No. 6 Wisconsin sinks No. 16 Gophers in five-set Big Ten volleyball showdown

Sarah Franklin had 19 kills and 6-9 Anna Smrek and 6-7 Carter Booth, a former Gopher, each had six block assists to help the sixth-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team rally past the No. 16 Gophers 25-21, 12-25, 22-25, 25-20, 20-18 on Wednesday in Madison, Wis.

The Gophers led 16-15 in the fifth set, but the Badgers’ final four points came on blocks as the Gophers avenged a five-set loss to the Gophers on Sept. 25 in Minneapolis.

A kill by the Gophers’ McKenna Wucherer tied the fifth set 18-18, but the Badgers’ scored two points on blocks.

The Gophers (17-10, 10-7 Big Ten) have not won in Madison since 2018.

The Badgers (21-5, 15-2) defeated the Gophers for the ninth time in the past 11 meetings.

Franklin had 19 kills and Julia Orzol had 14 kills for the Badgers.

Julia Hanson had 20 kills to lead the Gophers. It was her 10th straight match with 10 or more kills.

Lydia Grote had 17 kills and McKenna Wucherer had 15 kills for the Gophers.

The Gophers started strong, jumping to a 7-2 lead in the first set, but the Badgers came back to tie it 12-12. A kill by Orzol broke the tie, and her final kill of the set closed out the Badgers’ 25-21 victory.

Hanson had six kills and Grote had five in the first set for the Gophers, but the Gophers were hampered by five service errors.

In the second set, the Badgers led 4-3 before the Gophers went on an 8-0 run to take an 11-4 lead en route to a 25-12 victory to even the match.

The Gophers and Badgers were tied 14-14 in the third set before the Gophers opened a 19-15 lead. The Badgers got within 23-22, but the Gophers won the final two points of the set.

In the fourth set, the Gophers led 3-2 before the Badgers opened a 10-5 lead. The Gophers pulled within 15-13 on a Hanson kill, but the Badgers responded with a 6-1 run to open a 21-14 lead. The Gophers got within 21-18, but the Badgers held off the Gophers 25-20.