The Wisconsin volleyball team knows there’s no such thing as an easy game in the Big Ten. That’s why the Badgers (15-13, 7-9) are focused on not overlooking Iowa (11-18, 1-15) on a weekend road trip that concludes with a date against No. 4 Nebraska (21-3, 14-2). While the Badgers… Read more »

Wisconsin women’s volleyball head coach Pete Waite has always spoken with pride about his team’s balanced offense. At any given match, a number of Badger attackers could lead the team in kills, making it difficult for opponents to anticipate which Badger will get the next set up. This well-distributed offense… Read more »

When asked to describe how it felt to take down ranked opponents in consecutive weekends, Janelle Gabrielsen had just one word —“Awesome.” The senior setter and captain showed her veteran talent as she tallied her second triple-double of the season to lead her team to a 3-1 victory over the… Read more »

The Wisconsin women’s volleyball team concluded its home stand with a bittersweet weekend against two strong squads from Michigan. Wisconsin (15-13, 7-9) couldn’t use the confidence gained by defeating No. 24 Michigan (18-10, 6-10) 3-1 Friday to string together three straight wins as the Badgers fell to Michigan State (19-9… Read more »

The Wisconsin women’s volleyball team will defend its home at the Field House for the second consecutive weekend with matchups against Michigan and Michigan State. The Badgers are hoping to extend their success after a weekend against tough opponents like Ohio State and Penn State. Despite getting off to a… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball roster is a list with 17 roster spots; six freshmen, five sophomores and four juniors take up 15 of them. In those remaining roster slots, you will find the names of the two lone seniors on this year’s squad: Janelle Gabrielsen and Elle Ohlander. The two senior… Read more »

To be the best, you have to beat the best — and the Wisconsin women’s volleyball team did just that Sunday. The Badgers (14-12, 6-8) knocked off defending four-time national champion No. 6 Penn State (17-6, 11-3) at the Field House in five sets, 26-24, 25-19, 32-34, 14-25, 15-12. Sunday… Read more »

Freshman Ellen Chapman has been a feature cog of the Wisconsin volleyball attack, and this weekend, she put forth one of the finest performances of her young career.Chapman set a new career-high for kills Sunday, leading the Badgers’ offense with 18 and helping Wisconsin upset No. 6 Penn State in… Read more »

After an unsuccessful start to the second half of Big Ten play, the Wisconsin women’s volleyball team returns home with no shortage of motivation to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Badgers are coming off of back-to-back losses on the road. Despite grabbing… Read more »

It has been a long time for the Wisconsin volleyball team — since 2007 to be exact. That was the last time the program reached the NCAA tournament, a destination head coach Pete Waite has taken the Badgers to nine times in his 12 years at the helm. The nine… Read more »

At the halfway mark of Big Ten play, the Wisconsin volleyball team (13-9, 5-5) has already matched its conference win total from last year, and after already facing six opponents in the AVCA Top 25, the Badgers will once again face a Big Ten giant. To open up the second… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team received a painful dose of news this week. Freshman outside hitter Crystal Graff will miss the remainder of the season with a right knee injury, and head coach Pete Waite foresees freshman Caroline Workman and junior Bailey Reshel working in tandem to fill Graff’s spot. “Crystal… Read more »

Two brand new teams will meet in the University Gym in Bloomington, Ind., Saturday night. Or at least that is how it appears on paper. The 4-5 Wisconsin women’s volleyball team will hit the road this weekend to try their luck against the 0-8 Indiana Hoosiers. At this same point… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team fought long and hard against the No. 14 Minnesota Gophers Wednesday night but fell short in five sets: 25-22, 23-25, 18-25, 25-21, 10-15. In a match that featured 25 tied scores and 14 lead changes, Wisconsin and Minnesota clawed back and forth for five grueling sets.… Read more »

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a thundering kill by one of the Wisconsin women’s volleyball team’s many talented hitters. However, those offensive moments begin with solid passing, digging and serve receiving from the Badger defense. Big Ten defensive leader, sophomore Annemarie Hickey, anchored her back… Read more »

The infamous border battle will commence Wednesday evening at the Field House as the Wisconsin women’s volleyball team takes on the No. 14 Minnesota Gophers. The Gophers lead the all-time series 4-3 and won both matchups last season, 3-1 and 3-0. Both teams are coming off weekend losses to Nebraska… Read more »

When you first see junior Alexis Mitchell step onto the floor for the Wisconsin volleyball team, you’ll notice she is shorter than most middle blockers in the Big Ten. But despite standing at 6-foot, Mitchell quickly discards any perceived disadvantages about her size after her first kill. She makes it… Read more »

