For each team, this season has been night and day.

On one side, Marquette has started the season slower than expected, sitting 2-5 overall and 0-5 against ranked teams.

On the other, No. 1 Wisconsin has been an avalanche, destroying everything in its path, sitting undefeated with four wins against ranked programs.

Now, both programs meet Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum.

Here is what we know about each team heading into the game:

Marquette

The Golden Eagles spent the first two weeks on the road in Ohio and Kansas before playing their home opener at the Al McGuire Center Sept. 8 against Pitt, which they lost 3-0. Two days later, they got swept again by the Tennessee Volunteers.

Marquette returned most of its core, only needing to fill the libero position, which head coach Ryan Theis did with the addition of graduate student Sarah Kushner.

To start the season, the Golden Eagles were without senior middle blocker and unanimous addition to the 2023 All-Big East Preseason Team Carsen Murray. But she came back during the second weekend in Marquette’s 3-2 loss to Purdue.

So far, the Golden Eagles have had a mixed bag of results.

They have shown remnants of their No. 9 ranked offense of last season with fast tempo kills and quick returns. But they also have looked sloppy, committing attack errors and having offensive miscommunications. There were multiple occasions against Pitt and Tennessee that Marquette was having issues from bump to set and from set to spike.

Even though the team has looked inconsistent, senior outside hitter Aubrey Hamilton has been anything but.

One of last year’s dominant forces in Marquette’s offense has picked up right where she left off, hitting .197 and leading the Golden Eagles with 96 kills.

The match will be a true test for Marquette.

Wisconsin

The Badgers have played much of this season like their ranking would suggest: the best in the country.

There have been two slip-ups — if you can even call them that.

The first was at then-No. 21 Arkansas Aug. 30 when it took Wisconsin five sets to win, but the very next day the Badgers swept 3-0, squashing any thoughts of doubt about the team or its place within the Top 25. The second was in Madison against then-No. 24 Tennessee, where Wisconsin almost got reverse-swept after taking a 2-0 lead. But they won the final frame 15-13 to secure the win.

So far this season, Wisconsin has won 21 sets and only lost five.

Senior outside hitter Sarah Franklin leads the team with 95 kills. Defensively, the Badgers consistently run a libero-less system as junior outside hitter Julia Orzol has the most digs (80) and graduate student setter Izzy Ashburn is behind with 63.

The match will be another opportunity for Wisconsin to beat Marquette and strengthen its claim as the best team in the country.