The Wisconsin volleyball team (1-1 Big Ten, 13-2 overall) is slated for what may prove to be its toughest weekend of the season as it takes on No. 1 Penn State Friday and No. 22 Ohio State on Saturday night at the UW Field House.
Conference play kicked off last weekend as the Badgers split matches with Northwestern and Illinois. This weekend poses a much more daunting task, as two of the nation’s top-25 teams come to Madison.
It’s not every weekend that a squad faces the nation’s top team and turns around to play a team like Ohio State. Head coach Pete Waite says it is simply a factor of playing in the Big Ten.
“I don’t think we prepare any differently [for the high level of competition] because that’s how most of the Big Ten is. You usually see at least one ranked team every night," Waite said. "So we prepare with our scouting report on those teams, we prepare by improving our game as best we can. There aren’t many sports that do that back-to-back nights so often, so it’s tough, but you have to put one behind you and move on to the next.”
Perennial power Penn State boasts more height than any team the Badgers have faced thus far. With a handful of athletic girls crowding the net at 6-foot-3 and above, the Badgers will have their work cut out for them. Penn State also brings a service game to the table that is hard to prepare for. Scouting for a match of this magnitude becomes paramount.
“[Sophomore] Micha Hancock is their setter, she’s left handed and she serves a tough ball,” Waite said. “As long as you’re prepared for it and try to limit the streaks she gets on, [you can] run your offense inside-out.”
Senior middle blocker Alexis Mitchell has downplayed Penn State’s height, citing that she has always been shorter than her counterparts. Mitchell was Honorable Mention All-Big Ten the last two years despite giving up a bit of height.
“I’m the smallest middle [blocker] in the Big Ten, so I’m always playing against somebody bigger than me,” said Mitchell. “[Penn State's] middle [blocker] is 6-foot-6 and I’m 5-foot-11, so it’s a pretty big mismatch, but I think that we just have to play our game. If we play our level we’ll be alright.”
Ohio State does not feature the same height as Penn State, but OSU senior outside hitter Mari Hole poses a world of her own challenges. All-Big Ten last year, Hole is on a tear again this year and looks to create havoc for the Badgers' defense. Coach Waite tries to replicate players such as Ohio State’s Hole and Penn State’s Hancock in practice as often as possible.
“We have some of the male practice players come in, and there’s some bigger players who are more physical, jump higher," Waite said. "So that is how we train during the week for Big Ten play.”
One thing is for certain: This Badger team does not lack confidence. When preparing for two highly ranked opponents in such a short time, it is just as important to maintain a mental edge as it is to maintain a physical edge. Junior defensive specialist Annemarie Hickey feels confident going into the weekend, knowing what her team is capable of.
“We know these teams are really good and they’re going to do a lot of things, but we also know what we’re capable of and what we can do,” said Hickey. “We’ve shown this past weekend that we’re a whole different team than we were last year.”
