It has been eight long months since the University of Wisconsin volleyball team last stepped off the court, finishing its 2007 campaign with an astonishing 3-0 loss to Iowa State on its home court in the second round of the NCAA tournament in December. For a year, in which the Badgers accrued a 26-5 overall record with 17 conference victories and a pair of All-American awards, head coach Pete Waite's crew ended the season in forgettable fashion.
For faithful fans of the program, consider it forgotten.
We'll continue to learn from the loss to Iowa State last year,"" junior opposite hitter Katherine Dykstra said.
""But as far as [that game] is concerned, it's behind us and we're starting over this season working harder than ever.""
With five fresh faces joining the team and a host of letter winners eager to claim one of the four vacant starting positions, the Wisconsin volleyball team will have a very different look when it takes the court at the end of the month.
This year's freshman crop features help from 6'6"" middle blocker Elle Ohlander and a versatile outside hitter who has strong skills at setter in Janelle Gabrielsen. The Wisconsin freshmen also include middle blocker Kelsey Maloney, defensive specialist Sally Shumaker and outside hitter Katie Schill.
But familiar faces from last year's bench will likely have the most immediate impact on the team. Sophomore setter Nikki Klingsporn may finally get her chance to take over the Wisconsin offense after red-shirting her first season and waiting in the wings last year while the Badgers' All-American setter Jackie Simpson ran the show. The former 2005-06 Miss Volleyball Minnesota has a tremendous jump serve and two years of experience under her belt, but may still have to compete with Gabrielsen to earn the job.
On the defense, the likely heir to succeed graduated libero Jocelyn Wack is sophomore Kim Kuzma. The second-year defensive specialist had a number of great showings last season, including eight digs at home against No. 2 Penn State and a career high 18 digs in four games at Purdue. She will be joined in the backcourt by senior defensive specialist Faye McCormack, who should see significant time due to the departures of Megan Mills and Amanda Berkley, the primary defensive substitutes each of the last three years.
Nearly all of the remaining players are seasoned veterans who bring a wealth of experience and skill to an otherwise untested team. Fifth-year senior middle blocker Audra Jeffers is the only remaining player from Waite's 2004 recruiting class and is the captain for this year's team. She tallied 266 kills and 132 blocks in 106 games after moving from the right side to the middle last season.
At outside hitter, the Badgers retain sophomore Allison Wack, junior Caity DuPont, senior Morgan Salow and three-time All-Big Ten standout Brittney Dolgner. The majority of the Wisconsin offensive firepower last season came off the hand of Dolgner, who tallied 491 kills with an average of 4.63 kills per game. In addition, the Badgers will see Dykstra return to the right side.
""Because so much of our front row has at least two years of experience or more, our 'bigs' as we call our frontcourt players, are going to be able to hang in there with any team in the country,"" Dykstra said. ""We also have a very strong group of freshmen who will be able to pick up on the game very quickly and contribute immediately.""
The strength of Wisconsin's front-row hitters has also helped national critics forget about the team's season-ending debacle in the NCAA tournament. The American Volleyball Coaches Association ranked the Badgers 13th in the nation in its preseason poll. Volleyball Magazine gave Wisconsin a more favorable ranking, placing it 12th on its list of elite programs and picking the Badgers to finish third in the Big Ten.
Among the UW's greatest challenges this year will be toughing out three road tournaments in four weeks to start the season, with trips to Lexington, Las Vegas and Milwaukee. They will also face reigning NCAA champion Penn State twice, as well as fellow Big Ten schools receiving AVCA top-25 rankings Minnesota and Purdue.
The Badgers' season kicks off this weekend when they travel south to face Western Carolina, Pittsburg and Kentucky in the Kentucky Classic. Wisconsin's first home matches will come in two weeks when it hosts Central Michigan, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and Brigham Young in the annual InnTowner Invitational at the UW Field House Sept. 9 and 10.
