What to know about No. 9 Wisconsin volleyball vs. No. 11 Oregon

MADISON – The Wisconsin volleyball team faces its toughest test of the Big Ten season yet when it hosts No. 11 Oregon on Friday night at the UW Field House.

The competition is a rematch of last season's NCAA Regional Finals. The Badgers won in four sets and reached the Final Four.

Here's what you need to know.

When does the Wisconsin volleyball team face Oregon on Friday?

The Badgers play the Ducks at UW Field House on Friday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on BigTen Plus. A subscription is required.

Where does the Wisconsin volleyball team rank?

The Badgers (11-4) are ranked ninth in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll for the third straight year.

What will the Wisconsin-Oregon game mean for the Big Ten volleyball race?

The winner at least gets sole possession of third place behind Nebraska and Penn State. On Friday, the league's two leaders play at Michigan State and Ohio State, respectively – both are expected to win games.

Who is Oregon's top player?

Mimi Colyer, a 6-foot-3 junior outside hitter, is the reigning player of the week for the Big Ten and American Volleyball Coaches Association after averaging 5.4 kills per set and hitting .364 in wins over USC and Washington achieved. Colyer, a third-team All-American as a freshman and honorable mention last season, is averaging 3.88 kills per set and hitting .259.

What are the Oregon volleyball team's biggest wins of the season?

The Ducks are 3-2 against ranked teams. They defeated then-No. 17 BYU in five sets on Sept. 13, defeated then-No. 16 USC on Oct. 9 and defeated then-No. 24 Washington in five sets on Sunday. They opened the season with a straight-sets loss to then-No. 4 Pitt and were swept by then-No. 3 Penn State on October 4th.

Who's hot for the Wisconsin volleyball team?

* Sarah Franklin, the reigning Big Ten player and national player of the year, is hitting .348 in Big Ten play and .390 in the last three games.

* Senior middle blocker Caroline Crawford had her best blocking matches of the season last week, scoring a season-high nine in a sweep against Maryland on Friday and eight in a sweep against Northwestern on Sunday.

* Anna Smrek, the senior righty hitter, has hit .500 or better in five straight games. She is averaging 2.93 kills per set and is hitting .543 in this run.

What connection does Oregon coach Matt Ulmer have to Wisconsin?

Long before the Ducks head coach rose to the top of his career, he was a star player at Carthage College in Kenosha. As a setter, he led the program to two Division III championship appearances and was a first-team All-American as a senior in 2007. He was inducted into the Carthage Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.

This is his eighth season. He has a 155-71 (.686) record with six trips to the NCAA Tournament and three trips to the Elite Eight.