Wisconsin volleyball will be the 2025 Big Ten runner-up.
The Badgers clinched their second-place finish on Nov. 26 with a four-set win over Northwestern, 25-18, 25-22, 20-25, 25-22, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. They clinched sole possession of second place, too, as No. 11 Purdue fell to No. 18 Minnesota.
Wisconsin — ranked No. 10 in the AVCA coaches poll — picked up its 16th consecutive win in the all-time series with Northwestern although it did not always look pretty. The Badgers lost the third set, marking the first time that they lost a set to the Wildcats since 2021.
Other areas of concern included 14 service errors and Northwestern’s 5-0 scoring run in the first set and 9-1 scoring run in the third set. Northwestern also trimmed Wisconsin’s lead in the second set to 22-20 and 23-21. UW’s seven reception errors were tied for a season-high.
The Badgers had a .303-.214 advantage in hitting percentage. After hitting above .400 in each of the first two sets, UW hit .135 in the third set and .244 in the fourth set.
Mimi Colyer — two days after being the No. 1 pick in the Major League Volleyball draft — was a bright spot for the Badgers.
The star outside hitter finished with 20 kills with only five attack errors as she hit .366. Colyer was particularly effective in the second set, when she accounted for eight of UW’s 19 kills. She has recorded 10-plus kills in each her last 14 matches.
UW right-side hitter Grace Egan had 12 kills while hitting .360 against the Wildcats. The Ohio State transfer now has nine or more kills in each of the Badgers’ last three matches.
The Badgers will conclude their regular season on Nov. 28 at No. 18 Minnesota. UW won the first match between the border rivals in four sets on Nov. 5 at the Field House — its only match in November that did not result in a sweep.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin wins in four sets at Northwestern, clinches second place in Big Ten
Reporting by John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
