Wisconsin Volleyball Sweeps Miami, Advances to NCAA Sweet 16

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin volleyball team swept Miami (Ohio) 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-19) on Saturday night at the UW Field House to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Badgers Dominate from the Start

Wisconsin never trailed in any of the three sets and hit .348 as a team. Junior middle blocker Dana Rettke led the way with 14 kills on .440 hitting. Senior outside hitter Molly Haggerty added 11 kills and hit .524, while sophomore outside hitter Grace Loberg had 10 kills and hit .429.

Miami Puts Up a Fight

Miami, the Mid-American Conference Tournament champion, kept things close in each set. The RedHawks were led by sophomore outside hitter Sarah Bloom, who had 12 kills on .368 hitting.

Wisconsin’s Defense Shines

Wisconsin’s defense was also strong, holding Miami to a .150 hitting percentage. Senior libero Lauren Barnes led the way with 12 digs, while Rettke added 4 blocks.

Sweet 16 Bound

Wisconsin will face ninth-seeded Florida in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, December 8, at the UW Field House. The Gators defeated Illinois 3-1 in the second round.

Quotes

"I’m really proud of the way we played tonight," said Wisconsin head coach Kelly Sheffield. "We were very efficient on offense and our defense was really strong. I thought we did a great job of staying disciplined and executing our game plan."

"We’re excited to be moving on to the Sweet 16," said Rettke. "Florida is a great team, but we’re confident that we can compete with them. We’re looking forward to the challenge."