It is amazing how much things can change in just one year, and certainly this is the case for the Wisconsin Badger Volleyball Team. Little was expected from the 2004 squad, as the Badgers lost several key players to graduation, including all-around star Lisa Zukowski and All-American setter Morgan Shields. 2004 saw seven freshmen play prominent roles for a young developing team. The season got off to a slow start, but at around the halfway point, things started clicking for the young team. The Badgers went on an incredible run all the way to the NCAA Elite Eight, where the team fought hard but lost to eventual National Champion Stanford.
That amazing playoff run has left the Badgers hungry, and perhaps no team has been looking forward to getting back in the gym more than Wisconsin. The Badgers are now a veteran-loaded team, stocked with strong, experienced talent and people around the country are taking notice. Wisconsin is entering the season ranked in the top 10.
\I think we earned a lot of respect from the voters and the volleyball public in general, but that only set us up for a start to this year,"" sophomore setter Jackie Simpson said. ""We really need to focus to keep climbing up and we have a lot of goals that we are working toward.""
""Sometimes the off-season drags, but this one flew by because of how well we finished last year and how excited everybody is about this season,"" head coach Pete Waite said.
In a normally toned-down inter-squad game last weekend, Wisconsin hustled all over the court, much to the delight of the large crowd that gathered in the Field House. There were strong performances all around the court, but Simpson, senior co-captain Sheila Shaw and Amy Bladow stood out according to Waite.
But as hard as the Badgers have worked on the court, even more impressive has been the team's work off the court. Despite featuring the third largest average attendance nationally on their rocking home floor, players wanted more. The team, along with Athletic Department staff, worked hard to set up a special section devoted only to students, similar to the student sections at Camp Randall and the Kohl Center. T-shirts will be given to the first 100 students that attend the team's first home match.
""We have worked really hard in the offseason to get the student section going; it should make the crowd a little more rowdy and it always helps having that strong fan base,"" Simpson said.
""We are really excited about having more of a student presence,"" Waite said. ""For those students that haven't been there, they are going to have an awesome time and I think that a section of students (like the Crease Creatures for hockey or the Grateful Red in basketball) can make a real difference for us on the court.""
Unfortunately, the team will have to wait a couple of weeks to experience the new section due to the team starting off the year this weekend on the road at the Air Force Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colo.
On Friday, Wisconsin will face unfamiliar opponents in Weber State and San Jose State. On Saturday they will face one of the other three teams in the tournament: Air Force, Southeast Missouri State or Bulter depending on Friday's results.
""We really don't know what to expect [from our opponents]. Also, there is the altitude change [in Colorado] and its really hard to adjust to that. It will be a big factor,"" said Simpson.
The tournament will be their first real game experience this year, and will provide the freshmen class a glimpse into collegiate volleyball. The fact that a couple of Badger players are from Colorado, and that coach Waite seems to have a fondness for recruiting from that state should also add to the competition this weekend.