From the first point of Sunday’s match, Iowa could tell Wisconsin’s front line meant business. Junior Alexis Mitchell opened up the first set with a powerful kill that served as a moment of foreshadowing for the rest of the match. The Badgers received four strong contributions up front as Mitchell,… Read more »

Height difference was not the only thing that set apart the Wisconsin women’s volleyball team’s two opponents this weekend. On Sunday, Wisconsin beat an inconsistent Iowa squad in three straight sets, 25-16, 25-22, 25-21, two days after falling to Nebraska, who performed with precision and swept the Badgers, 25-21, 25-15,… Read more »

It just doesn’t seem to get any easier for the Wisconsin volleyball team. After coming off a two-weekend road trip that included upset wins over ranked teams in Ohio State and Michigan, Wisconsin will face another ranked opponent this weekend. As as far as cliches go, you have to beat… Read more »

For the past few years, “big threes” have popped up all over sports, including the Wisconsin women’s volleyball team. The addition of freshmen Ellen Chapman, Courtney Thomas and Crystal Graff has shown tremendous potential in the early part of the 2011-12 season. Each of the three Badgers have already put… Read more »

After a weekend road trip that concluded with the Wisconsin volleyball team falling to Michigan State and upsetting No. 18 Michigan, head coach Pete Waite said he was pleased about the way his team battled throughout the weekend.Waite met with the media in his weekly Monday press conference, assessing the… Read more »

Once again, the Badgers are on the road.Following a strong performance Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, against Ohio State, the Wisconsin volleyball team (10-6, 2-2) is looking to maintain its momentum against Michigan State (13-3, 2-2) Friday in East Lansing, Mich. After upsetting the No. 24 Buckeyes with a mixture of… Read more »

Coming off the first two games of a four-game road set, the University of Wisconsin women’s volleyball team brought home valuable experience playing against two ranked conference foes. They also brought home a win. Playing in their second consecutive match against an opponent ranked in the top 10 last Friday,… Read more »

After a lengthy homestand, the Badgers volleyball team is on the road again. In a weekend pair of matches that kicks off four consecutive contests away from Madison, Wisconsin (9-5, 1-1) will first take on four-time defending national champion and No. 9 Penn State (8-4, 1-1) Friday. It gets no… Read more »

When head coach Pete Waite first recruited the then-highly touted Annemarie Hickey, he saw a promising defensive talent. “We saw Anne as a defensive player and eventually our libero,” Waite said. “She was an outside hitter through high school and one of the top players in Illinois as an outside… Read more »

Entering Sunday’s match against the nation’s No. 3 three-ranked squad, the Wisconsin volleyball team had little room for error. Unfortunately, Wisconsin (9-5, 1-1) could not win a set against Illinois (13-0, 2-0), as the Badgers fell in consecutive sets, 25-18, 25-17, 25-22. Wisconsin’s eight service errors killed momentum at key… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team is in no way easing into conference play this year, as two tough matches against Big Ten opponents loom this weekend. Wisconsin (8-4) opens Big Ten play at home against Northwestern (9-2) Friday, while the second match of the weekend slate pits the Badgers against the… Read more »

Maybe it was the luck of the Irish, or maybe it was the long grind of a two-day tournament and the conclusion of a 12-game non-conference schedule. Whatever the reason, the Wisconsin volleyball team’s win streak fell short Saturday night in the championship game of the InnTowner Invitational, as the… Read more »

After three tournaments away from home, the Badgers are finally set to return to the friendly confines of the Field House. The Badgers hope to continue their 12-set winning streak this weekend at the 20th annual InnTowner Invitational, where Wisconsin (6-3) will host Notre Dame (5-3), Western Michigan (9-1) and… Read more »

Coming off their second-longest road trip, the Badgers have something to smile about. While the first two tournaments of the road trip were marked with close losses, the Badgers pulled out the brooms to sweep all three of their matches on their way to winning the Art Carmichael Invitational in… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team will continue the second-longest opening road trip in program history with a weekend tournament in Rhode Island. Wisconsin will play Boston College, Rhode Island and Columbia in its third consecutive invitational tournament away from Madison. The Badgers will look to build on their success from last… Read more »

For a team to be successful in any sport, there must be solid leadership. At the highest position on the team, a head coach must be a winner and a solid verbal communicator with their players. The Wisconsin volleyball program has that in head coach Pete Waite and has had… Read more »

