Tag: wisconsin volleyball

How to watch Wisconsin volleyball’s NCAA Tournament opener

The Badgers begin their NCAA Tournament journey against Colgate

Wisconsin volleyball will once again host the first portion of the NCAA Tournament as the Badgers secured a top four seed in the Big Dance.

The Badgers will face Colgate in the first round, with the start time set for 7 p.m. CT at the UW Field House on Friday. Friday’s UW Field House slate begins with Texas Tech vs. FGCU at 4:30 p.m. CT.

The first two Badger matches (assuming they can take care of Colgate) will be streamed on ESPN+. If Wisconsin can beat the Patriot League champs, the Badgers will face the winner of Texas Tech vs. FGCU at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday.

Wisconsin volleyball gets the No. 4 overall seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament

The Badgers earn a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament

Fresh off of a Big Ten championship, Wisconsin volleyball earned a top-four seed in Sunday’s NCAA Tournament bracket reveal.

With the No. 4 overall seed, Wisconsin will host the first round, second round, Sweet Sixteen, and Elite Eight matchups at the UW Field House.

In the first round, the Badgers will be matched up against the Colgate Raiders. Colgate went 13-3 in the Patriot League to take home a conference championship.

If all goes according to plan, Wisconsin can advance to the Final Four while playing every match in the comforts of their home gym.

Here is a look at the complete 2021 bracket:

Dana Rettke named Big Ten Volleyball Player of the Week

The star middle blocker earns the weekly honor

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After a massive 2-0 weekend for Wisconsin volleyball with wins over No. 6 Ohio State and No. 14 Penn State, star middle blocker Dana Rettke was named Big Ten Player of the Week in the conference.

Rettke averaged nearly 4.5 kills per set in the nine sets that Wisconsin played throughout the weekend. She had a season-best 24 kills in the win over Penn State that went the full five sets. After back-to-back home wins, Rettke and the Badgers head on the road for a pair of Big Ten matchups this week.

Next up for Wisconsin is No. 6 Nebraska on Wednesday before they go to West Lafayette to battle No. 12 Purdue on Sunday.

WATCH: Highlights of Wisconsin volleyball’s win over Baylor

Highlights from Wisconsin’s win over Baylor:

Wisconsin volleyball improved to 2-0 with a win over No. 10 Baylor on Saturday night at the UW Field House. The No. 2 Badgers rolled through the first two sets before finishing off the Bears in four.

Danielle Hart led the way for UW with a career-high 13 kills on the night. Wisconsin’s crowd was rocking as always, with fans back in full at the Field House.

After a pair of matches against Dayton, Wisconsin faces their toughest test of the early season when No. 3 Kentucky visits Madison on September 10. Check out highlights from Wisconsin’s 3-1 win over Baylor courtesy of the Big Ten Network’s YouTube channel:

No. 2 Wisconsin volleyball defeats No. 10 Baylor in four sets

The Badgers stay perfect on the young season

Wisconsin has picked up right where they left off in 2020 with back-to-back dominant wins at the UW Field House to open their 2021 campaign.

The No. 2 Badgers (2-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) went up against the No. 10 Baylor Bears (1-1 overall, 0-0 Big 12) and controlled the first two sets in a four set win. Wisconsin opened with a 25-16 victory in the opening set as senior leader Dana Rettke once again led the way.

The Badgers turned the second set into a 25-7 laugher before the Bears responded by taking the third set. Wisconsin closed things out with a 25-15 win in the fourth and ultimately final set.

The Badgers remained perfect and will face Dayton in a back-to-back next week. Then, defending national champion No. 3 Kentucky enters the UW Field House in Wisconsin’s biggest early challenge of the season.

Three Wisconsin volleyball stars named to Big Ten preseason all-conference team

Three Badgers earn Big Ten preseason honors as Wisconsin looks for their third consecutive conference championship

Three Wisconsin volleyball stars earned Big Ten preseason all-conference honors when the team was announced on Monday.

Two of the three are seniors who are familiar with such honors. The other? A rising sophomore who impressed in her freshman season.

Wisconsin was also unanimouslyย  picked to win the Big Ten conference according to the coaches. It would be the third time in as many years that the Badgers would take home a conference championship.

A year ago, Wisconsin fell in the national semifinals to Texas after an undefeated Big Ten-only season. The Badgers will hope to go one step further this season as they return stars from last year’s team. Here is a look at the three Badger leaders who earned preseason all-conference honors:

Wisconsin Volleyball releases their 2021 non-conference schedule

Wisconsin volleyball releases their 2021 non-conference schedule:

After a terrific 2020-2021 season ended in a national semifinal loss for Wisconsin volleyball, the Badgers have key pieces from a year ago returning to Madison to make another run.

With 2019-20 Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year Dana Rettke back, Wisconsin will start the year once again seen as a top program in the country.

Earlier today, the Badgers revealed their non-conference schedule in 2021 including a date for their preseason red and white scrimmage at the Wisconsin Field House. The Wisconsin Big Ten schedule was released last month, but we now know when and where the season begins for the Badgers.

Here is a look at Wisconsin volleyball’s entire non-conference schedule in 2021:

Wisconsin volleyball star Dana Rettke named as a Honda Award finalist

Rettke named as a finalist

For the second straight year, Wisconsin volleyball star Dana Rettke has been named as a finalist for the Honda Award. The award recognizes the “best of the best in collegiate athletics,” and Rettke is one of four finalists. Rettke is joined by Logan Eggleston from Texas, Madison Lilley of Kentucky and Stephanie Samedy from Minnesota.

The list of Rettke’s accolades could fill the UW Fieldhouse walls, but they include being a four-time first-team All-American by VolleyballMag.com and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten pick. The 6-foot-8 middle blocker was also a four-time Big Ten Conference first-team honoree.

The award will be presented on June 28 at 9 PM ET during a CBS Sports Network special.

WATCH: Wisconsin volleyball releases hype video ahead of Final Four matchup

Ahead of the highly anticipated matchup that will be broadcast on ESPN, the Badgers released a hype video featuring highlights from the B…

After what has been an amazing week, including beating the Florida Gators in the Elite Eight and the naming of six Badgers as All-Americans, Wisconsin volleyball will face the Texas Longhorns on Thursday night in the Final Four of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament.

Related: How to watch Wisconsin volleyball in the Final Four

Ahead of the highly anticipated matchup, the Badgers released a hype video featuring highlights from the Badgers’ last matchup against the Gators. The clip features great blocks from seniors Molly Haggerty and Dana Rettke, as well as some outstanding digs from Giorgia Civita.

Six Wisconsin volleyball players named as All-Americans

Only two days after an electrifying victory over the Florida Gators in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament, Wiscons…

Only two days after an electrifying victory over the Florida Gators in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament, Wisconsin volleyball announced on their Twitter that six Badgers have been named All-Americans.

Related: How to watch Wisconsin volleyball in the Final Four

Those honored include seniors Dana Rettke, Sydney Hilley, Lauren Barnes, Molly Haggerty and Grace Loberg, as well as freshman right-side hitter Devyn Robinson. Dana Rettke was named a First Team All-American for the fourth time in her career and is the first player in Wisconsin program history to ever accomplish this feat. Rettke is one of only six players to ever be named as a four-time First Team All-American in the history of collegiate volleyball.

These honors represent just how special the Wisconsin volleyball team has been this season, both individually and as a team. The Badgers, led by six All-Americans, will face the Texas Longhorns on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. CT in the Final Four of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament.

Below are Wisconsin volleyball’s All-Americans from the 2021 season: