As the Badgers prepare for the NCAA tournament this weekend, they will have one secret weapon up their sleeves: their depth. UW will have the luxury of being able to go anywhere from 10 to even 12 players deep if it needs to.

“I think for the NCAA tournament you need a lot of depth. Whether an injury takes place or some kids are sick or if you have different matchups for one player who is just not doing well against a certain opponent, someone else can come in with a different style,” said head coach Pete Waite.

“I think that is a real benefit for us. I really feel good about the people we are putting on the court.”

The Badgers have the luxury of being able to rotate players at the drop of the hat if someone is having an off day or just not feeling well physically. All season, Waite has been able to rotate middle blockers Amy Hultgren, Sheila Shaw and Lauren Ford, depending on who is having a good game or if a spark is needed at that position.

Waite is also able to have some freedom at outside hitter; whereas Lori Rittenhouse and Jill Odenthal start, there is always a good possibility the crowd will see Aubrey Meierotto or even occasionally Marian Weidner if the team needs a lift.

“Over the course of the season, we have gone sometimes gone 10 or 11 players during the course of the match, where earlier in the season it was the case of us trying to find out who was ready to play and who could play consistently,” Waite said. “Now it is benefiting us, because we are ready to go, and we can use different formations.”

Rittenhouse, Badger captain, agreed with her coach: “I think we are a very deep team. I think we have four people on the bench that could play at a lot of other colleges.”

“It also shows how I think we won two big matches this weekend — how if someone goes out you don’t miss a beat, which is really crucial, especially coming into a tournament; to have people of that caliber on the bench in case you do have an injury, so you can still continue on with your goal of getting to the Final Four.”

Rittenhouse doing rehab on ankle: A good example of how important it is for a team to be deep is the situation that occurred this weekend in Michigan. In the first game against the Wolverines, Rittenhouse went up for a block, and after coming back down, a Michigan player came under the net and landed on her ankle and “rolled it pretty bad.”

“I think we have been deep for a long time, and I think that is one of out biggest strengths,” UW setter Morgan Shields said. “House went down, and we didn’t really miss a beat by putting Odie on the right and Aubrey on the left, and we could even go a few more hitters deep still. When we are practicing, the second team is very strong so it makes us better.”

Although Shields has this confidence in her teammates, she is also quick to point out that the team will miss Rittenhouse in terms of her leadership and veteran knowledge if the senior is forced to remain on the sidelines this weekend.

While the ankle injury was serious, Waite explained that it could have been worse, and he still is hopeful his captain will be able to suit up against Alabama A&M.

“She is looking pretty good,” Waite said. “Even when she turned her ankle she was never on crutches and never had a major limp going. The swelling is going down, and she is feeling better everyday.”

Rittenhouse says she has been doing rehab on her ankle all week, and by Monday night it was already bruising which she feels is a good sign.

“I think, optimistically, I will be playing,” Rittenhouse said. “It will just be jumping, because it is the foot I hit off of, so we will have to see how the jumping will be affected.”