Sweet 16: #1 Wisconsin v. #5 Penn St - Thu 12/7, 6 PM CT

[rainbowbadger]

Sweet 16 #1 Wisconsin v. #5 Penn State

Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023 7 PM ET / 6 PM CT

UW Field House Madison, Wisconsin

28-3, 17-3 2nd Place - B1G		21-8, 15-5 3rd Place - B1G

Follow Along

🎟: UWBadgers.com

📺: ESPN2 (TV) / ESPN+ ($)

🎧: FoxSports 1070 AM Madison

📊: StatBroadcast

🏆: Interactive Bracket



Players to Watch

Wisconsin

#13 - OH Sarah Franklin 6-4 R-JR		#14 - MB/RS Anna Smrek 6-9 JR		#10 - MB/RS Devyn Robinson 6-2 SR		#52 - MB Carter Booth 6-7 SO		#12 - OH Temi Thomas-Ailara 6-2 GR

Penn State

#9 - OH Jess Mruzik 6-1 SR		#8 - OH Camryn Hannah 6-2 SR		#1 - MB Taylor Trammell 6-2 SR		#5 - S Mac Podraza 6-2 GR		#3 - L Gillian Grimes 5-6 SO

History

The Series: Penn State leads 50-16.
In Madison: Penn State leads 19-12.
In University Park: Penn State leads 27-4.
Neutral: Penn State leads 4-0.
The Streak: Penn State won the last one.
Last Meeting: Penn State won in 4 sets on 11/11/23 in Happy Valley, the teams’ only meeting of the 2023 B1G season.


Did you know…?

Penn State's athletic teams are named for the now-extinct mountain lions that once roamed around Mount Nittany, part of a ridge that separates Nittany Valley from Penns Valley in Centre County, Pennsylvania. Mountain lions are also known as cougars, pumas, and catamounts. They are the second-largest cat species native to the Americas, after the jaguar. Though commonly thought of as "big cats," mountain lions are actually the largest of the "lesser cats," the subfamily Felinae, which also contains domestic cats. "Lesser cats" differ from their "big cat" cousins in their vocalizations - Felinae kitties purr, but they cannot roar. By contrast, the "big cats" - lions, tigers, jaguars, and leopards, which are members of the subfamily Pantherinae - can roar, but they cannot purr.



The ability to purr vs. roar depends on the nature of the hyoid, the bone that provides structure for the tongue, larynx, and the upper part of the sound-producing section of the throat. Purring cats have a rigid hyoid bone connected to the skull by a series of other small bones. When a cat purrs, a part of its brain sends rhythmic nerve messages at a rate of ~25 electrical pulses per second to the vocalis muscle. The first pulse swings the vocal folds in the larynx together, almost completely occluding the glottis. With the next pulse, the muscle relaxes and the airway again opens. These opening and closing folds change the airflow through the cat's voice box, causing the purring noise as the cat breathes in and out.



Non-purring cats have more flexible, incompletely ossified hyoid bones which are partly attached to the skull by a large, elastic ligament. The vocal folds have extra pads of tissue around them. The extra tissue, along with the cats' ability to lower their larynx thanks to the flexibility of the hyoid bone and its attachments, allows them to better transfer the energy required to make loud, low-frequency roars. But the extra tissue prevents the vibration of the vocalis muscle that is necessary to generate the purring sound. How do big cats vocalize affection, then? By chuffing! A chuff is a low-intensity sound that a big cat will emit in short, loud bursts. To vocalize a chuff, air is blown through the nostrils while the mouth is closed, producing a breathy snort.

[25or624]

Thanks Rainbow. Looking forward to this one in Madison with Anna back on the floor. I believe The Badgers will be ready to rumble and move on. Go Badgers.

[savannahbadger]

SMREK REDEMPTION TOUR, MATCH 1!!!

[mibadger]

Dec 1, 2023 23:17:08 GMT -5 25or624 said:

Thanks Rainbow. Looking forward to this one in Madison with Anna back on the floor. I believe The Badgers will be ready to rumble and move on. Go Badgers.

With Anna back and if TTA can keep it rolling like she did in the first 2 rounds the badgers will be a very tough out. And GG balled out tonight.

[trojansc]

Were Wisconsin fans rooting for a Kansas win or Penn State? Generally, if teams are of comparable level, you'd probably not want to face the team that beat you before.

But wondering (Especially teams who are familiar with how Kansas plays) which matchup they would have preferred for the Badgers.

[JT]

Dec 1, 2023 22:07:05 GMT -5 rainbowbadger said:

I don’t remember when I’m allowed to put team names in the thread title, but we might as well let the smack talk commence.

Volleytalk is an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to be a sort of executive officer for the week... but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting... by a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs... but by a two thirds majority in the case of...

This would be considered a purely internal issue, so you can inquire at the bi-weekly meeting to see what the time frame is, and whether it will continue, or be overruled by the committee. If it is overruled, then, unless the committee provides binding guidance, the next executive officer is free to make his -- or her -- or their!! -- own decision on what the new timeframe should be for such team name disclosures. You should expect a clear and understandable ruling sometime in the next, um, 12 years, more or less.


The guidance/suggestion given by exit237a was to wait until the calendar day (not even a full 24 hrs) following the match(es) that determined the two participating teams. So, since the Wisconsin sub-regional winner was determined on Friday, and the Kansas sub-regional winner was, similarly, determined by a match played on Friday... this thread title should not list the names until sometime Saturday. The thread itself can name teams, because a person wanting to not have their DVR-ed match outcome spoiled should know enough to not open a thread which involves teams that are the result of that DVR-ed match.

