Wisconsin volleyball: multiple Badgers win weekly awards

It’s almost like the entire Wisconsin Badgers athletic department had a killer last week judging by the awards that have been flooding in this week. The volleyball team swaggered into Minneapolis and beat the previously No. 5 Minnesota Golden Gophers 3-1 and then swept the Michigan State Spartans out of the Field House over the weekend.

Thanks to those two wins, the Badgers now sit alone atop the B1G standings again and are also the new No. 3 in the RPI ratings.

Also thanks to those two wins, junior outside hitter Molly Haggerty was named B1G Player of the Week and junior setter Sydney Hilley was named B1G Setter of the Week.

Haggerty led the team in kills for both matches last week, including a season-high 24 kills at No. 5 Minnesota, and averaged 5.29 kills per set while hitting .387 percent on the week. Against MSU she added a match-high 13 kills. The 24 kills against the Gophers were three away from her career high. This was her third career POTW award and first one of the season.

Hilley was literally everywhere against the Gophers. She put up a career best, and a Wisconsin all-time record (for all scoring) four-set match record, with 78 assists against No. 5 Minnesota, shattering her previous career best by 17 helpers. She averaged an absurd 16 sets per set in the two matches last week on her way to her tenth career SOTW award, and fifth this year.

There are only two more chances to catch the Badgers at the Field House this regular season. Wisconsin takes on Iowa Friday night, where the seniors will be honored, and then Sunday afternoon No. 6 Nebraska rolls into town, a game that will also be on BTN.