Tom Lynn
- Box Score
Miami (FL)UM18-12,10-8 ACC
Miami (FL)UM
18-12,10-8 ACC
Final
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami (FL) UM | 23 | 15 | 17 | (0) |
| Wisconsin Wisc | 25 | 25 | 25 | (3) |
Game Recap: Volleyball | | Ellie Culver
Badgers top Miami in the second round
MADISON, Wis. -- After a tight first set, the Wisconsin volleyball team swept Miami, 25-23, 25-15, 25-17, in the second round of the NCAA tournament at the UW Field House on Friday night.
Three Badgers finished with double figure kills, as Anna Smrek led the team with 15 kills. Sarah Franklin was not far behind, tallying 13, and Temi Thomas-Ailara finished with 10. Wisconsin (28-3) hit .316 (47 kills - 11 errors - 114 attempts) on the night.
The Hurricanes (18-12) were led by freshman Grace Lopez with 15 kills. As a team, they hit .171 (40 -18 - 129).
Spreading the defensive wealth, the Badgers also had three players passing double figures. Sophom*ore Gulce Guctekin put up a match-high 16 digs, as libero Julia Orzol added 14 and setter MJ Hammill recorded 12.
Pairing with her 12 digs, Hammill put up a season-high 26 assists, for her eighth double double. Izzy Ashburn also added 11 helpers.
Wisconsin just outblocked Miami, seven to six. After onlyone block in the first set, Wisconsin had two blocks in the second and four in the final set.
The Badgers trailed by as many as five at 14-9 before they started digging their way back into the first set. An attack error from Miami put it within one for the Badgers (18-17), but they couldn't put more than one point together. Wisconsin tied it up at 21-all, followed by a kill from Franklin and forced a Miami timeout as the Badgers led by one. The Hurricanes held off three set points before another kill from Franklin gave Wisconsin a 25-23 first set win.
After eight ties, the Badgers took a 14-13 lead off a kill from Devyn Robinson and they ran away with set two. Wisconsin finished the set on a 12-2 run, including four kills from Anna Smrek and back-to-back blocks from her and CC Crawford in that stretch. Wisconsin grabbed a 25-15 second set win.
In the third set, the block was strong for Wisconsin as Crawford and Smrek came up with a key block in the set to give UW an 11-7 lead. The Badgers used that momentum to propel them to a 15-9 lead and prompt a Miami timeout. Miami sided out just one point after the timeout with a block, but the deficit was too large to overcome as the Badgers took home another sweep, 25-17 andadvance to the NCAA Sweet 16.
Straight from the court
Head Coach Kelly Sheffield
On the the overall match: "We did a really good job of learning as we were going through the match of getting stronger. "Ithought it was probably GG'sfinest match as a badger all the way around. Caroline's service was really instrumental and got the ball where we wanted and allowed us to stretch out the lead and a lot of positive block touches as were were going. Obviously, Anna took some really really nice swings for us tonight."
Sophom*ore Gulce Guctekin
On the rest of the tournament:"We have goals and we want to achieve those goals and this is so exciting because we do this together and we've been in this journey together."
Junior Anna Smrek
On playing in big moments:"I think we practice for big moments. We're coming out confident and taking courageous swings, it's how we train, and the mentality we bring into the match. We're confident in ourselves and what happens when we stick together. It carries us through and that's what's giving us another opportunity in this tournament."
Senior Caroline Crawford
On GG and defense:"I think she did a really good job being disciplined in the backcourt, staying still, and reading the game well. Our block developed throughout the match, and with that, she's able to read the ball really well."
Notes to know
- Senior setter MJ Hammill recorded her eighth double-double of the season, 14th overall, with 26 assists and 12 digs. Her 26 assists is also a season-high.
- Anna Smrek, Sarah Franklin, and Temi Thomas-Ailara all tallied double-digit kills. Smrek led the Badgers with 15 kills, followed by Franklin (13), and Thomas-Ailara (10).
- Badgers also had three players in double-digit dig figures. Gulce Guctekin led the pack with 16 digs, followed by Julia Orzol (14), and MJ Hammill with 12.
- Wisconsin is now 65-25 in the NCAA Tournament and 37-9 under head coach Kelly Sheffield.
- The Badgers hit .316 (47-11-114) against the Hurricanes. UW has now hit .300 or better in 22nd match this season.
Up Next
No. 3 Wisconsin will face No. 5 Penn State in the Sweet Sixteen at the UW Field House on Thursday night. The time is yet to be announced by ESPN.
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