[media-credit name=’DEREK MONTGOMERY/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]There’s a little extra bounce in the collective step of the Wisconsin volleyball team this spring. Riding the momentum of an impressive NCAA tournament run in December, the Badgers have returned to the Field House for spring practice a confident and optimistic group.

“It’s carried over a lot,” all-Big Ten middle blocker Sheila Shaw said. “We’re really excited to be in spring training.”

After finishing the 2004 regular season 19-9, a youthful Wisconsin team advanced to the Elite Eight and, in doing so, dealt a highly touted Hawaii squad its only loss of the season. UW’s postseason tear came to an end only at the hands of eventual national champion Stanford.

“It’s helped our confidence a lot, knowing we can be one of the top teams in the country,” outside hitter Aubrey Meierotto said. “I think that pushes us every day in practice — just to train harder.”

Wisconsin returns nearly all the members of the team that ended the season with a 22-10 record and a No. 14 national ranking. The biggest question mark lies at the right-side hitter position, where head coach Pete Waite must find a replacement for departed All-American senior Jill Odenthal. The Badgers have auditioned several players at the position, including Meierotto. A senior-to-be, Meierotto has played exclusively on the left side to this point in her UW career.

“The ball’s coming across your body differently for hitting,” Meierotto said of hitting on the right side. “When I first started in the beginning of spring, it was definitely difficult for me. It’s just a matter of adjusting to different types of sets and getting a rhythm.”

Other right-side possibilities are Audra Jeffers and Amy Bladow. An extremely promising young hitter, Jeffers redshirted the 2004 season and routinely caused problems for the starters in practice. She has worked at both left-side and right-side hitter this spring and figures to see significant court time one way or another this fall.

Bladow originally came to Wisconsin as a middle blocker. After starting her freshman season, she moved into a reserve role last year. Bladow briefly saw time at right-side hitter in practice last season and has worked at both middle and right-side this spring.

“We’ve tried a lot of different lineups,” setter Jackie Simpson said. “It’s a new lineup every day at practice. It’s actually really comforting as a setter because you know that no matter who’s back there — whether it be Aubrey, Audra or Bladow — you know they’re going to put the ball down.”

Either Jeffers or Meierotto will likely join junior-to-be Maria Carlini at left-side hitter. Whatever front-line combination Waite decides on will be an athletic and tall one. With both starting middles returning in Shaw and Taylor Reineke, UW once again figures to put up one of the best blocks in the Big Ten. Last season, the Badgers averaged 3.27 blocks per game.

“I think we’re going to be a more versatile team than we were in the fall, and we’ve got more size,” Waite said.

Wisconsin has also been diligently working on its back-row play, an area that proved to be the team’s Achilles’ heel in 2004. All three defensive specialists return from the fall: starting libero Jocelyn Wack, Megan Mills and Amanda Berkley. Wack enjoyed a standout freshman season in 2004, setting a new school record for digs with 567. The trio of soon-to-be sophomores is working under the tutelage of new assistant coach Colleen Bayer, who has been given the task of improving the team’s defense.

“The three in the gym are doing a good job,” Waite said. “Our entire focus this spring is to improve our defense. That’s our No. 1 goal.”

Faye McCormack, a 5-foot-5 libero from Downers Grove, Ill., will join the defensive-specialist picture in the fall.

Having a nearly complete roster this spring is a refreshing change for Waite. Last spring, the Badgers fielded a much smaller team after losing five players from the previous fall.

“It’s nice to have 13 players,” Waite said. “A lot of times you have big graduating classes and you’re left with nothing in the spring. We’ve got a big group, so we can go head-to-head with each other every day in practice. Having come off a strong finish to the fall season, everyone’s really excited to take the team to another level.”

To do just that, Wisconsin knows it must put together a solid spring and carry the momentum over into the fall. The next few weeks will be crucial in that regard because, per usual, expectations are as high as the banners hanging from the Field House rafters.

“It’s really huge,” Waite said of the spring season. “Even though it doesn’t count for anything on your record, the confidence you gain and the improvements you can make every day in the gym will make that difference in winning a few more games in the fall against the best teams in the country.”