Not very often does a freshman join a Division I volleyball team and finish her first-year campaign with all-conference honors, all-region honors, and team-high totals in kills and service aces. In fact, no freshman has ever achieved such a decorated record in her freshman year in the UW volleyball program.
No freshman, that is, until Brittney Dolgner donned a Badger uniform. The now-sophomore outside hitter was sent in from the bench in the first game of last year's season and immediately went to work establishing herself as the most potent offensive threat on the team, playing in every game in 2006 and earning a start in 31 of the remaining 32 matches. In addition to All-Big Ten and AVCA All-Midwest Region honors, Dolgner finished last year with a team-high 461 kills, 1,128 attempts, 4.12 kills per game and 32 service aces.
In the handful of matches that Wisconsin has played already this season, Dolgner has picked up where she left off last season. She currently leads the team with 86 kills, 128 attempts, 5.06 kills per game and led all players in total kills in four out of the first six matches - including the loss to then-No. 15 BYU.
I think there are a lot of girls who make huge impacts on our team, and Brittney has been consistent from her freshman year through now,"" senior middle blocker and team co-captain Taylor Reineke said. ""I think she's really steady when she plays. People look up to her because she's just a great player all around and she's great to have out on the court.""
As the season progresses, the Badger faithful will continue to look for Dolgner to step up and produce the outstanding numbers she put up last year and thus far this year. Despite the pressure to perform, Dolgner keeps a level head and simply gives her best in every practice and every game.
""It's not a lot of pressure, it's just high expectations,"" Dolgner said. ""[I also have] high expectations for myself to come out and just do better. Improve on things like blocking, just to make myself a better player. I think it's a lot of personal pressure, not so much from everyone else.""
Fortunately for Dolgner, this year's volleyball team is spearheaded by a great core of seniors that will take a great deal of pressure off of her, including fellow 2006 All-Big Ten honorees Reineke and setter Jackie Simpson. The combination of strong senior leadership and great athletic efforts from Dolgner will be critical to the success of the team this year.
""It's phenomenal that we have so many seniors, and that gives us the leadership and maturity on the team,"" UW head coach Pete Waite said. ""But Brittney is such a great athlete and so experienced on the floor that she's really, at times, putting us on her back offensively and really scoring well for us. It's a great balance between the veteran leadership and a young player like that.""
In addition to Dolgner and the seniors, many other players are making noticeable impacts on the court. Junior outside hitter Audra Jeffers has spent the offseason changing positions, sophomore outside hitter Caity DuPont and freshman Allison Wack have performed well in matches thus far, and sophomore opposite hitter Katherine Dykstra and junior outside hitter Morgan Salow have been putting up career numbers in kills and hitting percentages.
""I think we've got all the pieces to make a great team here,"" Waite said. ""Audra Jeffers has made a move from the right side to the middle, and that's not an easy thing to do. She's really adjusting, and the fact that she was out last spring with an injury made it tough to get used to the position, so now she's just learning every week and getting better all the time.
""On the left side,"" Waite continued, ""we've got Caity DuPont and Al Wack who have come in and they're taking turns on the left side and both doing great. I think it's a team who just has to get used to each other on the court, and every weekend they're going to get stronger.""
