Coming off of a three-game sweep against UW-Green Bay, the University of Wisconsin volleyball team is now preparing for its Big Ten opener Wednesday.
The Badgers have compiled a 5-4 non-conference record, stringing together consecutive wins in their last two games. UW head coach Pete Waite said in a Monday press conference there is a certain amount of comfort in beginning the conference season. However, he also agreed with a comment UW football coach Bret Bielema made earlier in the press conference, saying the overall intensity increases as Big Ten play starts.
“Our players — obviously the first month of the season — you’re seeing teams you don’t know so well, and you have to learn about them really quickly,” Waite said. “These teams in the Big Ten, you know them pretty well. You saw most of them last year, though they’ve lost some players, but they return a lot of their players and it just cranks it up because of the importance of the Big Ten race.”
Wisconsin’s first Big Ten opponent is 8-4 Iowa. Despite having the worst overall record in the Big Ten going in to conference play, Waite believes the Badgers have already begun to prove their talent.
“I think I’ve seen some really good things. … I’ve seen some things, some real glimpses of some great play, and now it’s just a matter of sustaining it. I’ve seen some matches where they could play with anybody in the Big Ten,” Waite said.
Seniors step up
Waite made sure to note the contributions from his two seniors, outside hitters Brittney Dolgner and Caity DuPont. Their leadership has been crucial for the Badgers, whose roster features just five upperclassmen.
“They’re huge. Really, they’ve been stepping up the last couple of matches,” Waite said. “And they’ve been probably our two most consistent players and that’s really what veterans are supposed to do.”
In the Badgers’ last two matches, Dolgner and DuPont have combined for 39 of the team’s 87 kills. Against Green Bay, DuPont had a career-best .733 hitting percentage, with 11 kills on 15 total attempts. But the duo’s contribution to the team has been more than just solid game performances.
“They’re leading by example, not just by the physical play, but what they’re saying verbally [to] the players within practices,” Waite said.
Student section advantage
With the student sections in the Kohl Center and Camp Randall getting most of the attention, the crowds that pack the Field House for volleyball games are often overlooked. However, Wisconsin ranked third in Division I in average attendance in 2008 and first in the Big Ten. Waite said he’s looking forward to opening conference play at home, as other schools’ home courts can’t compete.
“No, not as far as student crowds. There are some that have some student sections that might be 20 or 30 students,” Waite said. “So when we fill it from [the] floor to the back wall, that’s pretty intimidating and they can be pretty distracting for the opponent over there.”
In addition to disrupting opponents’ focus, Waite said the student section does a good job of creating a good environment at UW volleyball games. And their entertainment value may be partly responsible for the Badgers averaging over 4,300 fans per home game last season.
“In general, they do a great job. It’s just fun and fun to watch, and I think a lot of our local crowd comes to watch the student section and the … dances they’re doing and the chants they’re saying,” Waite said.