2010 was a season of mixed results for the Wisconsin volleyball team. The Badgers jumped out to a promising 11-0 start, tying for the best start in school history. But the team couldn’t continue the trend, as it posted a 16-15 overall record to finish the season. The Badgers wrapped… Read more »

Wisconsin (16-13, 5-13) wrapped up its last home game of the year with a solid victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes (7-20, 2-16). The Badgers won in four convincing sets on Saturday night, and were happy to end the home season with a win on senior night. “I’m especially happy for… Read more »

Emotions ran high for three Wisconsin seniors after they played their last home match. The Badgers (16-13, 5-13) split their final two matches at the Fieldhouse, losing Friday to No. 19 Minnesota 3-0, but came back Saturday night to defeat Iowa in four sets on senior night. Unable to sustain… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team (15-12, 4-12) enters its last homestand of the year this weekend when it battles No. 22 Minnesota (20-8, 10-6) and Iowa (7-18, 2-14). The Badgers are coming off a devastating loss in five sets to Ohio State last weekend and are looking to bounce back on… Read more »

With just four matches remaining in the 2010 regular season and the Wisconsin volleyball team’s playoff chances on life support, the time to look forward to next season begins. Fortunately for the Badgers, no position looks brighter for the future of the team than the middle blockers. Sophomore Alexis Mitchell… Read more »

With only six matches remaining, the Wisconsin volleyball team’s (15-10, 4-10) postseason hopes are still very alive. The Badgers rebounded from a rough start in conference play to give themselves a chance to make the NCAA Tournament. This weekend they travel to ninth-ranked Penn State (21-4, 11-3) and Ohio State… Read more »

A big part of the Badgers’ success lately has come from the leadership of veterans like Allison Wack and Kim Kuzma. Still, the younger players cannot go without being recognized. Sophomore Alexis Mitchell and freshman Julie Mikaelsen are just two players representing the importance of youth on a team. “The… Read more »

Despite the final score, the Wisconsin volleyball team actually played the No. 6 ranked Illini very closely Wednesday night. The Badgers (14-10, 4-10) were swept in three sets by Illinois (20-3, 12-1), but each set was close. There were an astounding 28 total tie scores. Reigning Big Ten Freshman of… Read more »

Darla Wack, Allison Wack’s aunt, starred for UW-Milwaukee in the 1980’s. Nate Wack, Allison’s brother, played volleyball for UC-Santa Barbara from 2001-04. Jocelyn Wack set the record for most digs in a career for the Badgers. Coming from a volleyball family, Wack has figured things out from a very young… Read more »

It was just another weekend in the rugged Big Ten for the Wisconsin volleyball team. After sweeping Michigan State 3-0 (30-28, 25-20, 25-16) Friday night, the Badgers (14-9, 3-9) fell Saturday 3-1 (20-25, 22-25,25-22, 25-19) to the No. 25 Michigan Wolverines. Things did not go quite as swimmingly Saturday against… Read more »

The Badgers (14-9, 3-9) were hitting on all cylinders when they swept Michigan State (11-12, 3-9) in three sets on Friday night. The fans at the Field House had plenty to cheer about in the exciting match. It was the first sweep for Wisconsin since defeating Green Bay on Sept.… Read more »

With the first half of Big Ten play behind them, the Wisconsin Badgers are looking to build off their recent success in a homestand this weekend. Wisconsin (13-8, 2-8) will face Michigan State (11-10, 3-7) Friday and No. 15 Michigan (19-3, 8-2) Saturday. The Badgers are very familiar with both… Read more »

Flying high after its first conference win of the season, the Wisconsin volleyball team takes to the road this weekend to face Iowa and Minnesota. The Badgers (12-7, 1-7) disposed of Purdue on Sunday, earning their first Big Ten win, but head coach Pete Waite and his staff are… Read more »

Traveling across the world is difficult enough, but attending college and playing volleyball in a foreign country would be much more daunting. Freshmen outside hitter Julie Mikaelsen has taken on that challenge in Madison, and she has handled it well. Mikaelsen has provided a spark for Wisconsin’s volleyball team, while… Read more »

The monkey is finally off the back of the Wisconsin volleyball team, as the Badgers (12-7, 1-7) were able to obtain their first Big Ten win since last October. It had been nearly a full year — 352 days to be exact — since the Badgers last tasted conference victory… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team was in high spirits after earning its first Big Ten victory against the Purdue Boilermakers (13-6, 4-4). The Badgers won in four sets (25-22, 21-25, 25-16, 25-17) in an exciting home win for a team that has struggled lately. Head coach Pete Waite was in a… Read more »

