As the majority of the UW campus settles into Madison for good this week, the No. 10 Wisconsin volleyball team (3-0) is gearing up to head out of town for the second straight week. Last weekend, the Badgers completed sweeps against Western Carolina, Pittsburgh and Kentucky to earn first place at the Kentucky Classic tournament.
Now the Badgers set their sights on UNLV (1-2), Miami of Ohio (1-2), and Cal State Fullerton (2-1) as they travel to Las Vegas for the UNLV Invitation.
Despite starting the year with so much time on the road, the team seems undaunted by taking on their opponents in distant venues.
I think a huge key for our team is to be able to win on the road and stay mentally tough that way,"" senior middle blocker and team captain Audra Jeffers said. ""I think [road games are] just going to make our team stronger.""
Head coach Pete Waite's team looks to be the clear favorite to win the tournament thanks to a cast of players that has put up outstanding numbers in just three matches thus far. In her first outing this year, junior outside hitter Brittney Dolgner quickly reestablished herself as a prominent offensive threat, throwing down 39 kills and earning the tournament MVP award at the Kentucky Classic. Junior right side hitter Katherine Dykstra and senior middle blocker Audra Jeffers also showed prowess on both sides of the ball, combining for 50 kills and 14 blocks last weekend, earning them both all-tournament honors.
Wisconsin also found promise in its new 6-2 offensive scheme during its first three matches. By starting two setters in sophomore Nikki Klingsporn and freshman Janelle Gabrielsen, the Badgers were able to crank out a team hitting percentage of .302 while holding their opponents to just .096 last weekend.
Wisconsin will likely continue to use this new setup at the UNLV Invitation in hopes of repeating last weekend's success.
""For the first time against an opponent, it took some getting used to,"" Waite said of the 6-2 offense. ""We're not just replacing one setter that had been there for four years in [graduated setter] Jackie Simpson. We have two new people making new connections with our hitters, and they just got better every time they stepped on the court. We're really pleased with that.""
Though the Badgers unquestionably have the superior lineup, their competitors also have a few weapons that may present challenges to earning another weekend road sweep. UNLV's junior outside hitter Jessica Walters has been averaging 4.62 kills per set so far this season and the Rebels have 10 letterwinners returning from last year's Mountain West
conference champion team. Miami presents balanced offense to challenge Wisconsin's defensive, with five players throwing down 2.14 kills per set or better. The Badgers' biggest concern against Cal State Fullerton will be shutting down senior outside hitter Brittany Moore, who has been averaging 3.55 kills and 3.73 digs per set.
""The first couple of weekends on the road is actually kind of nice to get out there and test ourselves,"" Waite said. ""Then coming back home, it will be great in front of our student section and our home court fans.
