OMAHA, Neb. – No. 16-seed BYU women’s volleyball lost to No. 1-seed Wisconsin (20-25, 17-25, 12-25) in the Sweet 16 of the 2020 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, ending the Cougars’ ninth consecutive tournament run.

“I’m super proud of our team for the way that we battled,” said BYU head coach Heather Olmstead. “We’re grateful for the NCAA for making tonight’s match happen. We’re very grateful for what the NCAA did to make the tournament happen and we feel privileged to have played in such a unique tournament.”

Sophomore opposite Kate Grimmer had nine kills and freshman outside hitter Erin Livingston tallied seven kills to lead the team. Sophomore setter Whitney Bower recorded her 12th double-double of the season with 22 assists and 11 digs. Freshman libero Madi Allen finished with a team-high 14 digs while senior middle blocker Kennedy Eschenberg led BYU with four blocks.

Final Box Score

SET ONE
Trailing the Badgers 5-2 early in the first game, Eschenberg connected on a kill and contributed to two Cougar blocks to even the score at 5-all. Wisconsin responded with a 7-3 run to reclaim the lead, 12-8. Bower, Livingston and senior outside hitter Taylen Ballard-Nixon each recorded a kill to bring BYU back within one, 12-11. The two teams traded points as UW maintained the slight edge before a three-point run gave the Badgers a five-point advantage, 23-18. It proved too late for the Cougars to claw back and they dropped the first set, 25-20.

SET TWO
Four unforced BYU errors helped Wisconsin jump out to an 8-2 lead to begin the second set. Consecutive kills by Grimmer brought the Cougars within five points midway through the set, 17-12. However, BYU couldn’t string together a long enough run to overcome the deficit and lost the second game 25-17.

SET THREE
The Badgers continued their dominant play in the third set, taking a commanding 12-3 lead to start. Facing what proved to be another insurmountable hole, the Cougars couldn’t find an answer for Wisconsin, falling to the Badgers 25-12.

BYU finishes the year 17-2 overall while reaching the Sweet 16 for the eighth time in nine consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

PROVO, Utah – Following its sweep of UCLA in the second round, No. 16-seed BYU women's volleyball will play top-seeded Wisconsin in the third round of the 2020 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m. CDT on ESPN3.

BYU Match Notes

BYU Cougars (17-1, 15-1 WCC)

• In its ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth, BYU makes its eighth Sweet 16 appearance in nine years.
• The Cougars will face the top-seeded team in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the rally era (since 2001). BYU faced No. 1 Stanford in the 2018 NCAA Final Four.
• Currently on a 10-match win streak, the one-loss Cougars have only lost nine of their 60 sets played during the 2020-21 season.
• BYU is ranked in the top 10 nationally in three major statistical categories: No. 4 in assists per set (13.60), No. 5 in hitting percentage (.309) and No. 6 in kills per set (14.47).
• Senior middle blocker Kennedy Eschenberg ranks No. 5 in the NCAA Division I in blocks per set (1.59) and No. 7 in hitting percentage (.456).
• WCC Player and Setter of the Year Whitney Bower ranks No. 18 in assists per set (10.90).
• BYU head coach Heather Olmstead is 12-5 in the NCAA Tournament in her six seasons at the helm of the Cougar program. She claimed her third WCC Coach of the Year award and her second AVCA Pacific South Region Coach of the Year.
• The Cougars remained No. 14 in the last AVCA national poll before the tournament.

Series Information

• BYU and Wisconsin have split the four matches played between the two programs since 1990.
• The two teams met in the second round of the 1999 NCAA Tournament, with the Cougars winning the match 3-1
• The Badgers came away victorious in a five-set thriller in the most recent matchup played in 2008.

Wisconsin Badgers (14-0, 13-0 Big 10)

• Wisconsin makes an appearance in its eighth-straight Sweet 16 (24th total) after sweeping Weber State in the second round.
• The Badgers are 52-23 all-time in the tournament.
• One of two final undefeated teams remaining (Western Kentucky).
• Wisconsin ranks No. 3 nationally in hitting percentage (.347), No. 12 in kills per set (14.20), No. 13 in blocks per set (2.70), and No. 15 in opponent hitting percentage (.132).
• Middle blocker Dana Rettke ranks No. 6 in hitting percentage (.459) and No. 8 in blocks per set (1.58).
• Setter Sydney Hilley ranks No. 17 nationally in assists per set (10.98).
• Middle blocker Devyn Robinson ranks No. 12 nationally in hitting percentage (.437).

Broadcast Information

• Saturday, April 17
• 7 p.m. CDT
• ESPN3/WatchESPN App
• StatBroadcast