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The Wisconsin Badgers Women’s Volleyball Team started the season very strongly. Lately, however, the team is finding itself in some trouble. While the Wisconsin Badgers will still qualify for the playoffs, any further losses can put them at a disadvantage. 

The Wisconsin Badgers will face the Purdue Boilermakers in their next match. The Boilermakers are currently ranked number 16 in the league. However, they do possess enough fire to sink big ships. A recent social media post highlighted how Wisconsin may have some trouble against Purdue as well. But can the Purdue Boilermakers turn into nasty spoilermakers for Wisconsin?

Purdue Boilermakers have more than just the home-court advantage

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The Wisconsin Badgers are going to be on the road till 24 November when they’ll face arch-rivals Nebraska Huskers. Defeating the Huskers seemed to be the only milestone Wisconsin needed to touch before ending their season. However, their most recent loss against the Penn State Nittany Lions has changed things. Big Ten Volleyball recently tweeted a video via its official X account that has forced the Wisconsin Badgers to think. The Badgers recently faced a massive loss against the Penn State Nittany Lions as they failed to convert their first-set lead into a victory. On the other hand, however, Purdue Boilermakers defeated the Lions and successfully converted their initial advantage into a fifth-set win.

Moreover, the Boilermakers are carrying tons of momentum and are riding on a three-match winning streak. If the Wisconsin Badgers fail to win against Purdue, they may lose their spot among the top four seeds of the tournament. While this doesn’t mean that Wisconsin won’t be able to win the tournament, their chances of failure will considerably increase. 

In fact, Wisconsin needs to be extra careful of the Boilermakers as they possess the same special quality that Nebraska used to defeat them in their previous match, and that is saying something.

The ability that drowned the Wisconsin Badgers on 21st October

Every Wisconsin Badgers fan clearly remembers the date when the Wisconsin Badgers suffered an inexplicable defeat at the hands of the Nebraska Huskers. The Badgers were on top of Nebraska the entire game, but the Huskers still ended up winning. A big reason for this was Nebraska’s ability to clinch the decisive points of the game.

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While the Wisconsin Badgers posted better statistics, Nebraska ensured every effort it makes counts. A similar ability is also possessed by Purdue Boilermakers, which they showcased in their match against Penn State. The Boilermakers kept their cool and didn’t let the scorching service aces of the Nittany Lions bring them down. 

Despite being down on momentum, Purdue claimed a marginal win in the fifth set by reaching the 15-point mark first. Nebraska beat Wisconsin in a similar way and recreated their momentum to take a set-five win. If the Wisconsin Badgers win this match, they will head back home and face Nebraska with greater confidence. However, if they lose, it will weigh down their chances of winning against Nebraska as well.

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The Wisconsin Badgers are currently the third-ranked team in the league, and can easily slip to the fifth spot if it isn’t careful. Thus, the Boilermakers can definitely become the boilermakers for Wisconsin and ruin its postseason experience. Will the Wisconsin Badgers be able to save themselves from this almost certain chain reaction?

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