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The Badger Herald

The Student News Site of University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Badger Herald

The Student News Site of University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Badger Herald

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Badgers begin Big Ten play against rival Penn State after first loss of season

UW and PSU meet for first time since last season’s National Championship match

Following a two-game road trip to Seattle for the Big Ten/Pac-12 Showcase, the No. 5 Wisconsin volleyball team returns to the University of Wisconsin Field House Wednesday night to take on a conference rival, No. 3 Penn State.

The previously fourth-ranked Badgers (9-1) kept their undefeated season alive during the first game of the west coast swing, taking down the No. 10 USC Trojans in four sets. The following night, however, Wisconsin fell to the then-ranked No. 5 Washington Huskies in a close five-set match.

UW and Washington subsequently swapped places in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll this week.

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Wisconsin went up two sets to one in the Huskies match, but went flat in the fourth set, losing 25-16. The fifth set was much closer, but the Huskies edged out the Badgers 15-12 and sent UW home with its first loss of the 2014 season.

Head coach Kelly Sheffield felt the late start time may have led to the Badgers’ late struggles.

“It was midnight our time [Central time by the end of the match],” Sheffield said. “I don’t know if we just took a nap in there. We weren’t sharp.”

The Badgers will be excited to be back on Central time for this marquee matchup against another top five-ranked program in Penn State (12-1). The two teams met three times last season, most notably in the National Championship game, where the Nittany Lions downed the Badgers in four sets.

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Despite the history between these teams, sophomore setter Lauren Carlini insists the Badgers are focused on the present.

“We’re worrying about this year because it’s two very different teams,” Carlini said. “Getting better is one of our main things. Going into every match [with the mentality of] ‘get better.'”

Carlini is coming off a monster weekend, as she averaged 12.89 assists per set against USC and Washington. Her 61 assists in the five-set match against Washington was a season-high. Those numbers earned her Big Ten Co-Setter of the Week, the second time she has received that award this season.

Carlini says the multitude of players hitting the ball well consistently for Wisconsin has made her job easy lately.

“I can’t pinpoint one hitter who’s been hitting off the charts,” Carlini said. “[Kelli] Bates has been progressing really well as a freshman. She’s learning new shots everyday and learning a lot. Ellen [Chapman] has had some great games, and she’s one of our go-to hitters. [Courtney Thomas] has been hitting huge numbers lately.”

Carlini also has stepped up her defensive game. She ranks second on the team with 2.97 digs per set and has even been involved in the blocking game, averaging 0.70 blocks per set over her last six matches.

Leading the defensive charge is junior libero Taylor Morey, who had a career-high 29 kills in both matches last week. Her performance earned her a spot on the all-tournament team. She leads the Big Ten with 5.56 digs per set.

Her and the coaching staff will have their hands full with a lethal Penn State attack coming to Madison.

“For me it’s the same mentality going into every match,” Morey said. “We’re not scoring any points when the ball hits the floor on our side, so it’s important for me to keep the ball off the floor and to protect our side of the net.”

Sheffield said Penn State’s physicality and depth create matchup problems and make them difficult to beat.

“They’re physical and there’s no question about it. And they’re athletic and big,” Sheffield said. “And they’re deep across the net. They can go to a lot of different people.”

The Nittany Lions feature four players who average more than 2.50 kills per set. Leading the offensive juggernaut for Penn State is freshman outside hitter Ali Frantti, who averages 3.44 kills per set.

Senior setter Micha Hancock conducts the high-powered Penn State offense, averaging 11.31 assists per set. She is a dangerous server, as well, averaging 1.17 aces per set and already having 49 aces on the season.

While the competition heightens for the Badgers, Carlini says the team is ready to rise to the occasion and put that loss to Washington behind them.

“It was a little disappointing,” Carlini said of the loss. “But, again, it’s Big Ten Conference time now, you can’t be thinking about preseason anymore, and we’re just gonna bounce back the best way we can and find a way to win this next match coming up.”

Wednesday’s match against Penn State is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the UW Field House.

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