Volleyball Q&A with Daily Cardinal beat writer

With the IU volleyball team set to take on No. 15 Wisconsin on Friday, the Indiana Daily Student talked to the Daily Cardinal’s Wisconsin volleyball beat writer, Andrew Tucker.

IDS Who has been the key player for this Wisconsin team?

TUCKER Junior outside hitter Ellen Chapman has been huge for Wisconsin.
Not only is she the Badgers’ leader in kills per set (8th in the Big Ten), she has also been a determined, hard-working leader who has played in every match for the team. Just a side note, she has notched double-digit kills in each of the last eight matches.

IDS What player or players have stepped up as leaders for the Badgers this year?

TUCKER As I said before, Chapman has been a leader, but also senior libero Annemarie Hickey.

She missed time earlier in the year with injury, but since coming back, she has been great, leading the team in digs per set, as well as being very vocal on the court to make sure everyone is doing their job.

IDS Wisconsin is coming off of a tough loss to Illinois at home. What does Wisconsin need to do to bounce back against the Hoosiers on Friday, and what happened against the Fighting Illini?

TUCKER Against the Illini, UW beat themselves.
They didn’t win points to take the lead. They had costly serving errors, and they couldn’t close out Illinois in a second set that went to extra points.

To bounce back, the Badgers need to capitalize on scoring opportunities and have consistency in their serving game. When they did both of those things on Sunday in the third set, they beat the Illini by 15, so it’s a strategy that has worked in the past.

IDS The first time Indiana played Wisconsin, the Badgers won 3-1 in Madison, Wis. This time, the Hoosiers are the home team and are much improved. What is the key for Wisconsin to hold off IU, a team with momentum after upsetting Michigan State on the road?

TUCKER Wisconsin needs to take advantage of IU’s defensive holes.
The Hoosiers are last in the Big Ten in blocks, digs and opponent hitting percentage. So, if the Badgers can get in an offensive groove, they should be in good shape.

IDS What were the expectations for Wisconsin coming into the season, and how have those changed now?

TUCKER With mediocrity for six years in a row and a new head coach, there were few people talking about Wisconsin as a threat in the Big Ten.

However, after knocking off some good teams both at home and on the road, expectations have changed. It seems like the Badgers should make it into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007, and hopes are high with those involved in the program, as well as the voters who keep moving Wisconsin up in the rankings.

IDS What stands out to you about the way Wisconsin plays?

TUCKER They have a “never say die” attitude. They play hard every point no matter the score, and they leave it all on the court.

Generally, they are very consistent offensively and defensively.

As Coach Kelly Sheffield has said, the team doesn’t have a lot of flashy athletic talent, but they win games by executing the gameplan with precision.

IDS What are your thoughts on the Hoosiers?

TUCKER I think that the Hoosiers are a good team, and they are a lot better than their record or stats might suggest.

They are a part of the grueling Big Ten, which features seven top 25 teams, with two others receiving votes for the rankings, so they lose to some teams that are flat out amazing, high-quality opponents, whereas if they were in a different conference, they might win a lot more games.

IDS What’s your prediction for Friday’s match?

TUCKER I think that the Badgers have the edge because they are more hungry.
The players are looking to avenge the disappointing play and loss against Illinois. That being said, IU has some momentum, and they have the benefit of a home crowd, so it’ll stay close.

I predict that the Badgers will win 3-2, with no set being won by more than six for either team.

Follow reporter Andrew Vailliencourt on Twitter @AndrewVcourt.