For the second time this season, the Wisconsin volleyball team will take on both Michigan and Michigan State in the same weekend.
Three weeks ago, the Badgers welcomed the Wolverines and Spartans to the Field House and greeted them with wins on consecutive nights. Now, the volleyball team will head to Ann Arbor and East Lansing to take on the two squads in more hostile environments.
The Badgers have some momentum on their side, as they are coming off a four-set win over Northwestern last Saturday. In that match, Wisconsin had a season-high 14 blocks and had three players with double-digit kills, including 17 by outside hitter Brittney Dolgner.
Going into face Michigan, the Badgers are in fifth place in the Big Ten at the midpoint of the conference season, only one game behind the Wolverines. Surprisingly, Michigan State — a team that was ranked No. 18 when it lost to Wisconsin — is currently in 10th place in the conference.
Michigan has also been faltering as of late, having lost three of its last five matches. However, the Wolverines are still ranked No. 13 in the country and have two strong players that guide their strong offense, which averages 14.16 kills per set.
Wolverines’ outside hitter Juliana Paz is fifth in the Big Ten in kills, averaging 3.73 kills per set, and is fourth in the conference in serving. In terms of distributing the ball, the Wolverines also have one of the top setters in Lexi Zimmerman, who leads the Big Ten with 912 assists.
However, the Badgers are more concerned with Zimmerman’s offensive mindset. The junior setter averages 1.49 kills per set and is known to often tip the ball over the net when least expected.
“I know she’s very offensive, so we’re going to keep on our toes and be ready for what she throws at us,” UW setter Janelle Gabrielsen said. “If she does get her kills, just shake it off and get ready for the next play.”
Against Michigan State, the Badgers will be facing a squad that, after beginning the Big Ten season 2-2, has dropped its last six matches, with its last win coming on Oct. 3. Nevertheless, UW head coach Pete Waite believes the Spartans’ 2-8 conference record does not reflect how good a team they actually are.
“Michigan State is definitely better than their record indicates,” he said. “They’ve had some great wins this season. … They’re a physical team, and we know they’re a dangerous team and we’re going to have to play really well to get a win on the road.”
Regardless, having played both these teams earlier in the season gives the Badgers some confidence going into a tough road trip. Wisconsin has yet to sweep a road series this year, but with wins against Michigan and Michigan State only a few weeks ago, outside hitter Kirby Toon believes the team is prepared for the weekend.
“We’re going in really prepared, and we know their tendencies a little bit better than we did before,” Toon said.
“It gives us confidence knowing that we played well and served tough,” Waite added. “The challenge is now to do it on the road. … We have to sustain our energy for the whole match.”
However, beating the teams prior to this weekend adds some pressure to the Badgers, who, at 5-5, trail Michigan in the Big Ten. Beating the Wolverines this weekend could move Wisconsin into the upper echelon of the conference.
“It puts some pressure on us,” Toon said. “It’s obviously going to be a difficult playing atmosphere, but we just have to go in with the mentality when we played them here, which is to just go out and play our best volleyball.”
With the Big Ten season halfway over, the Badgers know how easy it is to fall behind in a tough conference. Regardless, sitting in fifth place and only one game out of fourth, Toon believes the team has the tools to make a run and stay relevant in the Big Ten.
“I think we’ve been improving throughout the whole season,” Toon said. “We’re starting to get in a groove where everyone is comfortable with one another. I think the second half will be great and, as long as we play the way we can, it will be a great season.”
