SPORTS
Waite’s squad looking to rebound
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Aaron Brenner:
- Rockies owe Brew Crew their thanks (October 19, 2007)
- Slow start kills chance of repeat (March 21, 2007)
- Wisconsin loses shot to defend title (March 19, 2007)
- Better than advertised: Elliott still 'superb' (March 15, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Badgers play host to Wildcats at Field House (November 3, 2004)
- Nittany Lions shut down Badger seniors (October 11, 2005)
- 14th-ranked Badgers to end home season against Northwestern and Penn State (November 20, 2002)
- Sharif Chambliss returns to Happy Valley as UW looks to rebound (January 28, 2005)
- UW men's soccer won't let Marquette loss stop momentum (November 12, 2002)
by Aaron Brenner
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
For the first time in Big Ten play this season, the No. 8 UW volleyball squad will play the regrouping game.
After dropping their first conference match of the season to the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, the Badgers (13-2, 5-1 Big Ten) try to bounce back and start another winning streak against the Northwestern Wildcats (10-6, 1-5) Wednesday evening at the UW Fieldhouse.
The Wildcats have lost their last three matches, but the fact that they surprised No. 18 Ohio State by pushing the Buckeyes to a fifth game last Saturday should be enough to force the Badgers to think twice before labeling Northwestern a pushover team.
"We know that they are a dangerous team, and they're still a team that is fighting to get more wins in the Big Ten," UW head coach Pete Waite said. "We have to go after them as hard as we go after anybody."
As intimidating as the UW hitters have been, with five Badgers averaging at least 2.4 kills a game, Wisconsin's success has stemmed largely from defensive blocking, as well as a potent backcourt. UW leads the conference in blocks and has held opponents to a .127 hitting percentage, second lowest in the Big Ten.
"We have to continue to be extremely aggressive with our passing and our defense," Aubrey Meierotto said. "Passing and defense is usually what wins games, so that's always going to be our main focus."
In a league packed with offense, Northwestern is hitting just .236 on the year, eighth-best in the Big Ten. UW libero Jocelyn Wack, who brings a 46-match double-digs streak into Wednesday, said the weaker Wildcat offense brings no different strategy to the Badger defense.
"It's the same with every team we play," Wack said. "We're just going to go out there and play the same game we've been playing, it's just … a chance to knock off another team."
Wack, who leads the Badgers with an average of just over five digs per game, compared the Northwestern attacking style to a couple Big Ten teams in the upper echelon of the conference.
"Their outside hitters will hit some extreme angles, which is actually pretty similar to Minnesota and Penn State," Wack said. "We've faced a lot of middle [blockers] like theirs, so we're just going to prepare the same way we have for everyone else."
Northwestern's conference opponents have averaged a .262 hitting percentage against the Wildcats. This doesn't bode well for NU, as Wisconsin has won each of its 12 games when the team hits .200 or better.
A match removed from hitting just .078 against Penn State, Meierotto said the offense is determined to return to a solid rhythm against the Wildcats.
"Penn State put a very good block on us, so we've been working hard on hitting higher shots and maintaining our aggressiveness," she said.
Wisconsin should also get some boosts from the serving game. The Badgers rank fourth in the league with 1.59 aces per game, with major contributions from middle blocker Sheila Shaw and serving specialist Megan Mills.
Both Shaw, with 0.39 aces a game, and Mills, with 0.36 a game, are in the top ten in the conference individually.
Mills saw a nine-game streak with at least one service ace per game come to an end against the Nittany Lions.
"They all stepped up and had really good passing [after the serve]," Mills said. "You just have to give [Penn State] credit for it."
With only three days off between the tough loss to the Lions and the upcoming NU match, the Badgers have worked hard to set up a game plan for the Wildcats in a short time.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that Wisconsin, currently enjoying the third-highest home attendance in the country, will remain in the Fieldhouse for the rest of this week.
"I think we're just preparing the same way we always do," Waite said. "We want to be fresh and feeling good going into the match, and the fact that it's a home game really helps."
