After splitting a road series last weekend, the Wisconsin volleyball team returns home to try and win its second game in a row for only the third time this season.
The Badgers will welcome No. 8 Illinois and Northwestern to the Field House, as they look to continue their strong play at home. Two weeks ago, the Badgers defeated two ranked opponents — Michigan State and Michigan — to complete a perfect homestand and propel the team back into the mix in the conference.
Going up against Illinois, however, will pose a challenge for the volleyball team, which has not been able to string together three straight victories all season. A sweep of the two teams at home, however, would push the Badgers to that goal.
After losing to Purdue in its first game last weekend, Wisconsin was able to beat Indiana in five sets the following match. Even with the split against two of the Big Ten’s bottom-dwellers, senior Brittney Dolgner and the Badgers feel confident moving ahead to this weekend.
“It was a disappointing loss (to Purdue) — we definitely learned a bit, and you can only look up from there,” she said. “We won at Indiana. It was a little scrappy, but we definitely learned some things over the weekend, and we can look forward from there.”
Illinois poses a challenge for Wisconsin, as it currently is one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten. The Illini have won four straight Big Ten matches, including a sweep over then-No. 6 Minnesota.
The Illini defense also is one of the strongest in the conference, boasting the last two Big Ten Defensive Players of the Week in Johannah Bangert and Ashley Edinger. Wisconsin head coach Pete Waite knows the Illini will test the Badgers’ offensive attack, but he believes they have the tools to get the job done.
“It starts with our serve-receive and getting [Janelle Gabrielsen] the ball so she can disperse it anywhere,” he said. “Offensively, certainly our players have the talent and ability to put some stress on them, but they’re a very good team.”
Helping the Badgers will be the fact they are playing at home, where they are 2-1 in Big Ten play, with both wins coming against ranked opponents.
“I think you kind of have to create your own energy when you’re on the road,” Dolgner said. “When you’re in the Field House, it kind of creates the energy for you, so you can just focus on playing. It’s always a big advantage to be playing at home.”
While Northwestern is only 2-6 in the Big Ten, it two has standout players that could make a difference come Saturday. Juniors Sabel Moffett and Naomi Johnson lead the Wildcats with 3.35 and 2.59 kills per set, respectively.
“Northwestern is a very good team,” Waite said. “They’re beating teams they haven’t beaten in recent years. Moffett is a very good athlete out of California, and she just flies. They’ve become a much better blocking team and ball-handling team … so we know that they’re tough, and we’ve had tough matches with them in the past.”
After receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 Poll two weeks ago following their perfect weekend, the Badgers looked poised to make a run toward the top of the Big Ten. Now sitting in fifth place, however, the volleyball team will need to make a run to earn national attention. Nevertheless, Waite believes the team’s sole focus is on their tasks ahead, which start with Illinois and Northwestern.
“It’s not even on our minds,” Waite said. “We have to go into every match and just try to get the win. If they win those matches and continue to beat ranked teams, then they’re going to move up in the polls, but for right now, every match is big. … We’re the underdog, we’re the target right now.”
But for the Badgers, moving back into the top 25 would be a huge confidence boost for a team that struggled to a 5-4 start before the Big Ten season.
“I think it would be great, but I mean you can’t really think that we might be ranked — we just need to go out there and win games,” junior Allison Wack said. “I mean it would be really great to take out a top team — it’s our goal.”
