Volleyball Opens Season at ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Watch: Wisconsin vs. Louisville - https://www.btn2go.com/game/louisville-at-wisconsin-on-08252017
Minnesota vs. Louisville - https://www.btn2go.com/game/louisville-at-minnesota-on-08262017

Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/wisconsin/wvball/

Listen: iHeartRadio.

Scouting Report
The Cardinals open 2017 season at the fourth-annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The seventh-ranked Badgers (28-5 in 2016) and fourth-ranked Minnesota (29-4) represent the Big Ten, taking on 11th-ranked North Carolina (29-4) and Louisville (12-18) from the ACC.

Minnesota takes on the Tar Heels on Friday at 4:30 p.m. while the Badgers host the Cardinals at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Minnesota faces Louisville at 4 p.m. while Wisconsin faces UNC at 7 p.m.

Wisconsin
The Badgers open the season as No. 7-ranked team in the AVCA Preseason Coaches' poll. It is the fourth straight year Wisconsin is in the top-10 to open the season. Previously, UW was No. 4 in 2016, No. 5T in 2015, and No. 6 in 2014. The Badgers have been ranked in the top 10 nine times in program history. They are led by junior Tionna Williams and sophomore Molly Haggerty, who were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team.

Haggerty, a 6-1 outside hitter, was named as 2016's Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She led the Badgers and ranked seventh in the conference with 3.41 kills per set last season. She recorded double-figure kills in 18 matches and 20-plus kills in five matches. Haggerty had nine double-doubles on the season as she averaged 2.44 digs per set and earned third-team All-America honors by the AVCA. She was named the AVCA Northeast Region Freshman of the Year.

A 6-2 middle blocker, Williams led the Badgers and ranked sixth in the Big Ten with 1.27 blocks per set as a sophomore. She also ranked second on the team with a .326 hitting percentage, ranking 11th in the conference. Williams added 2.27 kills per game, which ranked fourth in the squad and was a third-team AVCA All-American and a member of the 2016 All-Big Ten team.

Wisconsin was picked fifth in the preseason coaches' poll. Penn State was picked to win the 2017 Big Ten title followed by Nebraska, Minnesota and Michigan State,

Minnesota
Minnesota returns 11 letter winners from last year, losing three starters in Hannah Tapp, Paige Tapp and AVCA National Player of the Year Sarah Wilhite. Along with starters in Hart, Lohman and Seliger-Swenson, the Gophers also return a steady back court in Alyssa Goehner and Dalianliz Rosado. Goehner played in 109 sets and added 193 digs last year. Rosado led Minnesota with 511 digs and ranked second on the team in assists (121) and third in aces (26).

Clark and Sauer Are Preseason All- ACC
University of Louisville's Tess Clark and Molly Sauer were named to the Preseason All-ACC team. Clark is a two time All-ACC second team selection and Sauer was 2015 ACC Freshman of the Year and 2015 ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Other 2017 Preseason All-ACC Team selections include junior outside hitter Taylor Leath of UNC who was named to the AVCA All-America Second Team in 2016. In addition to Leath, the Preseason All-ACC Team also features four student-athletes who were awarded AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors last season – Florida State outside hitter Milica Kubura, Miami outside hitter Olga Strantzali, North Carolina outside hitter Julia Scoles and Pitt outside hitter Stephanie Williams.

Cards are Picked 8th In Preseason ACC Poll
North Carolina has been chosen as the Atlantic Coast Conference volleyball preseason favorite in a vote by the league's 15 head coaches. Coaches were not allowed to include their own team in their predicted order of finish. One point separated Florida State (169 points) and Pitt (168), which placed second and third, respectively. Notre Dame (149) placed fourth ahead of NC State (140), Miami (136), Duke (118), Louisville (104), Georgia Tech (99) and Syracuse (75). Wake Forest (69) was picked 11th followed by Virginia Tech (54), Virginia (50), Boston College (28) and Clemson (20).

Cards Bolster Roster With Transfers
Amanda Green, a 6-1 outside hitter from Skokie, Illinois joined the Cards. Green transferred to Louisville from Marquette, where her freshman season's highlights included notching nine kills in the match against Cincinnati and nine kills in the match against Milwaukee. She had six kills and three digs in the match versus Providence.

Wilma Rivera, a 5-10 setter from Penn State and member of the Puerto Rican National Team, moved the Ville as well. The native of Carolina, Puerto Rico spent two seasons with the Nittany Lions. As a sophomore, she saw action in 19 sets and had two assists, four aces and 16 digs. She served up two aces and three digs in the season opener against West Virginia and logged eight digs

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tess Clark

Amanda Green

Wilma Rivera

Molly Sauer

University of Louisville Athletics