FINAL FOUR BOUND: Badgers Volleyball sweeps No. 5 Nebraska again

After a six year absence, the Badgers are heading back to the Final Four with authority, sweeping each of the first four teams it faced. Molly Haggerty lead the Badgers with 13 kills, and Grace Loberg added nine more.

No. 5 Nebraska (28-5) gave No. 4 Wisconsin (26-6) all it could, but the Badgers still thoroughly dominated the Cornhuskers Saturday evening at the Field House in front of a sellout crowd.

It all started with this amazing volley in the third serve of the game.

Wisconsin thoroughly dominated Nebraska in the first set, taking it 25-18. In the set, the Badgers served up an amazing five aces, two from Lauren Barnes and three from Sydney Hilley. Further, the Badgers’ defense held the Cornhuskers to a mere .075 hitting percentage in the set.

Nebraska put up a better effort in the second set, as it either had the lead or was trailing by one or two until it was a 22-22 tie. However, Wisconsin pulled away at the end of the second set to take it 25-22.

Nebraska tried to put up a fight in the third set, but ran out of gas late, giving Wisconsin a 25-19 set three victory.

Badgers fans at the Field House provided all the energy Wisconsin needed to pull off its fourth consecutive sweep in the NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin now turns its attention to the national semifinals in the Final Four. The Badgers will take on the No. 1 seeded Baylor Bears (29-1) on Thursday, Dec. 19 in Pittsburgh. The game will be 6:00 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. CST.

Matt Rock and the rest of us at B5Q will have all the volleyball coverage you need heading into the Final Four.