Amy Bladow of the UW women’s volleyball team isn’t the average freshman playing for a Big Ten team. Her domineering presence on and off the court proves that true freshmen can step up and come up with big plays. Her playing performance surpasses her age, but there is always room for improvement, and she has another three years to sharpen her skills. Her contributions thus far in the season have made her a true asset to the Badger volleyball team.
Traveling all the way from Monument, Colo., Amy Bladow, standing at 6-foot-1, came to Wisconsin for the bigger volleyball program and quickly stepped in as a middle hitter alongside sophomore middle hitter Shiela Shaw.
“I think volleyball out here is much bigger than it is in Colorado,” Bladow said. “People here know what good volleyball is and what it is supposed to look like. In Colorado I think it is relatively new and is just developing. So it is a huge change from Colorado to here, where people recognize you as a volleyball player.”
Bladow was recruited by Wisconsin her senior year of high school, and it is no wonder the Badgers wanted her so badly. In high school she was ranked among the top 12 middle blockers in the nation and ranked among the top 100 recruits in the nation. She also led her team to the 2001 and 2002 Colorado State 4A tournament titles.
She also set some pretty impressive records for not only volleyball, but for basketball and track as well. She was selected to the all-state basketball team as a junior and a senior, and she set the school high jump record with a mark of 5-foot-10. She admits to being born an athlete, and all her family functions were focused around sporting events.
“Some families go to church on Sundays, but my family would also go to soccer tournaments on Sunday. We have always been an athlete-focused family,” Bladow said.
Joining a Big Ten team as a freshman is not an easy transition, nor is traveling into unknown territory an easy feat. But Amy found the team to be nothing but supportive and encouraging.
“I think the transition was hard, but it became easy because of the team,” Bladow said. “When I would have bad days, the team would keep me positive. Sheila Shaw is really supportive because she went through all of this last year. She tells me to keep working hard.”
Right now Bladow is used as an offensive threat and someone to go to when the team needs a big kill or block.
“My role is to come out and bring energy. I am there to put up a big block and hopefully my offense will continue to grow as I start to connect with Morgan (Shields) more,” Bladow said.
This season Bladow is working on the parts of her game that need improvement. She is looking to become more of a defense threat and overall become more a threat to opposing teams.
“I think I need to work on everything. I think my defense is where I need the most work and the part of my game where I feel least confident,” Bladow said. “I also need to work on being more of an offensive threat, just hitting around the block and having better court vision.”
Watching Amy Bladow on the court, you wouldn’t think that she was a freshman playing against opponents who are much older and much taller. This past weekend the Badgers faced Illinois. Their middle hitter, Lisa Argabright, is recorded at 6-foot-5 and is usually their top player in kills every match. For Bladow, this matchup is challenging and a way to improve her game even against top-rated opponents.
“Usually 6-foot-5 girls can’t jump very high,” Bladow said. “You have to hit where they aren’t and a lot of times it is hard, but you have to go up and think that you are going to hit it as hard as you can and have confidence in yourself.”
Argabright was held to only nine kills, which is lower than her usual, and Bladow recorded eight kills of her own and led the team in blocks with four.
UW head coach Pete Waite assigned Bladow the role of making sure that she brings consistent energy to practice and games. So far this season, Bladow has recorded a total of 160 kills for a .219 hitting percentage. She brings energy for the Badgers and has consistently stepped up for the team. She has had a great freshman season so far and, looking forward to great seasons over the next three years, Bladow has proven the only way she wants to go is up.