will train and compete in China from May 20-31.

Rettke was one of 12 players and three middles selected to the team.  She will be making her first appearance in a USA uniform.

The 6’8 Rettke was named the 2017 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Freshman of the Year.  She was also named the AVCA Northeast Regional Freshman of the Year and the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year.

Rettke led the Badgers and ranked third nationally with a .443 hitting percentage.  She also led the team and ranked 10th in the Big Ten with a 3.42 kills per set.  The freshman had a team-best 1.37 blocks per set, which ranked third in the Big Ten and 23rd nationally.  Rettke also ranked second on the team with 25 service aces (0.22 per set).

 

Wisconsin’s Rettke named National Freshman of the Year

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Dana Rettke

Wisconsin volleyball standout Dana Rettke continues to reel in the awards.  Rettke became the first Badger volleyball player to be named National Freshman of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.  She also becomes the first freshman in UW history to earn first-team All-America honors.

In addition, junior Tionna Williams and freshman Sydney Hilley both earned honorable mention All-America honors.

On the season, Rettke was named the AVCA Northeast Regional Freshman of the Year and the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year.  She was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week a record nine times and was a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week.

Rettke led the Badgers and ranks second in the Big Ten with a .443 hitting percentage.  She also led the team and ranks 10th in the conference with 3.42 kills per set.  The freshman had a team-best 1.37 blocks per set, which ranks third in the Big Ten.  Rettke also ranks second on the team with 25 service aces (0.22 per set).

The Riverside, Illinois, native set UW season records for hitting percentage, breaking the all-time mark of .422 set by Haleigh Nelson in 2015.  Rettke also set school season records under 25-point rally scoring for blocks per set (1.37) and points per set (4.39).

NCAA Final Four tonight

Top-seeded Penn State and fifth-seeded Nebraska will compete in the Final Four semifinals in women’s college volleyball in Kansas City tonight.  The Nittany Lions take on the Huskers at 7 p.m. (CT) tonight.  The winner will advance to the National Championship match on Saturday and face the winner of tonight’s other semifinal match between Florida and Stanford.

 

Badger volleyball season ends in round of 16

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The 11th ranked Wisconsin volleyball team saw their season come to an end at the NCAA Regional semifinals, falling in four sets to defending NCAA Champion Stanford.

Wisconsin (22-10 overall) won the opening set 25-22 but lost the next three.  The Badgers hit an amazing .593 (19 kills – 3 errors – 27 attempts) in the first set but finished .315 (55-16-124) for the match.

Freshman Grace Loberg lead the Wisconsin offense with a career-high 20 kills.  Fellow freshman Dana Rettke added another 13 kills for Wisconsin.

Stanford improved to 29-3 and moves on to the Regional final tonight.

 

Wisconsin volleyball players honored by the Big Ten

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The Wisconsin Badger women’s volleyball team had two players named to the 2017 All-Big Ten team.  A pair of middle blockers, junior Tionna Williams and freshman Dana Rettke were both named to the squad.

Rettke and teammate, setter Sydney Hilley were named to the All-Freshman team.

Rettke, after setting a Big Ten Conference record with nine Freshman of the Week awards, was named the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year.  The 6’8 middle blocker becomes the fifth Badger to earn the rookie honor, following teammate Molly Haggerty, who was honored in 2016.  Her selection to the All-Big Ten team was unanimous.

On the season, Rettke leads the Badgers and ranks second in the Big Ten with a .445 hitting percentage.  She also leads the team and ranks 13th in the conference with 3.37 kills per set.  The freshman has a team-best 1.42 blocks per set, which ranks third in the Big Ten.  The Riverside, Illinois native leads all Big Ten freshmen in hitting percentage and blocks per set while ranking third in kills per set. [Read more…]