[media-credit name=’DEREK MONTGOMERY/Herald Photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]The balance of the UW volleyball team has formed Wisconsin into a lethal force in the Big Ten this year.

Part of that balance comes from having several different options, such as a deep bench with several qualified backups.

Wisconsin's depth has been highlighted this season at the setter position for the Badgers. Though sophomore Jackie Simpson has been considered the starter for the past two years, redshirt junior Katie Lorenzen has seen plenty of court time as well, particularly in conference matches.

Don't think for a moment, however, that there is any sort of controversy surrounding this two-setter system. The players, including Simpson and Lorenzen themselves, have embraced the luxury of being able to employ either player at any time.

"This is a really good thing for our team because having two setters that are both capable of being in there helps," Simpson says. "No matter what situation we're in, we can always … change it up and the team can [easily] adapt."

Simpson, who was the sole Badger named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2004, held on to the starting spot after a strong postseason with two All-Tournament Team honors this season.

But after Lorenzen improved her game and started challenging Simpson in skill as this season progressed, UW head coach Pete Waite began to utilize both players in major roles right from the Big Ten opener in an upset victory over the Golden Gophers.

"Katie's been battling all the time, just getting better and better, and she's closed the gap so much now that it's pretty even. … As a staff, we just have to decide who's … going to give us the best outcome of the team," Waite said. "If there's a time when we're falling behind and we need to make a sub, we will. It's a nice interchangeable situation.

"With Minnesota, Katie came in [off the bench] and played half the match and really got us going, then Jackie came in and finished it off. It was a real team effort."

Lorenzen said after seeing limited time in her sophomore year, she never thought she would have had such a large part in the Badger offense before this season began.

"This year, I guess I didn't know from the coaches' standpoint what they were planning," Lorenzen said. "I don't think anyone really knew how the season was going to go. But I knew I was ready to play this year."

It's obvious that Waite has seen something in Lorenzen that he didn't see in 2004. The junior has already played in more games and started more matches — 18 and five, respectively — than she did all of last year, when she played in just nine games while starting four matches.

"I guess it hasn't been a huge difference when you look at anything, because you prepare the same way every single time; you're always ready whether you're going to start or you're going to go in," Lorenzen said. "When you're on the bench, you're watching what's going on, what's working and what's not, so when you go on, you can bring a little bit of outside knowledge to the team."

Simpson, who has aspirations of being a college coach, has adjusted to more time on the bench, taking advantage of her time off the court when it comes to learning and teaching the game.

"I think there are different leadership roles, whether it being on the court or off the court, you can always help out your team in a certain way," Simpson said. "When I'm off, I'm still talking to the hitters and telling them what they have open, and when I'm on the court, I just have to keep the floor going."

Waite has compared his setter situation to the quarterback of a football team — typically a position taken over by one and only one player — yet understands that the advantage of having two qualified options can have major long-term benefits.

"If we felt one setter was running the team a lot better, and the other setter was struggling, we wouldn't have this option," Waite said. "But this is a luxury that a lot of teams don't have. We have two people that are working hard, and they're improving all the time. They're both battling to be out there and can each impact the game coming off the bench at times to give us a burst."

Senior co-captain Aubrey Meierotto said the hitters feel extremely comfortable with both Simpson and Lorenzen running the offense.

"We're definitely confident with either setter in the game, they both bring a lot of fire and energy, and they're consistent with their setting, so it has never been a problem."