No. 6 Wisconsin Rallies Past No. 20 Oregon 3-1 Behind Audrey Flanagan’s Career-High 19 Kills
No. 6 Wisconsin opened Big Ten volleyball play with a ranked victory Thursday night, overcoming an opening-set loss and a seven-point deficit in the third to defeat No. 20 Oregon 3-1 at the UW Field House in Madison.
The Badgers won 24-26, 25-19, 26-24, 25-14, improving to 7-4 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten. Oregon fell to 9-2 and 0-1 in conference play.
Freshman Audrey Flanagan recorded a career-high 19 kills while hitting .425, while fellow freshman Decelise Champion added 16 kills and 10 digs. Wisconsin finished with a season-best .382 hitting percentage and held a commanding 11-2 advantage in blocks.
Oregon Takes a Tight Opening Set
The first set provided an early indication that the Big Ten opener would be competitive.
With the score tied at 10-10, Wisconsin won four of the next five points. Oregon responded with a 4-1 run of its own to pull even at 15-15.
The Ducks eventually moved ahead 23-20 behind a kill from Sjakkie Donkers, but Wisconsin answered with three consecutive points.
The teams were tied again at 24-24 before Iva Sucurovic gave Oregon another set point. Donkers then delivered an ace into the corner to secure a 26-24 victory and a 1-0 match lead.
Flanagan and Champion combined for 10 of Wisconsin's 14 kills in the opening frame.
Wisconsin Answers With Dominant Second Set
The Badgers quickly changed the momentum.
Wisconsin jumped ahead 7-2 in the second set behind a strong serving stretch from Kristen Simon. Flanagan continued producing at the net, adding seven kills during the frame.
Wisconsin never trailed after establishing the early advantage.
The Badgers hit .417 with 16 kills and only one attacking error, while holding Oregon to a .139 hitting percentage.
Wisconsin closed the set 25-19, evening the match at 1-1.
The third set would prove far more difficult.
Badgers Erase 22-15 Deficit
Oregon appeared to have complete control midway through the third.
The Ducks established a 19-13 advantage behind consecutive Donkers kills and later stretched their lead to 22-15. Oregon eventually reached set point at 24-22 with an opportunity to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Wisconsin refused to concede the set.
Champion delivered consecutive kills to keep the Badgers alive, including one on Oregon's set point. The Ducks challenged the second play, but the original ruling of a block touch was upheld.
Wisconsin completed an extraordinary turnaround by winning 11 of the final 13 rallies, turning the 22-15 deficit into a 26-24 victory.
Champion contributed back-to-back kills during the comeback, while Lynney Tarnow added two kills of her own.
Instead of trailing 2-1, Wisconsin entered the fourth set one frame away from victory.
Wisconsin Overwhelms Oregon in Fourth
The momentum from the comeback carried directly into the final set.
Oregon remained within three points at 11-8, but Wisconsin then won 10 of the next 12 rallies to break the set open.
The Badgers were nearly unstoppable offensively.
Wisconsin recorded 16 kills with only one attacking error, hitting an exceptional .625 in the fourth set. The Badgers also sided out at a match-high 92 percent rate.
Oregon saved two match points, but Champion delivered the final kill to complete Wisconsin's 25-14 fourth-set victory and the 3-1 match win.
Audrey Flanagan Sets Career High
Flanagan continued her impressive freshman season with the best attacking performance of her college career.
She finished with 19 kills and only two errors on 40 attacks, producing a .425 hitting percentage. The 19 kills surpassed her previous career high of 18.
Oregon also tested Flanagan extensively in serve receive, targeting her 40 times, more than the rest of Wisconsin's lineup combined. She responded with a 2.3 passing average.
Champion was equally important.
She finished with 16 kills while hitting .429, adding 10 digs for her second career double-double. Tarnow contributed seven kills on a .462 hitting percentage.
Together, Wisconsin's three freshmen accounted for 42 of the Badgers' 60 kills.
Wisconsin Wins Blocking Battle 11-2
Wisconsin's performance at the net created another major advantage.
The Badgers outblocked Oregon 11-2, a significant improvement after being outblocked 86-67 across their 10 nonconference matches.
Jaela Auguste led Wisconsin with seven blocks, more than doubling her previous season high and finishing one shy of her career best.
Setter Charlie Fuerbringer recorded a match-high 50 assists and eight digs, while libero Anna Bardaro collected 16 digs.
Wisconsin finished with a season-best .382 hitting percentage, recording 60 kills against only 10 attacking errors. Oregon was held to .207 with 54 kills and 25 errors.
Sjakkie Donkers Leads Oregon With 20 Kills
Donkers delivered the top individual offensive total of the match despite Oregon's loss.
The junior recorded a season-high 20 kills while hitting .333 and added a season-high 11 digs for her first double-double of the year. It was also her first 20-kill performance as an Oregon player.
Marina Crownover recorded 43 assists and 10 digs for her team-leading fourth double-double of the season, while Valentina Vaulet contributed nine kills and nine digs.
Vaulet also reached a milestone, recording the 500th kill of her Oregon career during the match.
Wisconsin Opens Big Ten Play With Ranked Win
The victory gave Wisconsin its third ranked win of the season, following earlier victories over then-No. 7 Louisville, then-No. 17 Florida and then-No. 19 Texas A&M.
The Badgers also remained unbeaten at the UW Field House and improved to 5-1 all-time against Oregon.
For Wisconsin, the defining moment came in the third set. Oregon was just points away from taking a 2-1 advantage, but the Badgers turned a 22-15 deficit into a 26-24 win and carried that momentum into a dominant fourth.
Oregon will continue its Big Ten road trip Saturday against No. 15 Minnesota.









