Wisconsin volleyball sweeps Colgate in NCAA Tournament opener

December 3, 2021
|In Badgers
|By Zach Heilprin

The Wisconsin volleyball team is moving on in the NCAA Tournament.

Playing in front of a loud home crowd Friday night, the Badgers made short work of Colgate in the first round. The No. 4 overall seed swept the Raiders, taking the match 25-12, 25-15 and 25-14.

The Badgers were led by All-American Dana Rettke, who finished with 16 kills and a hitting percentage of 54.6% — roughly 10% higher than her season average. Fellow All-American Sydney Hilley had 40 assists, while senior Lauren Barnes had a team-high 18 digs. Wisconsin hit at a 39.1% clip over the three sets to Colgate’s 6.3%.

Coach Kelly Sheffield’s club advances to the round of 32 to face Florida Gulf Coast for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen. The Eagles shocked Texas Tech in the early game Friday, recovering from losing the first two sets to beat the Red Raiders 14-25, 16-25, 25-23, 25-15, 15-7.

Saturday’s match, which is the first meeting between the two schools, is slated to start at 6 p.m. at the UW Field House.