After a disappointing road trip last weekend, the Wisconsin volleyball team still seeks its first Big Ten victory, as UW hosts the Indiana Hoosiers Friday night. It won’t be an easy task against Indiana (14-4, 2-4 Big Ten), which is looking to build off big wins against Ohio State and… Read more »

After a long and, at times, trying four-game home stand to start conference play, the Wisconsin Badgers (11-4, 0-4) will hit the road looking for a fresh start. Wisconsin will do battle with both conference schools in Michigan this weekend, taking on Michigan (14-2, 3-1) and Michigan State (9-6, 1-3)… Read more »

After 11 straight wins to start the season, the Wisconsin volleyball team is experiencing the other end of the spectrum. Wisconsin volleyball lost its fourth consecutive conference match Friday night, ending a four-game home stand for the team. The Badgers (11-4, 0-4) were defeated by the No. 25 ranked Northwestern… Read more »

It’s not always easy to take positives from a three-game losing streak, but for the Wisconsin volleyball team, if there was ever a losing streak worth being proud of, this is it. Wisconsin (11-3, 0-3) dropped their third straight match, all within conference play, losing 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 23-25, 21-25),… Read more »

Recovering from their first two losses of the season, practice seemed a little less upbeat this week for the Wisconsin volleyball team. However, players and coaches are remaining confident that there will be no hangover effect following a five-set loss to Ohio State and a 3-0 sweep provided by Penn… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team is perfect no more after tough conference matches over the weekend. On Friday, they lost a nail biter to Ohio State in five sets. They tried to rebound on Sunday, but they suffered a loss to No. 2 ranked Penn State in three sets. “In the… Read more »

Wisconsin volleyball head coach Pete Waite knew this weekend, the opening weekend in Big Ten play, would be difficult. He hoped, however, that his young team could rise to the challenge. Although the Badgers (11-2, 0-2) fought hard against both Ohio State (13-2, 1-1) Friday night and Penn State (11-2,… Read more »

A heightened sense of intensity was present at the Wisconsin volleyball team’s practice Wednesday evening. The reason: The Badgers (11-0) open up Big Ten play this weekend against two of the top opponents they will face all year. After completing the non-conference, or “first-season” as senior Allison Wack tabbed it,… Read more »

Wisconsin volleyball head coach Pete Waite addressed the media yesterday in a press conference at Camp Randall following the team’s weekend victories over UW-Green Bay. With this past weekend’s wrap-up to non-conference play, the Badgers are a perfect 11-0. This ties the program’s record for the best start to a… Read more »

In its final non-conference tune-up before Big Ten play begins, the Wisconsin volleyball team looked sharp, sweeping the UW-Green Bay Phoenix 3-0 (25-9, 25-18, 25-20). The Badgers (11-0) came out firing in the first game, as Alexis Mitchell led the team through a 13-0 run after the game was initially… Read more »

The Wisconsin women’s volleyball has completed quite the turnaround from a season ago. The team finished with a lackluster 11-18 record, the most losses since 1986, and that marked just the second time head coach Pete Waite had ever coached a team with a losing record. However, so far this… Read more »

There is an age-old debate as to which is more important: talent or experience. This fall, the Wisconsin volleyball team hopes it is the former. The Badgers’ 18-woman roster includes just three seniors and four juniors, meaning youth will be served — and serving — this season. Despite Wisconsin’s relative… Read more »

While spring is not usually known as volleyball season for the Wisconsin volleyball team, it is the perfect time to get in some extra practice before next fall. This Saturday, the Badgers will be competing in the UNI Spring Tournament in Cedar Falls, Iowa for their last exhibition matches of… Read more »

In its first match of the spring season Saturday, the Wisconsin volleyball team defeated UW-Milwaukee 25-23, 25-17, 25-21 at the UW Field House. As it was an exhibition match, the teams also played a fourth set, which the Panthers won 25-21. The Badgers were led by 17 kills from senior… Read more »

There’s an old sentiment in the sporting world that states the more experienced teams often perform the best. Don’t tell that to the Wisconsin volleyball team. After having practiced as a team for just a short time this spring, sophomore Kirby Toon was pleased with her team’s 25-23, 25-17, 25-21… Read more »

This Saturday, the Badgers women’s volleyball team will make its official return to the court against UW-Milwaukee to begin its condensed spring season. This season for women’s volleyball differs from that of the fall in that there are only 10 games on the schedule, spanning about a month, as opposed… Read more »

