Wisconsin volleyball's non-conference 2023 schedule highlighted by opponents that made NCAA Tournament last season
MADISON – An opening weekend trip to Minneapolis, a back-to-back matchup in SEC country and an intrastate showdown at the Fiserv Forum highlight the Wisconsin volleyball team's 2023 non-conference schedule.
The Badgers will play a nine-match slate before opening Big Ten play. The schedule features five teams that finished the 2022 season ranked in the top 25 of the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. Eight of the opponents qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Before the regular season begins, however, Wisconsin will host Illinois-Chicago in a scrimmage that will replace the annual intra-squad scrimmage.
The regular season starts with the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge in Minneapolis against Baylor Aug. 25 and TCU Aug. 26. The second weekend of the season, UW will travel to Arkansas for matches with the Razorbacks Aug. 30-31.
"I like that we are adding a home exhibition match against another team instead of an intra-squad scrimmage then opening up the season on the road with two great programs in Baylor and TCU will be a challenge," UW coach Kelly Sheffield said in a news release. "I also like the back-to-back matches against Arkansas. It'll be interesting to see the adjustments made against a really good team from one night to the next."
The Badgers will face Tennessee in the home opener Sept. 3 followed by home matches against Arizona (Sept. 7) and Miami (Sept. 8). Wisconsin travels to Fiserv Forum Sept. 13 to renew its rivalry with Marquette and closes non-conference play at Florida Sept. 17.
Wisconsin volleyball's Big Ten opponents set
Last month Wisconsin announced its rotation of Big Ten opponents.
The Badgers will play home and road matches against Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio State and Purdue.
They’ll face the six remaining Big Ten opponents once. Michigan, Minnesota and Rutgers will come to Madison; Michigan State, Northwestern and Penn State will play host to the Badgers.
More: Wisconsin volleyball will go on 12-day European tour in June
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin volleyball announces challenging non-conference schedule
