The Wisconsin volleyball team (12-2 Big Ten, 20-3 overall) returns to the Field House Wednesday to round out its four-game home stand with a mid-week Big Ten battle against Illinois.
There is no time to dwell on last weekend's disappointing series against Michigan State and Northwestern, as Illinois (7-7, 15-9) will come in ready to pull off another upset at the UW Field House. The Illini currently sit just one team behind Wisconsin in the conference standings and have won three of their last four matches.
I think we are really prepared for them coming in,"" senior setter Jackie Simpson said. ""We've watched a lot of film and we are really focused on the match.
""I think it's good that we get to turn around and play again instead of having all week to focus on what happened last time,"" Simpson added.
""Any year in the Big Ten we're saying this match is the most important match of the season,"" head coach Pete Waite said. ""You have to. If you don't, you're in big trouble. You've got to get out there and not look ahead, not look at anybody else. You walk out there and battle and go for the win.""
The Illini are lead by freshman outside hitter Laura DeBruler, whose 5.18 kills per game lead the Big Ten. The Badger middle hitting tandem of senior Taylor Reineke and junior Audra Jeffers will look to shut down DeBruler and the Illini.
""[DeBruler] is a great hitter. She's got a lot of shots,"" Simpson said. ""We're really focusing on setting up our block so our defense can dig around it.""
Reineke and Jeffers currently rank third and sixth in the conference respectively, combining for just over three blocks per game. Senior libero Jocelyn Wack adds 4.76 digs to the Badger defense that held Illinois to just .115 hitting percentage earlier this season.
""We want to be a defensive team - we want to be a great blocking team and a team that swarms the court and picks up all those balls,"" Reineke said. ""I think that's the message that we tried to get across and that we are going to try to bring tomorrow.""
Wisconsin has taken the last five meetings from the Illini, including a 3-1 victory in Illinois Sept. 19. In that match, the Badgers battled back from a 39-41 loss in the first game to take the next three.
""In that very first game it went back and forth for so long and we really held in there,"" Simpson said. ""It could have been really easy for us to let up, but we really held on and tried to get that first one. After that, we came out strong and that's the same attitude we want to have for this. We had a rough weekend, and we want to come back strong.""
First serve is set at 7:05 p.m. and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