It was a frustrating end to a frustrating season for the Wisconsin volleyball team as the Badgers lost their season finale in five sets to the Purdue Boilermakers at the Field House. After Purdue took the first two sets by a score of 25-23 and 25-19, UW answered with an… Read more »

As Brittney Dolgner wrote in her final “captain’s log,” it was supposed to be a great day to be a Badger as Wisconsin hosted Purdue in its season finale Saturday at the Field House. Unfortunately for Dolgner and fellow senior Caity DuPont, things didn’t exactly go according to plan on… Read more »

After falling to Northwestern and Illinois this weekend, the Wisconsin women’s volleyball team failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the second straight season. Saturday’s defeat marked the seventh loss in a row for the struggling Badgers, who had not lost seven consecutive matches since 1995. With the losses,… Read more »

Last year, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team lost six consecutive Big Ten games, yet still managed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. With the volleyball team’s losing streak having reached five games, the Badgers hope they can mirror what Bo Ryan’s squad did last spring. To do that, however, they… Read more »

Kill percentage in volleyball can often times be compared to batting average in baseball. Just like a .300 average is an indication of a good baseball player, that same number is a mark of quality for a volleyball player as well. But Sunday afternoon at the Field House, the… Read more »

After having gone over two months without losing more than two consecutive games, that trend ended abruptly this past weekend at the Field House. The Badgers will now head to Iowa with hopes of ending their first three-game losing streak of the season and with an aim to avenge their… Read more »

In an up-and-down season for the Wisconsin volleyball team, things may have taken a turn for the worse this past weekend. After being swept Friday night by No. 1 Penn State, the Ohio State Buckeyes followed the Lady Lions with their own sweep of the Badgers Saturday night at the… Read more »

If the Wisconsin volleyball team’s schedule were not already difficult enough, this weekend might just make it significantly tougher. After splitting their matches against Michigan and Michigan State last weekend, the Badgers will play host to No. 1 Penn State and Ohio State this weekend at the Field House.… Read more »

For the second time this season, the Wisconsin volleyball team will take on both Michigan and Michigan State in the same weekend. Three weeks ago, the Badgers welcomed the Wolverines and Spartans to the Field House and greeted them with wins on consecutive nights. Now, the volleyball team will head… Read more »

In a season that has featured only two winning streaks, none longer than two games, Wisconsin continued its up-and-down trend on the weekend with a four-set win Saturday over Northwestern. A night after falling to No. 8 Illinois, the Badgers rebounded nicely on their home court, winning a tough match… Read more »

After splitting a road series last weekend, the Wisconsin volleyball team returns home to try and win its second game in a row for only the third time this season. The Badgers will welcome No. 8 Illinois and Northwestern to the Field House, as they look to continue their… Read more »

After splitting its weekend road series last week — losing to Purdue and beating Indiana — the Badgers continued something that isn’t exactly a new trend for the 9-8 squad. The win-loss pattern has been plaguing the Badgers all season. The team has not won three games in a… Read more »

With the first half of the Big Ten season almost under wraps, the Wisconsin volleyball team (9-8, 4-4) faces two big conference matchups this weekend at the UW Field House. Beginning Friday night, the Badgers will host No. 8 Illinois (14-3, 6-2), and the next night, Northwestern (11-9, 2-6) will… Read more »

At the beginning of the season, the Wisconsin volleyball team may have expected to have a better record than its 3-3 mark in the Big Ten. But after upsetting two ranked teams last weekend, the Badgers can’t help but be excited.Following wins over then-No. 18 Michigan State and then-No. 8… Read more »

For junior Allison Wack, beating two ranked Big Ten teams in the same weekend is a bit shocking. So surprising in fact, the outside hitter was in disbelief following the Badgers’ win over Michigan on Saturday.”I can’t stop shaking,” she said after upsetting the No. 8 team in the country.… Read more »

Going into its toughest road trip of the season last week, the Wisconsin volleyball team was on the verge of losing its first four Big Ten games.However, after winning its first Big Ten game last weekend against Ohio State, the Badgers (6-7, 1-3 Big Ten) welcome Michigan State and Michigan… Read more »

After a tough road trip, the Wisconsin volleyball team (6-7, 1-3 Big Ten) is ready to defend its home court and keep building up confidence this week. The Badgers beat Ohio State 3-1 Friday and displayed a consistently high level of play before losing 3-0 to No. 1 Penn State… Read more »

After dropping its first Big Ten game to Iowa on Wednesday, the Wisconsin volleyball team travels to Minnesota to take on the No. 9 Gophers tonight at the UM Sports Pavilion.The Badgers had a strong offensive game against the Hawkeyes Wednesday night but were unable to give the home crowd… Read more »

