MILWAUKEE — As the 2022 Division I NCAA women's volleyball tournament gets underway this week, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's women's team was preparing to begin their national title defense on Friday.

"They've won 18 matches in a row, they just won the Big Ten with a 19-1 record— that's something that's happened just a handful of times in program history," Jon Arias, the radio play-by-play announcer for the women's volleyball team, told Spectrum News 1. "There was a lot of changeover from 2021, so to see this team perform at such a high level has been really outstanding this season."

Despite losing a number of high-profile starters from the 2021 season, Arias said the current team's set to make a run, starting with Friday night's first matchup against Quinnipiac.

"They lost five-time first-team All American Dana Rettke and the setter who went along with her was a five-time All American, Sydney Hilley," Arias added. "They were decimated just by players graduating and leaving, and they had to find all the right pieces— this coaching staff has done enough where they just have a boatload of talent..."

In addition to the Badgers, Marquette University also made the 2022 tournament, with their first match scheduled against Ball State Thursday night.

Watch the full interview above.