Lisa Zukowski is, in a word, intense. The Wisconsin senior co-captain may stand only 5-foot-10, but she plays like someone a foot taller. She is unquestionably the emotional leader of the Wisconsin volleyball team.

“She’s just got a ton of energy and she’s got a real passion for playing,” head coach Pete Waite said. “She goes at everything 110 percent. She is totally committed to what’s she’s doing.”

Anyone who would point out that 110 percent is not possible probably has not seen Zukowski in action at the UW Field House. The West Bend, Wis. native attacks each ball as if it were her last.

“I’ve been playing like that since I started,” Zukowski said. “I mean, when I started playing in fifth grade, I don’t think I was that intense, but I am always able to laugh on the court and have a lot of fun. It comes from within.”

Some of that competitive fire may come from her childhood. The youngest of four, she had to deal with three older brothers.

“I was the baby of the family, but I definitely had my share of being picked on and having to fend for myself,” she said. “Boys tend to gang up on you, but it taught me to be stronger. I have good relationships with all of them. They support me and are usually at all the games, so it’s cool.”

When it came time for Waite to name his captains for the 2003 season, selecting Zukowski along with Morgan Shields was not a real tough choice.

“She’s led us through her passion for the game and she just has the heart of a lion out there,” Waite said. “She really gets the crowd excited, gets the team excited just with all the energy she brings. It was an easy decision for me to make her one of the captains.”

Zukowski’s UW career has been anything but easy. In 2001, after starting 19 matches and averaging 3.70 kills per game, she suffered a torn ACL in her left knee against Ohio State. After rehabbing and working her way back into playing shape, she dislocated three finger joints the following spring. While some may have given up, the fiery Zukowski made it all the way back.

“I learned a lot about myself, a lot about the game, and how lucky I am to be playing each match,” she said. “It just carried over into my everyday life — you can’t take anyone for granted, anything can happen. You have to be thankful for everything you have.”

Zukowski has made a different adjustment in 2003. She began the season at her old outside hitter position, but was asked to move to libero at the InnTowner Invitational to improve Wisconsin’s ball control. Though slightly disappointed, she swallowed her pride and made the switch.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t [disappointed],” she said. “I just knew I had to fight back in, and prove that I wanted to be out there and I have what it takes. I bring it every match.”

The move was short lived, however. After falling behind two games to none against Northwestern, Waite turned to Zukowski to energize a struggling Badger team. She returned to the front row, and Wisconsin responded by winning the remaining three games, taking the match.

“It was exciting. I had a good opportunity to switch during those couple games and see what I could do,” she said. “I still have a lot to work on, blocking and solidifying my front row play. Yeah, it was awesome switching back.”

“Zuke” has shown off her versatility in 2003, averaging 2.32 kills and 3.19 digs per game, while splitting time between libero and outside hitter.

“Very few [have that ability],” Waite said. “The difficult task is accepting both roles equally and saying ‘I’m going to do my best job for the team, depending upon what the coaches need at the time.’ We’re asking a lot of her, but she’s handling it well.”

Now a senior, Zukowski is down to one final, bittersweet season in a Badger uniform.

“I’ve been looking forward to it, but it’s also pretty sad,” she said. “I’ve been playing volleyball for a long time and just to not have it will be weird. I know I’ll keep playing — play sand, beach volleyball and try a little bit of that, play in pickup games, but it will be nothing like this. I’ll just have to come as a spectator. It’s a little sad, but we really want to win the Big Ten. That’s our main goal and it has been for so long.”