Wisconsin’s season opener didn’t go the way the Badgers had hoped, as Kentucky swept Wisconsin in three sets. The Wildcats controlled the match late in each set, closing out the victory with a 25-18 win in the third set. There were still quite a few bright spots for Wisconsin, particularly from Audrey Flanagan, who made an early impact offensively, and Eva Travis, who was a consistently strong option at the net.
The Badgers will have plenty to clean up after facing one of the nation’s top teams, but this matchup should provide valuable experience as Wisconsin continues its season.
Follow along here for live updates, scores, highlights, and analysis throughout Friday night’s match.
Third Set — 25-18 Kentucky
Kentucky closed out the set 25-18 to complete a 3-0 sweep of the Badgers. Wisconsin battled throughout the match but couldn’t find enough momentum to extend to a fourth set.
Kentucky is pulling away late in the third set, now holding a 23-17 advantage over Wisconsin. The Badgers are running out of time to make a push as they try to extend the match.
Wisconsin continues to battle despite Kentucky’s three-point advantage. Flanagan and Travis have had a strong impact throughout the match so far while the Badges look to string together another run and close the gap at 15-12 in the third set.
Kentucky takes an early 4-2 lead over Wisconsin.
Second Set — 26-24 Kentucky
The second set stayed pretty neck and neck throughout. For every point Wisconsin scored, Kentucky was close behind and vive versa. Unfortunately Kentucky took the second set 26-24.
After back-to-back challenges, Wisconsin got back up to a solid 17 points, immediately followed by Kentucky scoring two to lead 19-17.
Immediately following Wisconsin’s challenge, Kentucky challenged as well for a net violation. After a successful challenge, Kentucky took the lead with 17-16.
Wisconsin gets a pancake on Kentucky after a coaches challenge to keep the rally alive, Wisconsin leads 17-16 in the second set.
Audrey Flanagan is having an impressive start to her first regular-season match. The freshman has already racked up seven kills as Wisconsin is down one in the second set.
The Badgers started the second set strong with nine points compared to Kentucky’s six.
First Set — 25-20 Kentucky
Grace Egan blasted a shot down the line for Wisconsin’s 20th point of the set, but Kentucky closed it out to take the opening set.
As the first set continues on, Kentucky is leading 24-18 and Wisconsin has four players with 1+ kill.
Wisconsin is finding their rhythm as the first set has gone on. The Badgers have recorded three kills during this stretch, with Travis finding the seam to help Wisconsin reach 13 points. Kentucky still leads 15-14 in the opening set.
Where to watch Wisconsin volleyball vs. No. 3 Kentucky
Date: Friday, August 21
TV Channel: ESPN
Start Time: 9:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. CT
The Badgers and Wildcats will meet in a late-night showdown on ESPN.
For those tuning in on the radio, the game will also be available on the ESPN Madison.
Where to watch Wisconsin-Kentucky volleyball on livestream
In addition to airing nationwide on ESPN, viewers can also tune into Wisconsin vs. Kentucky on ESPN+.
Watch Wisconsin vs Kentucky on ESPN
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: No. 3 Kentucky sweeps No. 6 Wisconsin: Instant reaction
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Reporting by Jayd Serdy, Badgers Wire / Badgers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jayd Serdy, Badgers Wire | USA TODAY Network
