Sports

2003 Wisconsin volleyball at a glance

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Related stories:

• Waite lands 4 new recruits (November 14, 2003)
• Maier's decision paying off for Badgers (November 11, 2003)
• Volleyball team continues spring season (April 7, 2003)
• Byrd invited to train with U.S. women's national team (January 31, 2003)
• Byrd invited to train with U.S. women's national team (January 31, 2003)

Also by Joe Ziemer:

• UW returns for spring largely intact (March 31, 2005)
• Business as usual for Mike Wilkinson (March 10, 2005)
• Perimeter shooting woes doom OSU comeback attempt (February 28, 2005)
• 7th time charm for Izzo, Spartans (February 25, 2005)
• Stanford ends UW's NCAA tournament run in regionals (December 13, 2004)

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For the second-straight year, Pete Waite’s volleyball team was bounced from the NCAA tournament in the second round, falling to Texas A&M 3-0 after a 3-1 defeat of Arizona in round one. The Badgers finished the season with a 22-11 record; the 10th consecutive year Wisconsin has won 20 matches.

The Badgers’ 13-7 Big Ten record earned them sole possession of fourth place in the conference, right where they were slotted in the preseason coaches’ poll. The seven Big Ten loses were the most in Waite’s five-year tenure.

Despite boasting a smaller-than-average frontline, UW was in the hunt for the league title for most of the season. After a 3-2 come-from-behind home win over then No. 15 Penn State Oct. 24, UW moved into a tie for first place.

However, the Badgers suffered heartbreaking home losses to Minnesota and Michigan State, and ended the regular season dropping four of their last seven games. The skid may have cost Wisconsin a chance to host first- and second-round NCAA tournament matches.

The 2003 Badgers were without a true star player, relying on production from a number of places. Junior Jill Odenthal was perhaps the team’s most consistent threat, averaging 3.58 kills per game while hitting at a .307 clip. For her efforts she was named Big Ten All-Conference as well as the All-Mideast Region Team.

Redshirt sophomore Aubrey Meierotto led the team in kills per game at 3.65 and developed into one of the conference’s top threats. Amy Bladow gave Wisconsin a boost in the middle and garnered All-Freshman Team honors at season’s end.

Waite and UW will bid adieu to seniors Lisa Zukowski, Morgan Shields, Jill Maier and Angie Sanger. Zukowski was the team’s most versatile performer, averaging 2.91 kills and 3.05 digs per game while seeing time at both outside hitter and libero. Shields leaves Wisconsin third on the school’s all-time-assists list. Her departure leaves a hole at setter for 2004.

After splitting time with Zukowski early on, Maier took a firm grip on the libero position, closing her career with back-to-back 20-dig matches.