A quick glance at the InnTowner Invitational stat sheet shows another ordinary weekend for senior setter Morgan Shields. The 2002 Big Ten leader in assists per game recorded 33 in Friday’s win over North Carolina State. Then she followed those up with 60 on Saturday night, as the Badgers took care of Duke in four games.

What the stat sheet fails to reveal, however, is that Shields accomplished all of that with a broken right wrist, an injury that she suffered off the court.

“I fell off my bike [while] riding around campus,” she admitted. “I slid on some gravel and I broke my wrist.”

“It was a road bike, though, so the tires are really small. I didn’t see the gravel because this big van was blocking my way, and then I just spun too quickly, and the back tire just whooshed out.”

Head coach Pete Waite said the injury was actually more of a “slight chip” than a true break.

“It sounds better if I say it’s broken,” Shields said.

However, the injury was severe enough to keep the Wisconsin co-captain out of practice for a full two days, and will limit her practice time significantly in the coming weeks.

“It’s gotten exponentially better over the past few days,” she said. The Badgers hope some additional rest during the week will allow her to recover for the Georgia Tech Invitational at week’s end.

With her right wrist protected by a brace, Shields was forced to turn to her off hand. Defensively, she came up with 10 digs in the win over Duke, and had a tournament total of 15. She also pitched in on offense, surprising NC State and Duke with five kills.

“I really didn’t even think about attacking,” she said. “I was thinking ‘Oh god, don’t hit my right hand real hard.'”

Serving left handed, Shields committed a total of four service errors in the two matches, but more than held her own. She even recorded a service ace against NC State, earning new respect from her coach.

“I’ve never seen that in my career, where a player of mine has gone out and served with the opposite hand as well as she did,” Waite said. “I’ve never seen someone make the error deep in the court; it was all short and under the net. She was deep off the court with that thing, so that’s pretty impressive.”

“I actually practice it because I’m a big dork,” Shields joked.

For her efforts, the 5-11 setter was named to the InnTowner Invitational All-Tournament team.

Shields credited her opposite-handed ability to past injuries and some off-season work.

“This summer my shoulder was really sore, so I did a lot of left handed reps,” she said. “My right shoulder’s been sore on and off throughout my career.”

Although the bike spill may have broken her wrist, it was very evident that there was nothing wrong with Shields’ sense of humor.

“I knew this day would come,” she said with a laugh, “and I’ve been preparing my whole life for it.”