While most of the campus is hunkered down studying, the women’s volleyball team is taking flight on the court and on a plane to Seattle to play in the NCAA Final Four. The Badgers (12-8 Big Ten, 27-9 overall) beat Purdue last weekend to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2000. Wisconsin’s next opponent is No. 1 Texas (27-2, 16-0).
Texas, who many say is the best team in the country, has not lost a match since Sept. 13. With hitters like junior Haley Eckerman, that can nearly reach 11 feet, they offensively dominate their opponents. UW, on the other hand, is a tough, grinding team that focuses on defense. It’s a clash of ideologies.
“They are really big and really up there, and very physical. We defend like crazy. We’re great at what we do, and they’re great at what the do,” head coach Kelly Sheffield said.
While playing the No. 1 team in the nation can seem like an insurmountable task, the Badgers know what they need to do to win: Play hard on defense. Behind senior libero Annemarie Hickey, they have done just that this year. While not the tallest team, they still hold opponents to an extremely low .171 hitting percentage, ranking them second in the Big Ten.
The Badgers have played very well throughout the tournament, losing no more than one set in a match, and sweeping their first two opponents. This can be attributed to a young setter finding a groove in the offense, as well as a team finally starting to get healthy again. That being said, the Badgers feel they are capable of more.
“I’ve said for a while we haven’t played our best volleyball yet, and I still believe that,” Sheffield said.
While winning is the goal, the experience itself is a remarkable achievement. Teams hang banners for a Final Four appearance, teams are recognized for it. The players know this, and they are not getting too caught up; they are enjoying the ride.
“We’re excited that we get to go to Seattle, we’re one of four teams left. It’s a really exciting opportunity for us,” Hickey said.
With this game possibly being the last, the team has nothing else to lose, and they are ready to play.
“We will just go out there, being confident, laying it all on the floor, seeing what we can do,” freshman setter Lauren Carlini said.
The game will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday on ESPN 2.
