MANHATTAN, Kan. – The No. 6 Wisconsin volleyball team clinched the K-State Invitational with a sweep of Kansas State, 25-17, 25-16, 25-20, at Ahearn Field House Saturday afternoon.
 
The Badgers' key to victory was at the net where they out blocked the Wildcats 11-3.
 
Wisconsin (5-0) hit .436 (52 kills – 8 errors – 101 attempts) while holding K-State (2-4) to .149 (33 – 19 – 94). Both teams collected 36 digs and one service ace.
 
Redshirt sophomore Madison Duello led all players with a career-best eight blocks as well as a career-high 12 kills. Senior Kelli Bates earned her first double-double of the season and the 23rd of her career with 11 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore M.E. Dodge had a match-high 12 digs.
 

Noteables

• Kelli Bates earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors. The outside hitter collected 38 kills in three matches, averaging 4.22 kills per set while hitting .435. The 5-11 outside hitter also added 2.44 digs per set.
• Redshirt sophomore Madison Duello was named to the K-State Invitational all-tournament team. Duello had 29 kills, averaging 3.22 per set while hitting .521, and 10 blocks in the tournament (1.11 per set). The 6-4 right-side hitter had a career-high 12 kills and eight blocks against the Wildcats.
• Setter Sydney Hilley was also named to the all-tournament team. The freshman averaged 12.89 assists per set on the weekend. She added 2.00 digs and 0.44 service aces per set. The 6-0 setter had a career-high four aces against Syracuse.

 

Quotables

"I thought she (Madison Duello) was great. Attacking, blocking, I thought she was great. Offensively I thought we were awfully good today.
 
"We were just steady. A few more service errors than what we would've wanted in the third (set) but you're probably knitpicking when you're doing that. I thought we had great balance and Syd (Hilley) did a great job of setting. Less than eight percent in hitting errors, that's pretty low. We passed well, I thought we set well, and we were hitting what they were giving us.
 
"Our block came to life a little bit later on. We were picking up the tips, which was an emphasis going in there. We picked up the tips early and then I thought we did a good job blocking late.
 
"Grace (Loberg) has an arm. She was in there and when there was a seam in the block, she was burying them. She's getting a little bit more comfortable."
 
- Head coach Kelly Sheffield
 

It was over when

After winning the first set 25-17, freshman Riley Bell keyed a 5-0 run in the middle of the second set. A Kansas State service error sent Bell back to the line where she earned her first career service ace. Tionna Williams and Grace Loberg teamed up for a block, Duello spiked the ball down the line, and Williams and Duello added another stuff to extend the run.
 

Up Next

The Badgers return home next weekend hosting the HotelRED Invitational. They face Lipscomb on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Texas A&M on Saturday at 7 p.m.