The Wisconsin women's volleyball team's roller coaster-ride of a season continues this weekend as the Badgers host No. 23 Michigan State and a sound Michigan club at the UW Field House. No. 18 Wisconsin is coming off a weekend road trip that resulted in a great win against No. 24 Ohio State. However, the following day the Badgers fell to Indiana three games to two. This brings Wisconsin's Big Ten record to 3-3, while overall the team's record stands at 12-5.
The team has been vigorously practicing for their upcoming matches with Michigan and Michigan State. They know that they will need to effectively execute all aspects of their game in order to come up with a two-game sweep.
\We have to serve tough because both [Michigan and Michigan State] are good offensive teams,"" Head Coach Pete Waite said. ""We have to keep up with them; for us, it's the basics of the game. If we do that well we're in every match.""
These basics also include a solid mental game, which consists of good focus and a strong sense of confidence. At times, the seems to lack these attributes. Tri-captain and junior setter Morgan Shields knows the importance of learning from past losses.
""We're on a roller coaster, sometimes we're playing awesome and sometimes we're not quite clicking,"" Shields said. ""We need to take the losses as lessons. ... We're working on being tough and being confident and just going after teams.""
Tied for fifth place in the Big Ten, the Badgers can move up in the standings with a two-game sweep. However, this will not be an easy task. Michigan State and Michigan are as good as any of the other tough combatants in the Big Ten. Waite understands how challenging this upcoming weekend in the Big Ten is.
""Every team is well-prepared, every team is well-coached. They're all going to be battles,"" Waite said.
Aware of the difficulty of the task ahead, the lady Badgers still believe they can sweep the Spartans and Wolverines this weekend.
""I think we can do it,"" said sophomore outside hitter Marian Weidner. ""We've been working really hard and we're ready to play.""
Emerging-star freshman middle blocker Sheila Shaw echoes Weidner's remarks.
""I'm very excited. I think we can do good. We just need to work hard and be consistent in every aspect of the game,"" Shaw said.
Playing with this consistency and confidence will go a long way in aiding the Badgers as they approach this weekend's Big Ten battles.
