With only six matches remaining, the Wisconsin volleyball team’s (15-10, 4-10) postseason hopes are still very alive. The Badgers rebounded from a rough start in conference play to give themselves a chance to make the NCAA Tournament. This weekend they travel to ninth-ranked Penn State (21-4, 11-3) and Ohio State (19-8, 7-7) in two tough matches that will show if this team is worthy of a postseason bid.

“Each of the weekends possess big challenges, there’s no doubt,” head coach Pete Waite said. “Penn State’s near the top of the conference right now, and they’re very good, as always. We want to continue improving the way we have in the gym and in practices and take that to the weekend matches.”

Friday night, Wisconsin will face a Penn State squad that hasn’t lost since Oct. 9. The Badgers hold an unimpressive 1-7 record against ranked teams this season, so they’ll have to prove themselves against Penn State. They’ve gone 3-3 in their last six matches, though, and they’re coming off an impressive victory over a ranked Northwestern team.

“I think our passing and our blocking have improved a lot, which is helping our defense and offense,” Waite said. “Going into these matches, you play to win. That’s all you can do, and you give it your best shot.”

Wisconsin has played some very tough opponents lately. The match against Penn State will mark its fifth ranked opponent in six games. After Friday night, it only faces one ranked team in its final five matches. It’s by no means a favorable schedule, but it features fewer top tier teams.

“Winning out would be great just to guarantee ourselves into the tournament,” sophomore Alexis Mitchell said. “We definitely know that there’s some beatable teams, and [it’s about] just taking care of those games so that we can make it into the tournament.”

The last time the Badgers played Penn State and Ohio State was at the Field House in late September. Mitchell was plagued by injury at the time, so she’s looking forward to facing these teams again.

“For me personally, when I played against Ohio State and Penn State, I sprained my ankle like three days before, so I wasn’t at 100 percent,” Mitchell said. “It gives me a lot more confidence going in, knowing that I’m healthy.”

Having Mitchell healthy this time around will be huge for the Badgers. She’s been one of the team’s top performers this season, as she leads the Badgers with a .316 hitting percentage on the year. She’s improved on her offense too, but she’s specifically focused on her blocking lately.

“[I’ve] been working on becoming a better blocker and more disciplined, so I can be more of a presence as a blocker in the front row,” Mitchell said.

In preparation for this weekend, the team used a creative approach in practice, with the players wearing jerseys with the opposing team’s numbers to prepare themselves for certain players on Penn State and Ohio State. Wisconsin hopes its efforts in practice and improvements in recent matches will help its success continue. It obviously won’t overlook a tremendous Penn State team, but it knows what’s at stake and the importance of these matches down the stretch.

“Our goal to get into the tournament basically has to be [for us] to have a record that’s over .500, and to do that, the committee will consider us,” Waite said. “We’re definitely in the top 50 right now in the RPI. If we get those wins, I know we can accomplish it, so I know the team’s going to fight hard for it.”