[media-credit name=’AJ Maclean’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]GREEN BAY — Jill Odenthal’s solo block of Susie Boogaard not only gave Wisconsin an upset win over No. 3 seed Hawaii, it marked the culmination of a season’s worth of improvement and maturation.

To truly appreciate the magnitude of what the Badgers accomplished this season, one need only look back to early September. With a roster featuring seven newcomers, Wisconsin entered the season with nearly as many question marks as certainties. Starting three freshmen and a sophomore for most of the season, the Badgers were as young as they were talented. After an inconsistent non-conference season and a 0-2 start to the league schedule, UW certainly did not resemble an Elite Eight team.

Wisconsin flashed its potential midway through the Big Ten season, reeling off eight-consecutive conference wins, highlighted by a 3-2 defeat of then-No. 2 Minnesota Oct. 8. However, after losing its next three matches, UW did not appear ready to tangle with the likes of Hawaii.

One month later, a team that spent the majority of the season unranked in the coaches’ poll was one of the last eight squads standing in the NCAA tournament.

“For us, it’s been a fantastic season,” UW head coach Pete Waite said. “To look at the number of new people in the lineup this year on the team and how young they were, they’ve come a long, long way. To be in the top eight in the country was fantastic.”

After a season full of growing pains, the vast development of a young Badger team became apparent when the NCAA tournament got underway. Hosting first- and second-round matches at the Field House, Wisconsin advanced to the Sweet 16 without losing a single game. UW showed its resolve by winning three closely contested games against a scrappy Loyola team and then fighting off nine game points against Notre Dame the next night.

Wisconsin proved just how far it had come since a season-opening loss to Missouri when it shocked Hawaii 3-2 in the regional semifinals Friday. After dropping two consecutive games and trailing late in game five, the Badgers refused to buckle and became the first team in 31 matches to hand the Rainbow Wahine a loss.

“I think it’s a huge sign of maturity and a big step for this team,” Odenthal said.

While the jubilation surrounding Friday’s upset may have been somewhat lessened by the NCAA tournament buzzsaw that is Ogonna Nnamani and the Stanford Cardinal, the loss cannot detract from the immense strides UW made in 2004.

“I think it was a really great year,” co-captain Aubrey Meierotto said. “We had seven new players, playing together. We went through ups and downs. I think after finishing really strong like this, it’s really going to carry into next season. I think it’s going to be even better. It’s a real solid group. Everybody gets along real well and clicks.”

Losing only Odenthal and Marian Weidner to graduation, the success the Badgers enjoyed in the postseason bodes well for the team’s 2005 prospects. The Wisconsin offense will certainly miss the consistency of Odenthal on the right side. It was the senior’s dogged determination that guided the Badgers to victory over the Rainbow Wahine. Refusing to see her collegiate career come to an end that Friday night, Odenthal turned in the match of her life, seemingly willing her team to a win.

Even without Odenthal, though, the Badgers will return a solid hitting corps consisting of Meierotto, Maria Carlini and Sheila Shaw. Shaw, who emerged as a star in the middle, should receive All-American status when all is said and done this season.

Middle Taylor Reineke figures to become an even bigger part of the offense, and with a year of Big Ten experience under her belt, setter Jackie Simpson will only get better and better. The 6-foot setter from Downers Grove, Ill., demonstrated natural athleticism and a flair for the creative this season and looks to follow in the footsteps of past UW greats like Lizzy Fitzgerald and Morgan Shields at the helm of the Badger offense.

In the back row, freshman Jocelyn Wack played like anything but a freshman at libero, setting a new school record for digs in a conference season with 374.

“I think they’re going to be spectacular next year,” Odenthal said. “They’re just a lot of fun and I’m sure they’re going to continue to have it with each other.”

Adding to the promise for next year is another solid recruiting class and redshirt Audra Jeffers, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter who has dominated at times in practice. The Hartland, Wis., native could replace Odenthal at the opposite hitter position or provide depth behind Carlini and Meierotto on the left side.

“We are excited about next year,” Waite said. “With such a young group, this NCAA tournament run was great experience for them. Now [that] they know what it feels like, they’ll know how to handle themselves a little better. We’ve got a redshirt on the bench (Jeffers) who’s doing some great things in practice and new recruits coming in who will make us even stronger. We’re thrilled with what we did this year and we’re looking forward to the future.”