Badger volleyball advances in tournament

UPDATE: The Badgers rolled into the Sweet 16 of the 2019 NCAA Tournament with a straight-set win over UCLA on Saturday night by a score of 25-18, 25-21, 25-14.

After taking the first two sets without much trouble, the No. 4 Wisconsin volleyball team rallied back in a big way to take the third set and the match in its first-round NCAA matchup on Friday night at the UW Field House. The Badgers (23-6) moved past Illinois State 25-13, 25-14, 26-24 to advance to the second round of tournament play against UCLA on Saturday night. The Bruins swept Notre Dame in Friday’s early match at the Field House. First serve will be live on the Big Ten Network at 6 p.m.

Photos by Bryce Richter

Photo: Lauren Barnes (1) touches hands with young fans lining the sideline.

Lauren Barnes (1) touches hands with young fans lining the sideline. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Grace Loberg (21) goes up for the block.

Grace Loberg (21) goes up for the block. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Tiffany Clark (17) digs the ball.

Tiffany Clark (17) digs the ball. The Badgers were propelled by a stellar defensive performance at the net. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Grace Loberg (21) hits the ball. The Redbirds edged UW 49-46 in digs but Wisconsin held the advantage in all other categories. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Danielle Hart (18) goes up for the ball.

Danielle Hart (18) goes up for the ball. The Badgers held Illinois State to a team hitting percentage of .063. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Fans watch UW extend its home winning streak to 11 matches.

Fans watch UW extend its home winning streak to 11 matches. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Head coach Kelly Sheffield talks with the team during a time out.

Head coach Kelly Sheffield talks with the team during a time out. "I thought it was a really good NCAA tournament match," Sheffield said afterward. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Danielle Hart (18) and Grace Loberg (21) go up for the block.

Danielle Hart (18) and Grace Loberg (21) go up for the block. The Badgers finished with 11 blocks, five of them coming during an emphatic third-set comeback. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Wisconsin players cheer as the team scores.

Wisconsin players cheer as the team scores. The Badgers improved to 47-22 in their 23rd year in the championship. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Lauren Barnes (1) serves the ball.

Lauren Barnes (1) serves the ball. Wisconsin had a 4-2 lead in service aces. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Barnes (1) digs for the ball. She led Wisconsin with 10 digs. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Members of the team celebrate a point.

Members of the team celebrate a point. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Dana Rettke (16) goes up to spike the ball.

Dana Rettke (16) goes up to spike the ball. Rettke is the Big Ten Player of the Year. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Madison Duello (14) and Dana Rettke (16) go up for the block.

Madison Duello (14) and Dana Rettke (16) go up for the block. Rettke led the way with seven blocks and Duello added six. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Madison Duello (14) goes up for the ball.

Madison Duello (14) goes up for the ball. The redshirt senior had six blocks. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Danielle Hart (18) spikes the ball.

Danielle Hart (18) spikes the ball. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Grace Loberg (21) goes up for the ball.

Grace Loberg (21) goes up for the ball. Wisconsin has not lost at home since Sept. 19. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Members of the team celebrate after their third-set comeback. "I thought we did a really good job not panicking and not getting overly frustrated," Coach Sheffield said. Photo by: Bryce Richter

The Badgers now advance to second round of the NCAA tournament. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Members of the team sing Varsity with fans

Members of the team sing Varsity with fans following the first round victory. Photo by: Bryce Richter

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