DUBUQUE, Iowa โ Short but productive.
The Wisconsin volleyball team's spring scrimmage season lasted eight days and concluded with a straight-set victory over defending Missouri Valley Conference champion Northern Iowa on Friday at Dubuque College.
In wins of 25-23, 25-19, 25-17, the Badgers continued to serve aggressively, building a connection with setter Carly Anderson, which was not possible with the team's nine-player roster, for six. 6 jobs simply won. semester. Wisconsin played with just seven players in its second consecutive scrimmage, with middle blocker Caroline Crawford (hip) and defensive specialist Saige Damrow (leg) absent.
“We've put in a lot of effort all spring, but it's hard to see it show because it's just practice and no 6-on-6,” outside hitter Sarah Franklin said. “So it's nice to be able to come here and play against other teams and see how much I've improved.”
The scrimmage was Northern Iowa's 11th spring. The Badgers' passing and blocking were not completely in sync, but the team's play improved as the night progressed.
Here are three takeaways from the evening and a look ahead to the summer.
Devin Robinson keeps rolling
Right-side hitter Devin Robinson had an impressive .706 batting average with 13 kills and only one error. She played well all-around for the second consecutive match and continued to show improvement from the service line.
Including her performance last week against Illinois and Chicago, she had 23 kills and a .576 batting average in two scrimmages.
“Devin has a completely different mindset than he's had in his career,” Sheffield said. “She's on a mission. You see it every day in the way she approaches practice, the way she approaches lifts, the way she leads. Everything about her is so different. It's on the level.
Setter Carly Anderson continues to feel comfortable.
Full statistics from scrimmage were not available, but Carly Anderson, a graduate transfer from Montana State, led the offense, increasing his batting average from .410 last week to .474 against the Panthers.
Robinson's numbers show a connection there, but Anderson was sharp overall with quick plays to Robinson, Carter Booth, or center Anna Smrek. She helped four of her teammates hit at least .400: Robinson, Franklin (13 kills, .571), Smrek (7 kills, .455), and Booth (4 kills, .429). did.
Last week, Anderson had four kills on the second ball, but on Friday he had an unofficial one-on-one attempt.
National Player of the Year Sarah Franklin strives to be a consistent influence on the team
Franklin tied Robinson for the team lead with 26 kills in two scrimmages, hitting .447, but her spring was focused on the intangibles of team building and leadership.
What stood out about her own play in the two scrimmages?
โI think a lot about team dynamics,โ she said. “It's been going really well and it's been very good for the team in all scenarios. … You can always give them confidence. That's something I've been working on all spring. Right now. I think I have become much more confident in that area.โ
Badgers are going on vacation
What's next for the Badgers? The players will focus on finishing the semester academically over the next few weeks, taking a two-week break and returning to campus after Memorial Day to prepare for the summer.
Sheffield expects freshmen Charlie Fuerbringer, Morgan Van Wie and Marie Chen to join the team at that point, with the remaining freshmen trickling in throughout the summer.
“(Olympic strength and conditioning director) Kevin[Schultz]has already told us to prepare for the toughest summer ever,” Sheffield said. “They'll be working on it all summer.”