Things were looking pretty bleak for the Wisconsin Badgers after a frustrating first set. Wisconsin had lost a five-set stunner to Washington in the UW Field House just days ago, and now the Michigan Wolverines showed up and beat them in the first set, 25-20. The wheels looked close to coming off, and the mindset of the Badgers could have easily gone to very dark places.
The letdown seemed to be hanging around from Washington, and Michigan was ready to take advantage. Yet, things shifted for the Badgers, who quickly battled through the second set for a victory and then cruised to the finish line with two more set victories. The Badgers beat Michigan four sets to one, but it was three straight sets for Wisconsin. Eva Travis, after the match, explained why.
"At the end of the day, we love the sport, and we love to play with each other, and we love to compete..." Travis said about the frustrating loss to Washington. That taste was still in their mouth. "That was a big thing going into this match, and as we lost the first set, to just remember to play for each other, play together, and then the skills will come and follow."
That's exactly what happened and, honestly, part of how things got awry with Wisconsin against Washington. Things got out of sorts; the Washington defense wore Wisconsin down and made them stop trusting each other and playing together.
Wisconsin had to find their rhythm again, trusting each other and playing together
Related: Kelly Sheffield was frustrated by one theme after losing to No. 21 Washington
Michigan tried to repeat that theme, but something changed, and it changed quickly. The Badgers found the ability to play together and started getting back in system.
It helped that the Badgers were hitting at a frantic pace, with a final match performance of .402. That's the best Wisconsin has done as a unit all season. Things were clicking when Wisconsin was the aggressor and able to get off some big swings.
Sheffield spoke about this exact thing: "We can be an elite attacking team. I think our players have confidence, and they're working on expanding their toolbox."
There's work being done behind the scenes to keep this team growing and expanding their game. Sheffield is working with his youngest team ever, and his best hitters are freshmen. Decelise Champion had 20 kills, and Audrey Flanagan had 11. It was a great day for the Badgers on the attack.
Charlie was able to mix it up enough to keep Michigan on their toes; she helped five different players get kills (six if you count herself). Though she was mostly feeding Champion, who was firing off kills like crazy. She hit .341 on the day with six errors.
Kristen Simon led the way in receptions and was a key element in her passing. She had 26 receptions with zero errors and added three digs.
All in all, it was a good bounceback from the Badgers, especially when things looked like they were going to go haywire again after set one against Michigan. They found themselves battling together and getting the win.
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