In its first conference game of the season, the Wisconsin volleyball team fell to the Iowa Hawkeyes in four sets at the Field House Wednesday night. After dropping the first set 25-21, the Badgers (5-5, 0-1 Big Ten) came back in the second to beat the Hawkeyes 25-19 in the… Read more »

Iowa entered Wednesday night’s matchup at the Field House with the Big Ten’s top statistical defense and it showed in the Hawkeyes’ victory over the Badgers. Wisconsin struggled to score against Iowa, especially in the fourth set, which they lost 25-18 to end the match three sets to one. And… Read more »

After sweeping UW-Green Bay in its final nonconference game, the Wisconsin volleyball team will host the Iowa Hawkeyes tonight at the Field House in its first Big Ten game of the year. The Badgers (5-4) beat the Green Bay Phoenix in straight sets last week to win consecutive matches… Read more »

Coming off of a three-game sweep against UW-Green Bay, the University of Wisconsin volleyball team is now preparing for its Big Ten opener Wednesday. The Badgers have compiled a 5-4 non-conference record, stringing together consecutive wins in their last two games. UW head coach Pete Waite said in a Monday… Read more »

In its final tune—up before Big Ten play begins next week, the Wisconsin volleyball team will hit the road to take on the UW-Green Bay Phoenix tonight at the Kress Events Center. The Badgers (4-4) are coming off a second- place finish in the Notre Dame invitational, where they… Read more »

Wisconsin volleyball coach Pete Waite highlighted the team’s progression despite its 4-4 record during his news conference Monday afternoon. The team has a fairly tough schedule this year, which Waite notes as an attribute to promoting team growth and development. Waite said that if the team had easy teams on… Read more »

The Toon family name carries a lot of weight at the University of Wisconsin. Former NFL wide receiver Al Toon spent the early ’80s hauling in touchdown passes for the Badgers. His son, sophomore Nick Toon, is quickly making his own mark at Camp Randall. But there’s a third… Read more »

After hosting its own tournament last week, the Wisconsin volleyball team will play in the Oregon State Invitational this weekend. During their own InnTowner Invitational — which took place at the Field House last weekend — the Badgers went 1-2, sweeping South Dakota, but losing to Duke and Ohio. While… Read more »

With eight new players on its roster, the Wisconsin volleyball team could view its performance in the InnTowner Invitational as a success. Despite losing to the Ohio Bobcats in four sets Sunday, the Badgers showed signs of improvement throughout the tournament. After getting swept by Duke in their first match… Read more »

Coming off one of its most disappointing seasons in recent memory, the Wisconsin volleyball team may be facing an even more challenging year in 2009. Last fall, with nine returning players on the roster, experience defined the Badgers, but did not provide them with enough to make the NCAA Tournament,… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin volleyball team has added two new players to its roster for the 2009 season. In a statement, Wisconsin head coach Pete Waite announced Clare Liston and Ashley Wiedmeyer won spots after attending an open tryout in April. Both players will become immediately eligible to play… Read more »

Jessa Benson seems to know something about opportunity. For better or worse, she’s had a few. “Sometimes I’m not necessarily presented with the ideal situation,” she said. “I feel like having a positive outlook on life has helped me out a lot.” Benson, a native of Spring Green, Wis., is… Read more »

For the second time this spring, the University of Wisconsin volleyball team showed it might need a bit more time to return to its winning ways. However, while Wisconsin split the four sets played Saturday in an exhibition match against the North Dakota State Bison, it showed improvement unseen… Read more »

After struggling to play at a consistently high level from game to game and finishing the 2008 season with a 7-13 record in the Big Ten, the University of Wisconsin volleyball team was hoping for a fresh start with a spring exhibition match against Iowa State last Saturday. Failing to… Read more »

There is a sense of urgency this weekend for the Wisconsin volleyball team as it prepares for its second to last weekend of play on the road at Indiana on Friday and at No. 1 Penn State Saturday. The Badgers (17-11, 7-9 Big Ten) became eligible for NCAA tournament… Read more »

For the University of Wisconsin volleyball team, it is never too late to turn the season around. Despite losing a heartbreaking match in five sets to Minnesota Friday, the Badgers (17-11, 7-9 Big Ten) returned strong and swept Iowa Sunday for UW’s seventh Big Ten victory of the season. “I… Read more »

