Illini Set to Wrap Nonconference Slate at Redbird Classic - University of Illinois Athletics fightingillini.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fightingillini.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Huskers and Fighting Illini will battle on Friday at 8 p.m. The teams will meet again on Saturday at 6 p.m. Friday's match will be televised nationally on BTN and streamed on the FoxSports platform.
Huskers Hit Road for Illinois newschannelnebraska.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newschannelnebraska.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
UW Athletics Communications
After eking out a tough second set challenge from the Illinois Fighting Illini (2-1 Big Ten, 2-1 overall), the No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers (3-0, 3-0) stayed perfect, in their first road match of the season, with their third-straight 3-0 sweep (25-20, 30-28, 25-9).
Without senior outside hitters Grace Loberg and Molly Haggerty, Wisconsin had to rely on their middle blockers and some newer faces too. That’s not such a bad problem when your middle blocker is three-time All-American Dana Rettke.
Rettke was a force all day, leading the way for UW with 14 kills and four blocks as Illinois struggled to stop the slide play in the first set. The block also shut down the Illini in the first, as Wisconsin had three blocks and held Illinois to .139 hitting in the first.