Badgers women’s volleyball wins over Iowa

(UW ATHLETICS) MADISON, Wis. – The No. 10 Wisconsin volleyball team stifled Iowa in their final home regular season match of the year, defeating the Hawkeyes in straight sets (25-17, 25-15, 25-19) on Senior Day. 

The Badgers (22-4, 15-3) extended their winning streak to seven matches behind their top offensive performance of the conference slate against the Hawkeyes (14-16, 5-13), turning in a hitting percentage of .510 (61 – 9 – 102). 

Outside hitter Mimi Colyer was the standout in set one, turning in an impressive 10 kills to power the Badgers to a 25-17 victory. Sophomore Trinity Shadd-Ceres entered late and secured the final kill for UW in the first frame. 

Right side Grace Egan and middle blocker Carter Booth each chipped in four kills apiece in set one as well. 

After a quick Iowa response in the second set, the Badgers enjoyed an 8-0 service run from outside hitter Una Vajagic to build a 16-8 advantage. In that run, Colyer racked up four kills and a block. From there, UW never looked back to take a 2-0 lead in the match, as Egan and Vajagic both tallied a kill to conclude the second frame. 

Graduate student Jada Cerniglia recorded her first assist of the season from the back row, as the Cross Plains native set up Egan for a kill in the latter half of the set two. 

The Badgers kept their foot on the gas in the third and final set, jumping out to a 6-2 lead with the help of kills from middle blocker Alicia Andrew and Colyer. The teams continued to trade points throughout, as UW used a pair of 3-0 runs to put away Iowa for the second time this season. 

The match ended with a kill from Booth in her final home regular season match at the UW Field House, as the senior accumulated eight kills on a .583 hitting percentage. 

Colyer continued to dominate on the offensive end, turning in 23 kills on 38 attempts with zero errors. The Lincoln, California, native broke the program’s all-time record for most kills in a conference season—passing Badger great Sarah Franklin, who finished with 308. Colyer will enter the final week of the season with 312 kills under her belt. Her 23 kills marks the ninth time she has reached 20 or more this season. 

Egan joined Colyer as the other Badger with double-digit kill totals, as the redshirt sophomore accumulated 12 on the afternoon. The Sterling, Illinois, native recorded nine digs in the process. 

Setter Charlie Fuerbringer provided an efficient showing once again, finishing with a double-double via her 49 assists and 10 digs. It marks her seventh double-double of the season. Fuerbringer’s 49 assists are a season-best in a three-set match. The Badgers tied the school record for most assists as a team in a three-set battle with 59, last doing so against Rutgers in 2016. 

Defensively, Vajagic turned in a career-best 16 digs, in addition to tallying seven kills. 

UW defeated Iowa for the 10th consecutive match, sweeping the Hawkeyes in each of those. The Badgers have now won 16-straight sets against conference opponents to extend their winning streak to seven.