The Wisconsin volleyball team started the season with an unfortunate 0-3 record after losing all three matches show compilations this season.
The Badgers faced a number of opponents early in the season: #6 Louisville, #1 Texas, and #5 Stanford back to back to back. Wisconsin fought difficult but lost 9-3 in three games, including a couple of tight sets that almost went to the Badgers. Wisconsin will need to focus and work on its mistakes ahead of games against TCU and #23 Baylor.
Wisconsin volleyball struggles early, winning just three sets against tough opponents Opponents
The Wisconsin volleyball team is off to a rugged start, 0-3, after losing games to #3 Louisville, #1 Texas, and #5 Stanford. The Badgers held their own for the most part and really struggled only in the third and fourth sets against the Longhorns. Wisconsin lost two sets by double digits against the Longhorns and looked hopeless on offense at times.
The game against Louisville was expected to be a tough one as Wisconsin entered enemy territory to face the homegrown Cardinals. Wisconsin played solid basketball against the Cardinals and nearly won two sets, but ultimately lost the game. The Badgers’ next two games were held close to home, at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
However, home court advantage didn’t lend a hand the Badgers turn their on-court performances into victories. The Wisconsin volleyball team lost to Texas and looked relatively uncompetitive towards the end. The Longhorns could be really good this upcoming season, but the gap between the two teams shouldn’t be that large.
Wisconsin fared better against Stanford, winning the first set against the Cardinal and then winning the second set. The Badgers simply couldn’t get it together against the Cardinal and struggled to score offensively when needed. The Wisconsin volleyball team will need to focus on what went wrong against its first three opponents in order to make changes going forward.
What went wrong for the Wisconsin Badgers volleyball team?
The Wisconsin volleyball team has done a lot of good against its recent ranked opponents, but it has also done a lot of bad in its losses. First, Wisconsin needs to focus on what it did wrong, and that really starts with finding ways to score points. Fifth-year attacker Sarah Franklin is the heart of this Badgers team, and specifically the offense.
Against Texas, Franklin had a game-high 69 attacking opportunities: 25 kills and 10 attacking errors. The next closest attacker for the Badgers was a tie between middle blocker Anna Smrek and attacker Trinity Shadd-Ceres with 23. The Badgers almost exclusively facilitate their attack through Franklin, and the defense has had an simple time focusing on their top scorer.
The Wisconsin volleyball team must continue to be inventive and find ways to get other players involved, especially freshman Shadd-Ceres. The attacker had six kills, a block and three rebounds against the Longhorns and showed a lot of potential for the Badgers. Another talented freshman the Badgers must continue to lead on offense is setter Charlie Fuerbringer.
Fuerbringer had 23 assists, 11 digs and an ace against the Longhorns and proved he can do a little bit of everything for the Badgers. The freshman could become a key part of the offense, as the offense can rely on Fuerbringer’s excellent and right sets. The freshman also had 39 assists against Stanford and added five kills in just six attacks.
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