Game Day: Penn State @ Wisconsin

Penn State @ Wisconsin

Lion Cubs - TwoRescued_badger_jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where:Madison, WI (Wisconsin Field House)

When: Friday — 11-15-13 (8:00 p.m. ET)

Media: CBSsports.com’s GameTracker (Hello Big Ten: Why isn’t this match on TV?  Hello?  Anyone home?)

Beatrice_the_Honey_Bee_(7836716730)The Buzz on Wisconsin. #14 Wisconsin (19-7 overall, 8-6 B1G). In the NCAA’s most recent RPI ranking, Wisconsin comes in at #16 (Penn State is ranked #2) (for the complete RPI rankings, Click Here). Key offensive players for Wisconsin include 6-4 Jr. OH Ellen Chapman (3.41 kills/set), 6-0 Jr. S/OH Courtney Thomas (2.69 kills/set), 5-7 Jr. OH/DS Deme Morales (2.61 kills/set), and 5-11 RS Jr. MB Dominique Thomas (2.38 kills/set). Defensive leaders include 5-6 So. L Taylor Morey (2.92 digs/set), 5-8 Sr. DS/L Annemarie Hickey (3.71 digs/set), 6-2 Fr. setter Lauren Carlini (2.90 digs/set), Thomas (2.80 digs/set) and Morales (2.50 digs/set).
Kelly Sheffield Quote for the Day: “We went to their place. I think we battled with them pretty tight. We let a massive lead go by in Game 1 and in Game 2, we had a little bit of lead, and they kind of pulled ahead. Game 3 was back and forth. We felt like we let an opportunity slip by at their place. They’re good. There’s no question about it. They’re good. They’re talented. They’re experienced but we feel like we’ve got a pretty good ball club as well. It’s one of the monsters right now and we’re certainly excited about that opportunity on our home court to get a piece of them.” Quote courtesy of uwbadgers.com.

Beatrice_the_Honey_Bee_(7836716730) The Buzz on Penn State: Head Coach Russ Rose on Big Ten conference matches (interview with Wynton Jake Somerville of The Daily Collegian): “They’re all hard. There’s not one you look forward to. You better be ready to play because you’re going to be challenged.”

Notwithstanding Coach Rose’s view (which we share), some folks think Penn State has already established itself as the best team in the B1G.

Certainly, one could find statistics that would suggest that may be true. Penn State is ranked #2 in the latest AVCA poll , it sports a 22-2 overall record (13-1 in the B1G), a .323 team hitting % (1st in the B1G) and has limited its opponents to a .128 hitting % (also 1st in the B1G). Still, there are plenty of matches to play, and they’re all tough.

So whether that “best team in the B1G is theoretically true (or not), it is totally irrelevant in terms of the outcome of tonight’s match against the Badgers. Just as Penn State’s 41-7 all-time record against the Badgers is totally irrelevant. In volleyball, it’s not even “what have you done for me lately,” it’s “what are you doing for me right now.”

And right now, we are quite certain that no one — as in zero people — on the Wisconsin team or staff is going into tonight’s match believing anything other than that the Badgers are going to defeat Penn State. Our guess (and hope) is that Penn State wins. But we might be wrong.

Here’s a quote from Nia Grant, in an interview with Wynton Jake Somerville of The Daily Collegian, that sums it up pretty well: ““I think every team is going to come at us with a little bit of aggression but we should be doing the same thing to everybody else.”

Stat Joust

Joust - Two Knights

B1G Team Stats (as of 11/10/13)

Big Team Stats 11-10-13  

B1G Individual Stats (as of 11/10/13)

B1G Individual Stats 11-10-13

Wisconsin Roster

NO   NAME POS   HT   Year Hometown Last School
1   Lauren Carlini S/OH   6-2   FR Aurora, Ill. West Aurora
2   Claire Raddatz DS/L   5-11   SO Mequon, Wis. Homestead
3   Courtney Thomas S/OH   6-0   JR DeKalb, Ill. DeKalb
4   Annemarie Hickey DS/L   5-8   SR Oswego, Ill. Joliet Catholic Academy
5   Taylor Fricano OH/RS   6-4   FR Palatine, Ill. Palatine
6   Taylor Morey DS/L   5-6   SO Muncie, Ind. Notre Dame
7   Deme Morales OH/DS   5-7   JR Amherst, Ohio Steele
8   Victoria Ito DS/L   5-5   SO Buffalo Grove, Ill. Buffalo Grove
10   Tori Blake MB   6-3   FR Midland, Mich. Midland
11   Kt Kvas DS/S   5-9   JR Eagan, Minn. Eagan
12   Julie Mikaelsen RS   6-3   SR Askim, Norway Sand Vidaregåande School
13   Haleigh Nelson MB   6-3   FR Cary. N.C. Cardinal Gibbons
14   Dominique Thompson MB   5-11   RS JR Plymouth, Minn. Robbinsdale Armstrong
15   Crystal Graff OH   6-3   JR Madison, Wis. La Follette
16   Caroline Workman DS/L   5-5   JR Los Angeles, Calif. Marymount
20   Ellen Chapman OH   6-4   JR Glenview, Ill. Glenbrook South

Updated as of 8-21-2013

NumberName PositionYear/ClassHeightHS
(Club)
State
1Scott,
Ariel

RS4/Sr.6-4Immaculate
Heart
Academy
(Team Complete
Athlete)
NJ
2Caraway,
Lara

DS2/So.5-4Evans City
(Renaissance)
PA
3Pierce,
Kendall

DS2/So.5-6Eden
(Niagara Frontier
Volleyball
)
NY
4Gonzalez,
Dominique

DS3/Jr.5-6Sandra Day
O'Connor/
(Alamo Volleyball)
TX
6Martin,
Maddie

OH4/Sr.6-2H.B. Plant
(Tampa Bay
Juniors)
FL
7Grant,
Nia

MB3/Jr.6-2Howland
(Cleveland Renaissance
Volleyball
Club)
OH
8Denny,
Erica

MH3/Jr. (RS)6-5Grandview
(Front Range
Volleyball Club
)
CO
9Prieto-Cerame,
Paulina

OH1/Fr. (RS)6-2Palmer
Trinity
(Boomers
Volleyball
)
FL
10Muller,
Carley

DS1/Fr.5-7Mira Costa
(Tstreet
Volleyball
)
CA
12Hancock,
Micha

S3/Jr.5-11Edmond
Memorial
(Oklahoma Peak Performance)
OK
13Krause,
Taylor

DS/S1/Fr.5-6Parkland High
(Synergy
Volleyball)
PA
14Whitney,
Aiyana

OH2/So. (RS)6-4Northern Valley
Regional
(Downstate Juniors)
NJ
15Harding,
Maggie

DS4/Sr.5-6State College
Area
PA
16Slay,
Katie

MH4/Sr.6-6Wakefield
(Triangle Volleyball
Club
)
NC
17Courtney,
Megan

S/OH2/So.6-2Archbishop Alter
(Team Z)
OH
18McClendon,
Deja

OH4/Sr.6-1Dupont Manual Magnet
(KIVA)
KY
23Robertson,
Kelly

MB1/Fr.6-0Parkland High
(Synergy
Volleyball)
PA
24Broerman,
Laura

DS1/Fr.5-4St. Mary's
(Colorado Juniors)
CO
33Fuller,
Lacey

DS3/Jr.5-6Torrey Pines
(Coast
Volleyball
)
CA