SPORTS
Wisconsin returns home
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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:
- Volleyball tries to get back on track at home (November 1, 2001)
- Volleyball hits the road (September 27, 2001)
- Volleyball to face No. 6 team in nation (October 4, 2002)
- UW continues to battle top-20 rivals (January 28, 2005)
- UW volleyball team hosts Badger Invite (September 10, 2001)
by Aaron Brenner
Tuesday, November 1, 2005
After going 2-2 in the past four games, all on the road, the University of Wisconsin volleyball team should feel good about returning to the Field House for the upcoming weekend.
However, the competition will be far from easy. The No. 11-ranked Badgers (17-4, 9-3 Big Ten) face a mediocre Illinois (13-10, 4-8) team on Friday night before taking the court in a rematch against No. 16 Purdue, a match that appears at this time will decide the Big Ten runner-up this season.
Wisconsin has had struggles in falling three games back in the conference, but has managed to hold on to the second slot in the league. While the Boilermakers (20-3, 9-3) share UW's record, the Badgers' five-game victory at Purdue earlier this season has ensured them the head-to-head tiebreaker for the time being.
Ailing Aubrey: The Badgers were forced to plow through their road schedule over the past two weeks mainly without their star player, senior co-captain Aubrey Meierotto.
The outside hitter sat out the Michigan State and Michigan matches, in which Wisconsin split five-game matches, then saw limited time against Penn State before returning to full action against Ohio State.
"Our plan was to hold her out for most of the Penn State match and hope that she'd get one more night of good sleep and be ready to go for the Ohio State match," said head coach Pete Waite. "She played the whole three-game match, every rotation [against the Buckeyes]. She was solid for us, and it really helped us. We've missed her."
Waite reiterated the importance of having Meierotto on the court, referring to her versatile game as different aspects in which the Badgers flounder without the co-captain's presence on the court.
"She is a solid server, one of our best on the team," he said. "Blocking-wise, even though she's not our biggest player, she's got great location with her hands in stopping their slide offense, which is very tough to do.
"And then with her consistent hitting, she's able to score to deep corners both left and right," Waite added. "We can just count on her in critical times, and that's what a senior does for you."
In Meierotto's absence, Waite took the opportunity to take a look at middle blocker Morgan Salow. A true freshman, Salow saw considerable court time during the Michigan State and Michigan matches, setting career highs with eight kills against the Spartans and three blocks over the Wolverines.
"We got a bit of a glimpse of her, she hadn't had much playing time at all during the season, so she got out there for pretty much two full matches," Waite said. "She's got a lot of potential for the future."
Race for second: It's a good thing Meierotto has returned to the Badger lineup. With both the Badgers and Boilermakers three matches behind Penn State in the Big Ten standings, this Saturday night's match could speak volumes about which team has the best chance to possibly catch the Nittany Lions.
Wisconsin comes in with the slight yet decided advantage, as UW is five spots ahead of Purdue in the national rankings and boasts the five-game victory at Purdue on Sept. 30.
As he did before that Purdue match a month ago, Waite spoke of the Boilermakers as a more talented team than their ranking suggests and knows that they are a dangerous team.
"They're a solid team, better than they ever have been. They've made the biggest surge out of any team in the conference in the last two years, so it's a team that's very hungry," Waite said. "They've got the size, they've got the ballhandling, they've got everything you need, so this match is huge."
Never say die: It's looking more and more like Penn State's year.
The Nittany Lions fought off Wisconsin for the second time this year last weekend, effectively cementing themselves as the conference's elite team as they assumed a commanding three-match lead over Wisconsin and Purdue.
But Waite said the team has not lost hope in aspiring for a conference title.
"We still pursue the Big Ten Championship and you hope that somebody plays spoiler for you and does something with Penn State," Waite said. "But in the meantime, we have to take care of our own matches."
Waite is fully aware that there could be a third round between his team and the Lions if both teams meet in the playoffs, and said the Badgers plan on preparing for the event if it occurs.
"We just know we're done with Penn State at this point for the regular season," he said. "There's a possibility we could see them in postseason play, so we have to be ready and be a better team by the time we see them again."
