Streaking Wisconsin faces Wildcats
Roger Anderson: Volleyball Beat Writer
After completing its first weekend sweep of the season, the Badger volleyball team will enter its Wednesday match against Northwestern with a chance to gain sole possession of third place in the Big Ten.
The Wildcats possess an identical Big Ten record (12-8, 5-3) and will hope to avenge a loss to Michigan State (1-3) by beating a Badger team that was victorious against the Spartans (3-1) last weekend.
The Wildcats will be led by juniors Erika Lange and Iwona Lodik, who lead the team in almost every statistical category. Lange averages 1.58 blocks and 4.16 kills per game from her middle-blocker position, while Lodik adds 3.37 kills and leads the team in digs per game, with 3.08, and aces, with 29.
Behind the play of co-Big Ten player of the week Erin Byrd, the Badgers will seek their first three-game win streak of the Big Ten season by extending their series-winning streak to 28 matches against the Wildcats.
Byrd put together two double-double matches last weekend and also recorded her 1,000th career kill. She totaled a career-high 29 kills against Michigan State and added 13 digs in the Badger victory. She followed up her milestone performance by leading the team with 19 kills and contributing 10 digs in a win against Michigan.
“I’m really comfortable with my hitting right now,” Byrd said. “I think I figured out what works for me as a hitter, and Morgan and I are connecting really well.”
This season, Byrd is averaging 4.03 kills and 2.91 digs per game. She is helped on offense by outside hitter Jill Odenthal, who is averaging 3.17 kills per game, and senior Lori Rittenhouse, who is averaging 3.12 kills per game. Badgers setter Morgan Shields leads the team and is ranked third in the nation in assists, with a 13.93 average per game. She is also the top-ranked server in the Big Ten, averaging 0.69 per game.
After making yet another adjustment to their starting line-up last weekend, the Badgers will likely enter Northwestern with Lisa Zukowski at libero and Jill Odenthal replacing her at her outside-hitter position. This switch appeared to work last weekend, as Zukowski led the team with 14 digs against Michigan State, and Odenthal added 17 kills in the affair.
“I think the team has been really good about being open,” coach Pete Waite said. “No matter what rotation we start, no matter what people we start, no matter who finishes, [or] who’s in, in between, they’ve just stayed real positive with it, and it’s working.”
With the new line-up, the Badgers moved up three spots in the USA Today/Coaches’ Poll. The Big Ten had six teams receiving votes in Monday’s poll, with Minnesota garnishing the highest position at No. 8.
“I think it’s just a battle, and it’s up for grabs; anything can happen now,” Waite said about the Big Ten. “We feel we can beat anybody in the conference, so we just have to go out and prove it.”
The Badgers will hope to maintain their momentum with their third-straight victory against the Wildcats as they enter the Big Ten game of the week Saturday against No. 9 Penn State.
