Wisconsin’s Sarah Franklin is All-Region Player of the Year

Also named to the team were middle blocker Carter Booth as well as right sides Devyn Robinson and Anna Smrek.

Coach Kelly Sheffield was named the region’s Coach of the Year, along with Travers Green of Wright State.

Players named to the all-region teams are eligible for the AVCA All-America team, which will be announced later this month.

Franklin, a 6-foot-4 senior from Lake Worth, Florida, also was named Big Ten Conference Player of the Year last week. She leads the Badgers in kills with 4.17 per set, while hitting .311. She’s also averaging 1.95 digs per set and 0.52 blocks per set.

Booth, a 6-7 sophomore from Denver, led the Big Ten in both hitting percentage (.446) and blocks per set (1.57), while averaging 1.79 kills.

Robinson, a 6-2 senior from Ankeny, Iowa, is averaging 2.49 kills (.308) and 0.88 blocks per set.

Smrek, a 6-9 junior from Welland, Ontario, is averaging 2.69 kills (.406) and 1.13 blocks per set.

The Badgers (28-3), seeded No. 1 in the region, will face Big Ten rival No. 5 Penn State (23-8) at 6 p.m. Thursday in NCAA Tournament regional play at the UW Field House. No. 2 Oregon (28-5) will play No. 3 Purdue (23-8) at 8:30 p.m. or a half hour following the completion of the first match.

The winners will meet at 7 p.m. Saturday.