Madison – The University of Wisconsin women’s volleyball team continued its strong home‑court performance on Thursday evening, defeating the Marquette Golden Eagles in four sets (22‑25, 25‑17, 25‑19, 25‑15) at the UW Field House. The win lifts the Badgers to a 26‑1 all‑time record against Marquette and a 14‑1 record when playing in Madison.
Key performances
Freshman sensation Decelise Champion led the way with a career‑high 20 kills, 11 digs and three blocks, earning her first double‑double of the season. Champion also posted a .441 hitting percentage (20‑5‑34) in the match, the highest of her career to date.
Freshman Audrey Flanagan contributed 13 kills and added an ace, while fellow freshmen Jaela Auguste, Eva Travis and Lynney Tarnow each tallied 10 kills. Setter Charlie Fuerbringer distributed 54 assists, just one shy of her personal best, and libero Anna Bardaro recorded 16 digs, marking her seventh double‑digit dig performance this season.
Match summary
The opening set was tightly contested, with both squads exchanging points before Marquette surged ahead with a 5‑0 run. Wisconsin responded with a kill from Auguste and an ace from Isabelle Hoppe, then built a 6‑1 run to tie the set at 20‑20. Marquette captured the set 25‑22.
Wisconsin rebounded emphatically in the second set, stringing together three separate 3‑0 runs and cruising to a 25‑17 victory. Champion sparked two of those runs with multiple kills, finishing the set with seven kills on a .778 hitting percentage (7‑0‑9).
In the third set, the Badgers opened with a 6‑0 burst, establishing a six‑point lead at the media timeout. Flanagan added a service ace, and Auguste and Travis each contributed a kill. Wisconsin held the momentum, sealing the set 25‑19 to take a 2‑1 lead.
The fourth set saw Flanagan add six kills as the teams traded points early (16‑14). Wisconsin then unleashed a decisive 9‑1 run, closing the match with a 25‑15 set win.
Statistical highlights
- Wisconsin improved to 92‑8 (.920) at the UW Field House since 2020.
- The Badgers recorded a season‑high 64 total kills.
- Five Badgers posted double‑figure kill totals.
- Champion’s .441 hitting percentage set a new season high.
- Libero Bardaro logged her seventh double‑digit dig game.
- Marquette fell to 3‑27 all‑time against Wisconsin and recorded more aces (8‑6) than the Badgers for only the sixth time.
- Freshman Carson Tyler continued her streak with 16 kills, marking double‑digit kills in all eight matches this season.
- Freshman Emi Juric posted 10 digs and a career‑high six assists.
- Molly Welge achieved a career‑high seven blocks, the most in a Badgers match since Hattie Bray’s nine blocks in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Looking ahead
Wisconsin returns to the UW Field House on Friday, Sept. 18, to face in‑state rival Milwaukee. Marquette will host St. Thomas and Milwaukee on the weekend of Sept. 19‑20 as they wrap up their non‑conference schedule.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