Waging a border battle of their own, the Wisconsin volleyball team will host Minnesota and Iowa this weekend at the Field House for a pair of Big Ten matches. The Badgers lost to both the Gophers and the Hawkeyes earlier this season, but the team thinks the games were too… Read more »

The key to winning for the Wisconsin volleyball hangs from a new banner in the Field House. “Play with heart,” it reads. “It stands for hunger, execution, accountability, respect and teamwork,” senior captain Audra Jeffers said. “That is what we try to play with every day. We need to… Read more »

As costumed students looked on, the University of Wisconsin volleyball team struggled as it fell to Michigan State Friday night in five games at the Field House. The loss drops the Badgers to a 15-9 record and 5-7 in conference play, putting them in a two-way tie for seventh in… Read more »

The match at the Field House will try to divert some of the attention away from State Street Friday night, as the Wisconsin volleyball team will try to complete the week sweep against Michigan State. The No. 25 Badgers are coming off a three-game victory over Northwestern Wednesday, which… Read more »

The No. 25 University of Wisconsin volleyball team was looking to go 1-0 starting the second half of their season. It did just that last night, beating Northwestern in three straight sets. “It gave us a little confidence boost,” junior outside hitter Brittney Dolgner said. “It shows that we can… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team will host Northwestern at the Field House Wednesday, when UW will be looking to put a halt to a four-match losing streak in the Big Ten. The Badgers (14-8, Big Ten 4-6) are eager to get back on the court after losing to Indiana and No.… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team played two very different matches over the weekend, but both of them ended with the same result. The Badgers were swept by Indiana and No. 1 Penn State at the Field House, dropping their record in the Big Ten to 4-6 at the halfway point of… Read more »

When a team faces an opponent that leads its conference in five of seven major categories, it is going to be a struggle. The Badgers, who are 14-8 (4-6 Big Ten) after Sunday’s loss against Indiana, experienced just that in their loss in straight sets to the Nittany Lions 25-20,… Read more »

When ESPN comes to town for a volleyball game, you know something big is bound to happen. This is the case this weekend when No. 21 Badgers return home to face No. 1 Penn State on Friday night, followed by Indiana on Sunday. The Badgers are coming off another… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team continues to struggle with inconsistent play after dropping two matches over the weekend to Illinois and Purdue. With a combination of five freshmen and sophomores in the regular rotation — including both of the setters — part of the Badgers’ inconsistencies may be attributed to an… Read more »

The Badger volleyball team looks to extend its winning streak as it hits the road to play No. 21 Purdue on Friday and No. 17 Illinois on Sunday. The Badgers are currently on a four-game winning streak with wins over Northwestern and Michigan State on the road last week. The… Read more »

After Allison Wack followed her sister to the Wisconsin volleyball team, the comparisons became inevitable. Allison — the younger sister of former Badger Jocelyn Wack — understands this and doesn’t expect questions about it to let up. It wasn’t her sister, however, who sold her on UW. “I suppose indirectly… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team will travel to Michigan State on Saturday for the second leg of four straight road matches. After beating Northwestern in four sets Wednesday, the Badgers (13-4, 3-2 Big Ten) have won it’s past three Big Ten matches to overcome an 0-2 start in conference play. “Absolutely… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team travels down to Northwestern today to compete in their fifth Big Ten match of the season. The No. 21 Badgers (12-4, 2-2 Big Ten) are hoping to carry over their success from last weekend when they went 2-0 against Ohio State and Michigan. “Absolutely that momentum… Read more »

This weekend, the University of Wisconsin volleyball team was able to get back on track, beating Michigan in a five-set victory on Friday and sweeping Ohio State Sunday afternoon. Against the Buckeyes, the Badgers were led by senior outside hitter Morgan Salow, who had 13 kills and a .611 hitting… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team boasts numerous hitters capable of dominating a match, and on Sunday, it was senior Morgan Salow’s turn. Salow came off the bench to lead the Badgers to a resounding 3-0 win over Ohio State, as the outside hitter turned in her finest performance of the season.… Read more »

This weekend, the Wisconsin volleyball team will host Michigan and Ohio State for a pair of Big Ten matches at the Field House. After losing to Iowa and Minnesota to start the conference 0-2, the No. 20 Badgers (10-4, 0-2 Big Ten) will try to take advantage of the… Read more »

In volleyball, there is a specific vocabulary, which, once a person watches the game for a while, understands. Volleyball fans know the difference between a middle blocker and outside hitter or what happens after a side-out. However, the term that seems to bring the most questions is the libero. The… Read more »

