As they prepare to tackle the second half of the Big Ten season, the women of the No. 14 Wisconsin volleyball team (7-3 Big Ten, 15-5 overall) will have their work cut out for them, as a pair of ranked conference opponents roll into Madison this weekend to do battle with the Badgers. Both No. 2 Penn State (10-0, 21-0) and No. 24 Ohio State (5-5, 15-5) will provide Wisconsin a chance at redemption, since the Badgers fell to both teams in a road trip just three weeks ago.
The Badgers are recovering from a pair of nerve-racking matches last week, where they were swept by No. 12 Minnesota and struggled to take down Iowa in four games Saturday. However, one bright spot in UW's recent matches has been the return of senior outside hitter Maria Carlini to the lineup. Carlini missed three matches in the past three weeks due to a foot injury, but has been fighting through the pain in an effort to get back on the court and help her team.
""The most frustrating part of [being injured] is that I think it's getting better, and then something will happen where it's just back to the beginning,"" Carlini said. ""I don't think it's going to heal by the end of the season. But the coaches have been really supportive, giving me time off so that I do have a lot of rest ... It's my last year, I always want to be out there with the team, practicing all the time. Sitting out kills me. I absolutely hate it.""
In addition to getting Carlini back, the Badgers are happy to return home where they have been unstoppable in conference play. Wisconsin has swept every opponent to enter the UW Field House since the InnTowner Invitational in early September.
""We love being at home,"" UW head coach Pete Waite said. ""The last couple of times that we've been here we've had great matches. It's amazing the energy the team comes in with and the crowd has been bringing for us. The student section does a great job distracting the opponents, as does the band. The team has just been really focused [at home] and playing at its best.""
Wisconsin will need to utilize every advantage they have against Penn State and Ohio State, as both teams have high-powered offenses that will provide a serious challenge to the Badger defense. Penn State ranks No. 1 in hitting percentage and service aces in the Big Ten and has the second-best totals in assists and kills. The Nittany Lions are led by middle hitters Christa Harmotto and Melissa Walbridge, whose .420 and .379 hitting percentages put them in first and second place individually in the conference.
Ohio State currently boasts a .282 percentage and ranks fourth in the Big Ten in service aces with 1.72 per game. Outside hitter Briana McCarthy's .365 hitting percentage is third best in the Big Ten, trailing only Harmotto and Walbridge of Penn State.
But Wisconsin has plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Junior middle blocker Taylor Reineke has put up more blocks than any other player in the Big Ten so far this season with 115. As a team, UW is ranked No. 3 in the nation with 3.61 blocks per game. On the offensive side of the ball, freshman outside hitter Brittney Dolgner continues to make a tremendous impact, leading the Badgers in kills for nine consecutive matches with a team-high 4.03 kills per game.
However, the home court certainly serves as the biggest advantage to the Badgers. In its last four home matches, Wisconsin has averaged a .359 hitting percentage and 5.5 service aces per game, compared to the .186 hitting percentage and 3.5 service aces per game in the past four matches on the road.
""The biggest thing that we've found is we're completely different teams when we're home and on the road,"" junior setter Jackie Simpson said. ""When you're in the Big Ten, every match counts because it doesn't matter if you're playing the top team in the league or the bottom team in the league, anybody can take a game or a match off of you.""
