After a loss to the No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers, No. 6 Wisconsin did exactly what good teams are supposed to do: reset quickly and handle business at home.
The Badgers swept Maryland 25-18, 25-23, 25-18, using a fast start, a late push in the second set and steady control the rest of the way to bounce back in style. Wisconsin also moved back up to No. 6 in the AVCA Top 25 after Florida dropped two spots to No. 7.
Wisconsin came out swinging in the opener, ripping off a 6-1 run to set the tone early. Lynney Tarnow, Eva Travis and Decelise Champion all chipped in with kills during that opening surge, and the Badgers never really let Maryland settle in. Champion finished the set with a kill that closed it out 25-18.
The first frame was as clean as it gets for Wisconsin. The Badgers put down 15 kills and committed only three attack errors while hitting .500.
Set 2 was the tightest of the night, and Maryland briefly looked ready to make things interesting. The Terrapins jumped ahead 7-5, but Wisconsin answered with another 6-1 burst, sparked by two Champion kills, one from Travis and a stretch of Maryland attack errors.
Even then, the set stayed tense. Maryland worked its way to a 21-18 lead and was on the verge of leveling the match, but Wisconsin slammed the door with six points in a row. The Terrapins trimmed the margin again, but Charlie Fuerbringer ended it with a kill for a 25-23 Badgers win and a 2-0 cushion.
The third set started evenly, with the teams deadlocked at 5. Wisconsin then created separation with a 5-1 run, and once the Badgers found that gap, Maryland never got it back. Wisconsin later put together an 8-2 run to stretch the lead to 18-10, and the Terrapins never got closer than six the rest of the way.
By the end, the numbers matched the feel of the match. Wisconsin hit .344 to Maryland’s .155 and controlled the match at nearly every turn.
Champion led the way with 17 kills and five blocks. Tarnow added eight blocks, Fuerbringer finished with 35 assists, and Anna Bardaro posted 15 digs. Kristen Simon also played well in the win.
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