The Wisconsin volleyball team will open up the Big Ten season this weekend on the road against Iowa and Minnesota. “We are really excited for the Big Ten [season] to start,” said junior outside hitter Caity DuPont. “It’s kind of a new focus because during preseason you don’t really know… Read more »

Wisconsin’s volleyball team enjoyed four years of excellent setting at the hands of all-American Jackie Simpson. While Simpson’s reign has come to an end, it is possible the Badgers might enjoy four more years of similar results from the fingertips of freshmen Janelle Gabrielsen. A heralded recruit, Gabrielsen comes to… Read more »

MILWAUKEE�� — Wisconsin’s volleyball team learned how to close out a match the hard way this weekend. After beating American University 3-0 Saturday morning, the Badgers came out on the losing end of a thrilling five-set match Saturday night to Oregon State. With a night to dwell on their mistakes,… Read more »

This weekend, the Wisconsin volleyball team will travel to Milwaukee to participate in the Marquette Cheese Bowl. The No. 13 Badgers (8-1-0) will compete against American University and Oregon State on Saturday and will finish the tournament off against Marquette on Sunday. “These are all really good teams,” head coach… Read more »

There are some who can learn from words on a page, and there are those who learn by doing. For sophomore setter Nikki Klingsporn and senior outside hitter Morgan Salow, learning to coach is best done by the latter. Starting last winter and continuing through the summer, both Salow and… Read more »

Wisconsin’s volleyball team energized the crowd this weekend as they returned home in the InnTowner Invitational. The No.14 Badgers (8-1) defeated Brigham Young University, IUPUI and Central Michigan to win their home tournament. IUPUI and Central Michigan were overwhelmed by UW, but No. 23 BYU nearly upset the Badgers in… Read more »

This weekend, the Wisconsin volleyball team will have its home opener at the UW Field House for the Inntowner Invitational. The Badgers (5-1), who dropped to No. 14 in the AVCA Coaches Poll after a loss at the UNLV Invitational, will face Central Michigan on Friday night. On Saturday, they… Read more »

With a win in this weekend’s InnTowner Invitational, UW volleyball head coach Pete Waite will celebrate his 500th career win. “The plan was to get it last weekend and not wait until this weekend, but this is how it laid out,” Waite said in his press conference Monday. “You know,… Read more »

This weekend, the Wisconsin volleyball team is looking to cash in on another tournament win as it heads to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas’ Invitational.  Last weekend, the No. 10 Badgers, who moved up three spots in the AVCA Coaches Poll, won three straight matches to take the Kentucky Classic… Read more »

As the weather starts to cool off outside, things are beginning to heat up for the Wisconsin Volleyball team. “Every day that goes by in preseason, our team chemistry gets better,” head coach Pete Waite said. “You know, you lose a group of five, it takes time for people to… Read more »

In their final tune up of the spring season, the Wisconsin volleyball team defeated its former teammates 25-20, 20-25, 25-15, 25-22, 12-15 in the annual alumnae game. In total, nine alumnae came back for the event, including all five seniors from last year’s squad with Taylor Reineke, Jackie Simpson, Amanda… Read more »

For UW volleyball alumni, it’s their chance to relive the glory days. For the current members on the Wisconsin roster, it is their last test during the spring season. Tonight at 6:30 p.m., the annual alumni volleyball game will take place at the UW Field House. The event will… Read more »

Nikki Klingsporn has some big shoes to fill, and she’s more than ready to admit it. A redshirt volleyball player at UW, Klingsporn has taken over as setter for graduated All-American Jackie Simpson. As a freshman, Jackie Simpson began her career as the UW starting setter and never looked back.… Read more »

After an early exit from last season’s NCAA tournament, the Wisconsin volleyball team looks to erase the memory of last fall as the spring season starts. The first opportunity to turn the page will be today in the first game of the spring season against in-state rival Marquette. Although… Read more »

Every spring the University of Wisconsin volleyball team prepares for the upcoming season by working on conditioning and deciding which players will replace the graduating seniors. While the Badgers are again doing both of those things this spring, the team has a different approach to their training. UW hit the… Read more »

After receiving the news Sunday night that it will host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament this weekend, the No. 8 Badger volleyball team is poised to make a deep run in its 16th postseason appearance. "We are looking forward to hosting this weekend," head coach Pete… Read more »

The 11th-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team will continue its home stand this week, facing off against Illinois Wednesday and Michigan Friday. Wisconsin split its series last weekend, losing to Michigan State last Friday and beating Northwestern Saturday. The loss to the Spartans was the Badgers' first loss to an unranked… Read more »