A solid offensive performance and a third-set comeback pushed the University of Wisconsin (25-13, 24-26, 17-15) to a 2-1 victory over UW-Green Bay Saturday, earning the team a 2-0 record in the spring season.

UW’s offense excelled thanks to sophomores Ellen Chapman, Deme Morales, Courtney Thomas and junior Julie Mikaelsen. Chapman led the team with 11 kills throughout the game. Thomas followed with nine, Morales with eight and Mikaelsen with six. Freshman Tori Blake, junior Dominique Thompson and Thomas also dominated the net with six blocks each.

In an effort to improve on the team’s 3-0 sweep over Loyola in the first spring match of the season – a contest where Wisconsin hit just .159 and recorded 21 errors – head coach Kelly Sheffield was pleased with UW’s performance in just the program’s second game under his guidance.

“I thought we played better than the last time we were out,” Sheffield said. “You’re working on things here that you’re working on in practice, so I think when we were getting pushed, we responded, for the most part, the way that we want our team to respond.

“I thought both of our middles did a really good job today. Courtney got Dom [Thompson] and Tori [Blake] involved a lot more than what we probably did a couple weeks ago.”

The team came out strong in the first set, forcing Green Bay to call its first timeout down 9-3 in an attempt to boost confidence and talk strategically. However, the Badgers showed no letdown, killing the Phoenix 25-13 to take an early 1-0 lead in the match. Five kills by sophomore Deme Morales, a 5-foot-7 outside hitter and defensive specialist, led the Badgers in the first set.

Heading into the second set, the Badgers lacked aggressiveness as the Phoenix began to excel, winning the first five points thanks to three Wisconsin errors. The Badgers found a way to climb back, tying the score halfway through the set 13-13. From there both teams didn’t blink, as the score eventually became deadlocked again at 19-19. Wisconsin eventually gained what looked to be a deciding lead in the set, jumping out to a 21-19 lead with a kill by Mikaelsen on an assist from Thomas and a block by Mikaelsen and Thompson. 

But Wisconsin let the set and the match slip as Green Bay tied the score at 24 and emerged on top 26-24 with the final kill coming from Phoenix senior Katie Mroczenski.

“You can either run from challenges or you can stand up to it. You can either cower down and be small or you can sit there and say ‘let’s bring it on,'” said Sheffield. “Sports, I think, is all right, back’s against the wall and I’m gonna come out swinging and that’s the mentality we’re trying to develop.”

The third set put the Badgers in this now-or-never mentality with the match on the line. 

Wisconsin started out from behind with the first two points going in Green Bay’s favor in a set that saw the lead change hands five times. With the Phoenix up 14-12 with the opportunity to take the match point, it was Chapman who rescued the Badgers from the jaws of defeat.

After a kill to tie the score 15-15, Chapman served the team an ace to take the lead. It was one of her two kills in the set’s final stretch. After a deciding kill from Thomas, UW earned the 17-15 set victory and 2-1 match win.

“Ellen was physical in the end when we needed her to be, and she’s really starting to come into her own and every week she working a little bit better,” said Sheffield. “I was pleased. It was progress, and that’s what we’re looking for.”

Defensively, the Badgers were solid, but not spectacular. Phoenix sophomore Taylor Kasal continually tested the Badger defense, leading Green Bay with 13 kills. Sophomore Mikaela Gunderson dominated offensively for the Phoenix with 12 serves and one ace.

Rising to the challenge, the Badgers’ defense made big plays when it counted. Junior libero Annemarie Hickey led the team with 11 digs, while Chapman chipped in 10 of her own – good for a double-double effort thanks to her 11 kills.

Although the Badgers’ defense was not the strongest aspect of their game, they made up for it with their kills and blocks. Blake, Thomas and Thompson were there for every block with the help of Mikaelsen and Chapman, as getting the ball past the net proved a tough challenge for the Green Bay attack that ultimately led to their defeat in the final set.

“We blocked a lot of balls and that’s an area we’re going to keep getting better at,” Sheffield said. “But we’re penetrating and get our hands on a lot.”

The Badgers also remain focused on continuing to progress their game, striving for precision.

“There’s always something you can get better at every single day,” Mikaelson said. “That’s why we go in, everyone goes in after to lift and we go in before practice, serve receive or passing or blocking like everything, we practice by ourselves, we get in extra hours in every single day to get better.”

Wisconsin will take on UW-Milwaukee Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the Field House for their final spring matchup.