Match Preview: Wisconsin vs. Penn State

 

 What: Wisconsin (9-5, 1-1 Big Ten) vs. Penn State (8-4, 1-1 Big Ten)

Where: Rec Hall

When: 7:00 p.m. ET

 Great Expectations

Last season, the Wisconsin women’s volleyball team finished 10th (out of 11) in the Big Ten (now the Tweleven), going 5-15 in the conference and 16-15 overall.  With 10 letterwinners and five starters returning from the 2010 team, expectations are higher for 2011.  Those expectations have been tempered, at least somewhat, by the fact that only two of those those returning letterwinners are seniors — 6-1 Sr. S Janelle Gabrielsen and Jr. MB Alexis Mitchell, both of whom started 30 matches last season.  Still, even though the other three  starters aren’t seniors, we’re certain that Head Coach Pete Waite is glad to have experience that 5-8 So. DS Annemarie Hickey (20 starts), 6-3 So. RS Julie Mikaelsen (20 starts), and 5-11 So. MB Dominique Thompson (19 starts) bring to the team.

How does that experience translate into production?  According to Wisconsin’s preseason “What to watch in 2011,” the Badgers returned 63% of their kills, nearly 81% of their blocks, 57% of their service aces, but only 50 percent of there digs — underscoring just how important the now-graduated 6-0 OH Allison Wack (2.14 digs/set in 2010) and 5-7 libero Kim Kuzma (4.65 digs/set in 2010) were to the defense.

Adding to the optimism in Madison is Wisconsin’s freshman class, which was ranked as the seventh-best recruiting class in the country by PrepVolleyball.com. Among the key newcomers are 6-3 OH Crystal Graff , who was ranked #21 by PrepVolleyball.com, and  started on the left side for UW all spring,  6-5 OH Ellen Chapman who, according to “What to watch in 2011,” will be the tallest left-side hitter in program history, 6-0 Fr. S Courtney Thomas, who was ranked #16 by PrepVolleyball.com, and 5-7 DS/MB Deme Morales (that’s not a typo — she’s listed as a DS and a MB) , who was ranked #88 by PrepVolleyball.com and did, in fact, play middle blocker in high school.  Serious hops maybe? 

                                     Those 5 returning starters and that #7-ranked freshman class scare the Dickens out of us.

Waite, Waite, Don’t Tell Me

Wisconsin’s head coach Pete Waite has had almost as many question marks this season as Russ Rose — maybe more.  Here are a few of the questions we’d love to ask him and that we’ll be thinking about during the match:

  • Janelle Gabrielsen has been a three-year starter at setter for Wisconsin, and has started all 14 of Wisconsin’s matches to date, as has freshman Courtney Thomas.  How is that working out,and how has Thomas met his expectations? 
  • Alexis Mitchell is one of Wisonsin’s key returnees.  She led Wisconsin with 11 kills (.500 attack %) against Illinois.  What should Penn State fans expect from her tonight, and how does he think she will perform against the Nittany Lions? 
  • Ellen Chapman has started very match for the Badgers this season, and Crystal Graff has started 12 of 14.  What sets them apart from other freshmen he has coached, and how does he think these two will do playing in front of a raucous Rec Hall crowd?

                      It will be loud in Rec Hall tonight, even if this guy doesn’t open his mouth.  Wherever it is.  

Penn State Roster

Updated as of 8-24-2011

NumberName PositionYear/
Class
HeightHS
(Club)
State
1 Scott,
Ariel

OH2/So.6-4Immaculate Heart Academy
(Team Complete
Athlete)
NJ
2 Kabbes,
Katie

OH4/Sr.6-4Cardinal Gibbons
(Triangle Volleyball)
NC
4Gonzalez,
Dominique

DS1/Fr.5-6Sandra Day
O'Connor/
(Alamo Volleyball)
TX
5 Carpenter,
Kristin

L/DS/S3/Jr.5-6Hanover
(Richmond Volleyball Club)
VA
6Martin,
Maddie

OH2/So.6-2H.B. Plant
(Tampa Bay
Juniors)
FL
7Grant,
Nia

OH1/Fr.6-2Howland
(Cleveland Renaissance
Volleyball
Club)
OH
8Denny,
Erica

MHFr. (RS)6-5Grandview
(Front Range
Volleyball Club
)
CO
10 Racibarskas,
Marika

S3/Jr.6-0Chatham
(Team Complete
Athlete)
NJ
11 Dorton,
Darcy

OH2/So. (RS)6-2Delta
(Munciana)
IN
12Hancock,
Micha

S1/Fr.5-11Edmond
Memorial
(Oklahoma Peak Performance)
OK
13 Shifflett ,
Megan

DS/S4/Sr.5-6Langley
VA Elite
VA
14Whitney,
Aiyana

OH1/Fr.6-5Northern Valley
Regional
(Downstate Juniors)
NJ
15Harding,
Maggie

DS1/Fr. (RS)5-6State College
Area
PA
16Slay,
Katie


MH2/So.6-6Wakefield
(Triangle Volleyball
Club
)
NC
18McClendon,
Deja

OH2/So.6-1Dupont Manual Magnet
(KIVA)
KY
23 Longo,
Ali

DS2/So.5-6Chatfield
(Juggernaut Volleyball)
CO
33Fuller,
Lacey

DS1/Fr.5-6Torrey Pines
(Coast
Volleyball
)
CA

 

Wisconsin Roster

 
NO NAME POS HT Year Hometown Last School

1

Kirby Toon OH/DS 6-0 RS SO Middleton, Wis. Middleton

2

Kristy Bourquin MB 6-0 RS JR Apple River, Ill. Rock Valley College

3

Courtney Thomas S/OH 6-0 FR DeKalb, Ill. DeKalb

4

Annemarie Hickey DS/L/OH 5-8 SO Oswego, Ill. Joliet Catholic Academy

5

Bailey Reshel OH/RS 6-0 JR Hortonville, Wis. South Dakota

6

Janelle Gabrielsen S 6-1 SR Menomonee Falls, Wis. Menomonee Falls

7

Deme Morales DS/MB 5-7 FR Amherst, Ohio Steele

10

Alexis Mitchell MB 6-0 JR Davenport, Iowa Central

11

Kathryn (Kt) Kvas DS/S 5-9 FR Eagan, Minn. Eagan

12

Julie Mikaelsen RS 6-3 SO Askim, Norway Sand Vidaregåande School

13

Mary Ording OH/RS 6-3 JR Carmel, Ind. Cathedral

14

Dominique Thompson MB 5-11 SO Plymouth, Minn. Robbinsdale Armstrong

15

Crystal Graff OH 6-3 FR Madison, Wis. La Follette

16

Caroline Workman DS 5-5 FR Los Angeles, Calif. Marymount

17

Lindsey Seil DS/L 5-5 SO West Bend, Wis. East

18

Elle Ohlander MB 6-6 SR Caledonia, Ill. Hononegah

20

Ellen Chapman OH 6-5 FR Glenview, Ill. Glenbrook South