#17 Ohio State came into the Wisconsin Field House to face down the #3 ranked Badgers last evening and the Badgers didn't let up.
The lower bowl of the 86 year old barn was virtually full to celebrate the start of the B1G season and a year with sky high expectations for the Badger women.
25 - 16; 25 - 19; 25 - 17 swept the Buckeyes right out of town and I'm not sure it was even as close as the scores appear.
The second set had the Badgers down early, but they calmly battled back as the Badger Band and fans urged them with every successful dig and kill.
After intermission, Bucky went up 5 - 0 to start set number 3 and it seemed obvious to me - and probably everyone else in the room, including the Buckeyes - it wasn't going to be their night.
Wisconsin reached #2 in the rankings three weeks ago, their highest ever. The Badgers played for the National Title in 2013 and came up short to B1G rival Penn State.
There's a buzz around Badger volleyball this year, and for fans from the most casual to the hard-core a championship trophy is the goal.Frankly, anything less will be a bit disappointing.
It's an athletic team blessed with a lot of talent. More top talent is on the way for the next several years, and the expectation for players, recruits, coaches, and fans is to compete for the title.
And it's not the conference championship they're looking for, although it would be a nice piece of hardware to pick up along the way.In the world of big-time college athletics, in which Wisconsin has become a player over the years, the volleyball team is a feel-good story.
Students and athletes represent their school and reach out to young people. Tickets are priced so whole families can be part of the action.
There's a feeling of wholesomeness you might not find in other collegiate venues, but amidst the smiles and cheers Friday I think some was found at the corner of Regent and Monroe.
Go Badgers!
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