The triple threat.

This week, the Wisconsin volleyball team brought an entirely new meaning to the phrase by sweeping the Big Ten Weekly Awards amongst positions of setter, passer and hitter.

Senior right side hitter, Courtney Thomas, was named Player of the Week, sophomore Lauren Carlini was honored as Setter of the Week and Taylor Morey was mentioned as the Defensive Player of the Week.

With a 5-0 start to the season, it’s clear that this trio has worked hard to achieve such recognition, but not for themselves. They attribute all of their success to their teammates and coaches.

“Our coaches put a ton of effort in to get us to be the best that we can be,” Thomas said. “And I think that also [goes for] our team mates; every day we push each other to be the best.”

Thomas ended Sunday’s match against Northern Colorado with 12 kills, nine digs and five block assists. On top of her .381 hitting average, Thomas is only 20 digs away from a career total of 1,000. If she accomplishes this, she will be the 15th Badger to do so. The right side hitter, who stands six feet tall, has made a big impact on the team so far this season, which does not go unnoticed by the coaching staff.

“[Thomas] is just turning into a really, really big time player,” head coach Kelly Sheffield said. “She does it all for us; she’s one of the rare players that can pass, set, hit, block, dig, serve. She’s a complete player who’s still getting better.”

Another key player in setting up success for the Badgers’ offense is sophomore setter, Lauren Carlini. Carlini averages 11.41 sets per match and ranks second on the team in digs per set with 2.71.

This past weekend she also contributed a season-high 52 assists during Friday night’s game against Northern Colorado, a match in which Wisconsin came out on top 3-1.

“I’m really working on the little things in my game,” Carlini said. “Tempo things are really important, because we’re trying a new tempo this year. We’re trying to make it faster.”

The quicker offense run by Carlini seems to be running effectively and smoothly for the team so far this season, especially with the progress Carlini has made in her sophomore season.

“She’s trying to get a feel for the tempo that we’re trying to run,” Sheffield said. “So that’s her and the hitters and I think that they’re having a little bit more success figuring that out.”

Receiving a repeated recognition as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week is the new starting Libero Taylor Morey. This is Morey’s second week in a row being rewarded with such honors. After Wisconsin said goodbye to last year’s senior Annemarie Hickey, who is now the Student Assistant Coach for UW, Morey has stepped up to make an impact for the team’s defense.

She had a career high of 26 digs against Colorado State on Sunday and she also leads the team in digs, averaging 5.88 per set.

“[Morey]’s getting after it and that’s who she is,” Sheffield said. “She’s a very strong defensive player, and we’re trying to get her to communicate a little bit and serve a little more aggressively and help the ball control to be steady. But she’s been real solid the first couple weeks. “

Practice seems to be Morey’s secret. As head coach Sheffield discussed the strength of his defense post-practice Tuesday and all the other players collected their things, Morey remained on a court nearby, perfecting the craft of her serve.

“Coming to the gym and getting better and expecting better every time is important,” Morey said.

The determination and work ethic showcased by Morey is an attitude evident throughout the team. Everyone seems aware of the season’s lofty goals, while maintaing their focus on the present.

“It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” Carlini said. “So there are going to be bumps in the road, but we are going to find ways to overcome them and still get to the top at the end.”

The forth-ranked and undefeated Badgers (5-0) have their work cut out for them for the remainder of the season as they stare down a Big Ten Conference title and hope to make a returning trip to the national championship.

But with a group of three players like Thomas, Carlini and Morey, UW has a strong foundation laid for the present and the rest of the season to come.