Maria Carlini is 6 feet, 2 inches of limitless enthusiasm. The freshman from Ontario has a contagious positive attitude, which could be why, as a true freshman, she has started five of Wisconsin’s first eight matches at middle blocker.

“[I was impressed by] how much she appreciated everything,” head coach Pete Waite said. “Coming from Canada, they don’t have the same facilities we have. They don’t put the same money into their athletic programs that we do, so everything she sees, she’s excited about and happy to be involved in our program. That positive attitude and excitement to be here makes it fun to be around her.”

The outgoing Carlini seems to approach every day like a kid on Christmas morning.

“The girls kind of get annoyed because I go to practice, and I’m like, ‘Guys, we’re practicing! It’s so much fun!’ Everyday I’m saying, ‘Guys, we’re doing this,'” she said.

“We all get along so great, and everyone is saying this has been the best preseason in a long time. Team-wise, everyone’s getting along great; it’s just a lot of fun. Yeah, I’m really excited.”

In her first eight collegiate matches, Carlini is averaging a team best 0.82 blocks per game in addition to her 1.18 kills per game.

Long before her UW debut, Carlini had to make the all-important decision of which college to attend. A standout at St. Thomas of Villanova, she was captain of the 2002 Canadian Junior National Team and was named MVP of the 2002 Can-American Tournament. Ultimately, the choice came down to a pair of Big Ten rivals.

“For my final two, it was between here and Michigan,” Carlini said. “I live in Windsor, so Michigan’s only 45 minutes away. The University of Michigan is huge back home. I grew up thinking, ‘Okay, I’m going to go there,’ but as soon as I came on my visit to Wisconsin, I knew that I was going to come here.”

That selection is one that she does not regret since arriving on campus.

“Everyone on the team is so friendly and hardworking, and the coaches are so knowledgeable about everything — I think we have one of the best coaching staffs in the country,” she said.

“I knew it would be a huge adjustment, but [my visit] was so much fun. It’s just a great atmosphere. I definitely love the lake. That and State Street, all the different restaurants and cultures on that street. I really like it, I really enjoy it. And the ice cream.”

Hailing from Ontario naturally led to her somewhat uncreative nickname “Canada” among her teammates. Carlini takes a good-natured ribbing on a regular basis from the rest of the Badgers.

“It’s funny. I say ‘eh’ all the time, so everyone makes fun of me like that. I say ‘oot’ and ‘aboot’ and even the letter ‘zed.’ We say ‘zed’, but you say ‘z,'” she said. “I’m learning a lot about the American culture, and they’re learning a lot about the Canadian culture through me.”

Helping her learn about that American culture, as well as the Wisconsin volleyball culture, is an All-American senior co-captain.

“I was assigned Morgan Shields as my mentor, and you could not ask for a better mentor,” Carlini said. “She tells me how even to be confident on the court, be more aggressive. We talk a lot and it helps, because I’m learning so much from her and her experience.”

When not on the court, Carlini enjoys taking in the Madison atmosphere.

“I love to go out for dinner,” she said. “Also, I love reading. I read all the time. Just meeting new people … that’s why I wanted to come so far away from home. I knew it would help me meet new people.”

She also freely donates her free time to a cause that is very important to her.

“I volunteer with the Cancer Society. Cancer is very close to home,” she said. “My dad passed away from cancer, so I do a lot to help fundraise.”

In the classroom, the undeclared freshman is still exploring her options.

“I’m leaning more toward the sciences. It was hard, because being an international student, I can only register like a week before classes. So I got stuck with the classes no one wanted.”

Given her positive outlook on life, the Badger coaching staff has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Carlini’s future in Madison.

“I think she’s going to have a great career,” Waite said. “She’s got great size and great attitude, and that’s a perfect start for a young player.”