The U.S. women’s volleyball team is dominating everyone at the world championships, and a huge part of that success has to do with former Badger standout Lizzy Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald, who graduated last spring, left the University of Wisconsin as one of the most distinguished players to ever go through the volleyball program.
A two-time All-American in 2000 and 2001, Fitzgerald was one of only three players in UW history to ever become a two-time All-American. Teammate Sherisa Livingston in 2000 and 2001 and Kelly Kennedy in 1997 and 1998 were the only other players to achieve this feat.
Fitzgerald, a setter, was one of the driving forces on the 2000 team that made it to the NCAA championship game. The Badgers made it to the NCAA tournament all four years she was at UW.
“Lizzy was one of the people that really helped take us to the highest level this program has ever been,” said UW head coach Pete Waite. “She really solidified her spot on the court her junior year and became a great blocker and a great setter. She learned how to lead the team, and she was able to connect with everyone on our offense and make it really all fit together.”
Not only did Fitzgerald lead the team to the national championship in 2000; she also led the team to two straight Big Ten conference titles in 2000 and 2001.
Due to her talented play her senior year, Fitzgerald was named 2001 Big Ten player of the year, a highly coveted and competitive award.
After her amazing senior season, Fitzgerald completed school in the spring and graduated with her communications degree. She was then invited to train full-time with the U.S. women’s national team, which she had been training with since January.
Prior to that, Fitzgerald had trained with the U.S. National A-2 program during the summers of 1999 and 2001.
Throughout her first few months with the team, Fitzgerald was used primarily as the team’s back-up setter. The team traveled to competitions in Japan, Switzerland, Russia and Italy.
“She’s having a great time, but she says it is very hard,” Waite said. “It’s practicing two times a day almost six days a week, but she is, however, enjoying the travel.”
Recently, Fitzgerald was named the team’s starting setter for the world championships as former starting setter Robyn Ah Mow announced her pregnancy.
The world championships are being held this year in Munster, Germany. Twenty-four teams from all over the world qualified to take part in the championship.
The United States was placed in Group C for the opening rounds with Argentina, Russia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Kenya.
Fitzgerald and her team played in close games with Argentina but were able to come away with the match 3-0.
The team’s second match against Russia went down to the wire, as the United States was able to win the match three games to two.
After the team’s third straight win against the Dominican Republic, with a score of 3-0, the team has already clinched a spot in the second round.
The team then went on to beat both Puerto Rico and Kenya 3-0 to finish first place in Group C.
“I know she has been setting, and then sometimes they have another setter come in the back row, and they let her play in the front row and do some blocking,” Waite said. “She has been making some great plays for them. They have had some great wins.”
Now the teams have been split up again into new second-round brackets. The United States was placed in Group G with Brazil, the Netherlands and host country Germany.
Second-round play begins Sept. 6 as the United States faces off against Brazil, and continues with matches against the Netherlands Sept. 7 and Germany Sept. 8.
“This is a learning process for her,” Waite said. “This is as much as she has ever traveled internationally, and so now every time she walks into a new gym or country she is learning new things. I just think she is getting better and better all the time.”
