A big part of the Badgers’ success lately has come from the leadership of veterans like Allison Wack and Kim Kuzma. Still, the younger players cannot go without being recognized.

Sophomore Alexis Mitchell and freshman Julie Mikaelsen are just two players representing the importance of youth on a team.

“The effect of the newcomers has been good just because a lot of them have been on the court with us, so we’ve gotten to play with them and they’ve grown a lot as the season’s gone on,” Mitchell said.

Having a youthful team can provide energy to a team, especially from players coming off the bench. This added spark doesn’t come without struggles, though.

“Having new people does cause some difficulty when it comes to being comfortable and learning the pace of the game because it’s a lot different coming from club [teams] and high school,” Mitchell said.

In the beginning of the season, the Badgers started off extremely well by going undefeated in non-conference play. Once Big Ten play began, though, the team struggled to secure its first win in the conference, which may be related to the youth of the team.

“It’s tough for freshmen to come in because there’s so much coming at them with being away from home: new academics, tougher academics, longer season than high school and much tougher teams you’re playing against,” head coach Pete Waite said. “It’s a challenge for them to keep fighting hard and keep working through everything.”

Despite starting 0-7 in the Big Ten, the team has begun to find a rhythm and is playing much better. This may be a result of the younger players settling into the college game.

“This experience is really good for the young player,” Waite said. “There are times that we have four or five [young players] on the court at a time. Even in losses, they’re going to learn a lot about hating to lose and fighting to win.”

Wisconsin has a total of 11 freshmen and sophomores who have seen the court so far this season. They’ll be losing only three seniors at the end of the season, so next year’s team will look very similar. With the abundance of young players, the future looks promising.

“I think next year, we’re going to be a lot better because a lot of the people who are on the court are going to be on the court next year, and we’re getting some really talented newcomers,” Mitchell said. “It’s gives us a lot of hope, and it’s nice that a lot of teams in the Big Ten are losing a lot of their best players, so it kind of balances it out for us. I think having such a young team this year is an advantage.”

Freshman hitter Elise Walch has given the Badgers a spark off the bench lately. Walch and other freshmen, like Mikaelsen and Annemarie Hickey, have all improved through the course of the season. Like Mitchell, Walch is also excited about the Badgers’ future

“We’re just looking forward to keep improving daily by getting better and stronger, and hopefully making the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments,” Walch said.

With a bright future ahead, the Badgers still have plenty to be excited about this season. They have six matches remaining, and their chances of making the NCAA Tournament are still alive. It won’t be easy for Waite’s team, but he knows the capability is there. With the recent improved play of his younger players, anything is possible.

“There are some really talented players in the group,” Waite said. “They’ve come in and really given us some more offense, some more defense and really balanced out our team.”