No. 23 USC Women's Volleyball Swept By No. 6 Wisconsin
On September 17th, 2023, the No. 23 USC Trojans met the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers in a highly anticipated volleyball match. The match was a one-sided affair, with Wisconsin taking the victory in three straight sets (25-17, 25-13, 25-19).
Wisconsin's victory was due in large part to their dominant performance in all aspects of the game. The Badgers out-hit USC .429 to .167, out-blocked them 9-4, and out-dug them 38-29.
Junior Devyn Robinson led the way for Wisconsin, with a match-high 15 kills on .474 hitting. Senior Grace Loberg and Junior Danielle Hart added 13 and 11 kills, respectively.
USC, on the other hand, struggled throughout the match. The Trojans were never able to find a rhythm offensively, and they made too many unforced errors.
Sophomore middle blocker Bella Bergmark led the way for USC with 9 kills, but she was the only Trojan to reach double-digits. Junior outside hitter Skylar Fields, who entered the match averaging 4.50 kills per set, was held to just 6 kills on .103 hitting.
After the match, Wisconsin head coach Kelly Sheffield praised his team's performance.
"I thought we played really well tonight," Sheffield said. "We were able to control the tempo of the game and force USC into making some mistakes. We also did a great job of blocking and digging."
USC head coach Brad Keller was disappointed with his team's performance but refused to make excuses.
"We didn't play our best tonight," Keller said. "We made too many errors and couldn't seem to find a rhythm offensively. Wisconsin is a great team, and they took advantage of our mistakes."
The victory was a significant one for Wisconsin. It improved their record to 9-1 on the season and moved them up to No. 5 in the AVCA Coaches Poll. The Badgers are now one of the favorites to win the Big Ten Championship and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
The loss dropped USC to 7-3 on the season. The Trojans will need to regroup quickly as they have a tough match against No. 10 Stanford on the road next week.
The No. 23 USC Women's Volleyball team was swept by the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers in a match that was never really in doubt. Wisconsin's dominant performance was too much for USC to overcome, and the Trojans will need to regroup quickly as they have a tough match against No. 10 Stanford on the road next week.
The match between USC and Wisconsin was a reminder of the importance of playing clean volleyball. Wisconsin made very few mistakes, while USC made too many. In the end, Wisconsin's superior execution was the difference in the match.
The loss was a disappointing one for USC, but it is important to remember that it is still early in the season. The Trojans have a lot of talent, and they have the potential to be a very good team. They will need to learn from their mistakes and move on quickly if they want to achieve their goals.