The University of Wisconsin volleyball team needs to find a way to get Gary Brokaw to attend its match against top-ranked Penn State on Friday night.

Brokaw is the former guard for the Notre Dame men's basketball team who played a big role in the Irish upset victory over UCLA that ended its 88-game winning streak in 1974.

That's exactly how many games the Penn State women's volleyball team has won -- dating back three years -- heading into Friday night's match at the UW Field House. It is tied with UCLA's teams from 1971 to '74 for the fourth-longest winning streak among any NCAA sport.

The men's tennis team from Miami (Fla.) owns the longest streak at 137 matches from 1957 to '74. The North Carolina women's soccer team has the second-longest winning streak at 92 games, set from 1990 to '94.

So getting Brokaw, a former No. 1 draft pick of the Milwaukee Bucks, might help the Badgers' mojo. They are certainly going to need something special to upset Penn State (24-0, 12-0 Big Ten Conference), which has lost just four sets this season.

The Badgers (11-10, 6-6) also will play Ohio State (18-7, 6-6) Saturday night at the Field House. Both matches begin at 7.

UW coach Pete Waite said his players are embracing the challenge this weekend and are excited to face the top-ranked Nittany Lions. "We would love to be the ones to break that streak and anything can happen in sports," said Waite, who added that the pressure will be on Penn State.

"You just go after it, you prepare yourselves. And if you're on and they're off, you got a shot at it. There's nothing more exciting than that and I think that's what our fans are looking forward to."

Senior Megan Hodge, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter, leads the attack for Penn State, which is going for an unprecedented third straight NCAA title. The Nittany Lions are hitting an amazing .412. They also average 14.8 kills per game, while opponents average nine kills while hitting just .093.

"Well, some of that is athleticism and size. They've just got some kids that are just bigger and jump higher than some of the rest," said Waite, who added the Badgers will be forced to defend more of the court than usual.

"Sometimes your block is not touching the ball and they're going over the top."

The Badgers have played well after a rough start. Last weekend, they upended 13th-ranked Michigan in four games in Ann Arbor before Michigan State swept them in East Lansing. Although senior left-side hitters Brittney Dolgner and Caity DuPont have played with bad backs throughout the season, Waite believes the Badgers will be pretty healthy for this weekend.

"The flu's hit people here and there for a day, but nothing bad, so knock on wood," said Waite. "They're doing pretty well. We're resting people as needed. Some are taking a day off here and a day off there just to make sure they're fresh, whether it's their backs, their knees, their legs - make sure they're ready to go."

Login to post your comment. If you don't have an account, you may register for one.