Badgers Outlast Buckeyes in Five-Set Thriller
MADISON, Wis. — After dropping the third and fourth sets, No. 7 Wisconsin rallied to defeat Ohio State in a thrilling five-set match, 25-23, 25-14, 21-25, 24-26, 15-12.
Sarah Franklin led the Badgers with a conference season high 25 kills, her sixth 20+ kill performance this season. Overall, Wisconsin hit .261 with 72 kills and 26 errors on 176 attempts.
Ohio State hit .201 on the night, led by Grace Egan’s 22 kills.
Freshman setter Charlie Fuerbringer had a career-high 59 assists, falling just one dig short of a double-double.
The first two sets saw both teams trading punches. Wisconsin jumped ahead early but never relinquished their lead in the first set. After Ohio State took an early lead in the third set, the Badgers closed the set to force the decisive fifth set
The crowd was electric in the final set. Tied at eight apiece, Wisconsin responded with a run to a lead 9-5 forcing an Ohio State timeout.
The Badgers chipped away through several tight exchanges and Franklin and junior CC Crawford put down two back-to-back kills when Wisconsin’s lead was pulled down to four.
The Badgers hung on, winning the match with a signature block from Devyn Robinson and Julia Orzol to solidify 15-12.
The Badgers improve to 4-0 in five-set matches and will host Michigan State on the Big Ten Network this Saturday night at 8 p.m.
Senior night festivities will follow the match.
* To what extent did Ohio State’s performance contribute to Wisconsin’s comeback win?
**Interviewer:** Joining us today is [Guest Name], our volleyball analyst. [Guest Name], this was a nail-biter! Wisconsin down two sets to one, facing elimination. Do you think the Badgers showed championship grit in that fifth set, or was it more about Ohio State’s faltering?
