No. 8 Wisconsin volleyball sweeps No. 10 Purdue for ninth straight win

The GIST: No. 8 Wisconsin had a tough start to the season, losing three of their first four matches, but the Badgers are back, baby. They’ve won nine straight, punctuating the streak with a Saturday sweep of No. 10 Purdue. Let’s claw through the latest with this program on the rise.

An unprecedented sweep: Wisconsin and Purdue have met 42 times in West Lafayette, splitting the series right down the middle at 21 wins apiece. And evenly matched is an understatement, as neither team had recorded a straight sets sweep since 2021… well, until Saturday that is, when Wisconsin won 3-0. Squeaky clean.

• ICYMI: HC Kelly Sheffield became the winningest coach in Wisconsin volleyball history with Thursday’s victory over Indiana. Sheffield’s been at the helm since 2013, notching 306 wins and a 2021 national title along the way.

Why it matters: Wisconsin is a volleyball powerhouse, but they sure didn’t look like it at the start of the season. Now that the Badgers are back on track, a deep tournament run seems inevitable, especially considering their nine-game win streak includes victories over three ranked teams.

• And a massive matchup is fast approaching: a date with No. 2 Nebraska Friday at 9 p.m. ET. Can’t wait.