[pull3]

Dec 1, 2023 23:32:52 GMT -5 trojansc said:

Were Wisconsin fans rooting for a Kansas win or Penn State? Generally, if teams are of comparable level, you'd probably not want to face the team that beat you before.

But wondering (Especially teams who are familiar with how Kansas plays) which matchup they would have preferred for the Badgers.

Kansas is an unknown and PSU is a fluke is what I am seeing, plus PSU a a B1G team.

[25or624]

Dec 1, 2023 23:38:57 GMT -5 pull3 said:

Dec 1, 2023 23:32:52 GMT -5 trojansc said:

Were Wisconsin fans rooting for a Kansas win or Penn State? Generally, if teams are of comparable level, you'd probably not want to face the team that beat you before.

But wondering (Especially teams who are familiar with how Kansas plays) which matchup they would have preferred for the Badgers.

Kansas is an unknown and PSU is a fluke is what I am seeing, plus PSU a a B1G team.

I wanted to see PSU in Madison. The 11/11/23 match was what it was; no crying about the circumstances. That said, Madison is the best possible venue for the rematch from a Badger fan's perspective and, for now at least, the Badgers are "about as healthy as we've been all year" per Sheffield. So, bring on The Nittany Lions and if they win, good on them as Barnes used to say. Go Badgers.

[neatwithatwist]

Dec 1, 2023 23:32:52 GMT -5 trojansc said:

Were Wisconsin fans rooting for a Kansas win or Penn State? Generally, if teams are of comparable level, you'd probably not want to face the team that beat you before.

But wondering (Especially teams who are familiar with how Kansas plays) which matchup they would have preferred for the Badgers.

They're all tough from here on out. It's just natural to want another shot at whom it was who smacked you, though. Especially when this time it will be in our gym.

One thing's for certain- the coaches won't have to spend megahours reviewing tapes of an 'unknown' (i.e., Kansas).

[rainbowbadger]

Dec 1, 2023 23:33:58 GMT -5 JT said:

Dec 1, 2023 22:07:05 GMT -5 rainbowbadger said:

I don’t remember when I’m allowed to put team names in the thread title, but we might as well let the smack talk commence.

Volleytalk is an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to be a sort of executive officer for the week... but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting... by a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs... but by a two thirds majority in the case of...

This would be considered a purely internal issue, so you can inquire at the bi-weekly meeting to see what the time frame is, and whether it will continue, or be overruled by the committee. If it is overruled, then, unless the committee provides binding guidance, the next executive officer is free to make his -- or her -- or their!! -- own decision on what the new timeframe should be for such team name disclosures. You should expect a clear and understandable ruling sometime in the next, um, 12 years, more or less.


The guidance/suggestion given by exit237a was to wait until the calendar day (not even a full 24 hrs) following the match(es) that determined the two participating teams. So, since the Wisconsin sub-regional winner was determined on Friday, and the Kansas sub-regional winner was, similarly, determined by a match played on Friday... this thread title should not list the names until sometime Saturday. The thread itself can name teams, because a person wanting to not have their DVR-ed match outcome spoiled should know enough to not open a thread which involves teams that are the result of that DVR-ed match.

Oh no, I just realized, calling it the “Wisconsin Regional” is itself a spoiler because the only way Wisconsin hosts is to win their 2nd round match! Should I instead call it the “Top Right Corner Regional”? Just to be extra super duper safe?

[robtearle]

Dec 1, 2023 23:33:58 GMT -5 JT said:

Dec 1, 2023 22:07:05 GMT -5 rainbowbadger said:

I don’t remember when I’m allowed to put team names in the thread title, but we might as well let the smack talk commence.

Volleytalk is an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to be a sort of executive officer for the week... but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting... by a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs... but by a two thirds majority in the case of...

This would be considered a purely internal issue, so you can inquire at the bi-weekly meeting to see what the time frame is, and whether it will continue, or be overruled by the committee. If it is overruled, then, unless the committee provides binding guidance, the next executive officer is free to make his -- or her -- or their!! -- own decision on what the new timeframe should be for such team name disclosures. You should expect a clear and understandable ruling sometime in the next, um, 12 years, more or less.


The guidance/suggestion given by exit237a was to wait until the calendar day (not even a full 24 hrs) following the match(es) that determined the two participating teams. So, since the Wisconsin sub-regional winner was determined on Friday, and the Kansas sub-regional winner was, similarly, determined by a match played on Friday... this thread title should not list the names until sometime Saturday. The thread itself can name teams, because a person wanting to not have their DVR-ed match outcome spoiled should know enough to not open a thread which involves teams that are the result of that DVR-ed match.

HELP! HELP! Rainbow's being repressed!

[Kearney Kingston]

With attendance exploding and the popularity growing, when will the NCAA go to neutral sites and now gift-wrap Final Four opportunities.

[maigrey]

Dec 1, 2023 23:32:52 GMT -5 trojansc said:

Were Wisconsin fans rooting for a Kansas win or Penn State? Generally, if teams are of comparable level, you'd probably not want to face the team that beat you before.

But wondering (Especially teams who are familiar with how Kansas plays) which matchup they would have preferred for the Badgers.

I was pulling for PSU because a) I tend to root for the Big Ten in tournaments, b) they're a known quantity, so there should be much less prep time needed for that game, and c) SMREK REVENGE TOUR!

[rainbowbadger]

Dec 2, 2023 0:34:41 GMT -5 Kearney Kingston said:

With attendance exploding and the popularity growing, when will the NCAA go to neutral sites and now gift-wrap Final Four opportunities.

Hopefully never.

[Wiswell]

Spoiler alert: If you are visiting volleytalk, you might find match results.

Are there people actually mad about the winning teams in the thread title? Maybe we should survey that?

Anyway, I was actually looking forward to CC vs her old team. Oh well.