Post by Barefoot In Kailua on Sept 17, 2004 12:58:56 GMT -5
UW volleyball: Control is Wack's method of attack
By Rob Schultz
September 17, 2004
Give Jo Wack some credit.
Unlike most top high school athletes who earn the attention of colleges with their pure athleticism, Wack raised eyebrows with her attention to detail and by playing fundamental volleyball.
It's why she's one of three freshmen who will start for the Wisconsin volleyball team tonight when it hosts Virginia during an Inntowner Invitiational match at the UW Field House.
"I was never the one who brought a lot of heat," said Wack, an all-state outside hitter from Salem who plays back row for the UW as libero.
"I was always one of the smarter players when I was hitting front row," she added. "Ball control sets up the offense so I want to be the person who starts that off."
The 5-foot-11 Wack has been outstanding for the Badgers so far this season as she has solidified the team's ball control in the mold of former UW stars Sara Urbanek and Erin Byrd.
She joined teammate Sheila Shaw on the Jayhawk Invitational all-tournament team last weekend in Lawrence, Kan., after averaging 4.55 digs per game while helping lead the Badgers (3-2) to two victories. She had a career-high 22 digs in the Badgers' tournament finale win over Rhode Island.
"She has helped us immensely," said UW coach Pete Waite, who is teaming Wack with fellow freshman setter Jackie Simpson and freshman middle Taylor Reineke in the starting lineup tonight.
"For Jo to be in that role and then have a freshman setter - that means the first two contacts (with the ball) on every play for us are from freshmen. That's a lot of responsibility," Waite added.
The effervescent Wack wouldn't want it any other way. She has won everywhere she has played, including at Westosha Central, which won the WIAA Division 1 state title last year. It's a big reason why she entertained scholarship offers from UCLA and UC-Santa Barbara before deciding to play at Wisconsin.
"Jo's a great ball-control player. For her to go through her high school and club career as an outside hitter and come to us as a libero is a very unselfish move. And she's happy with it," said Waite.
Wack loves it partly because she knows she wouldn't be playing if she was strictly a front-row player. She also loves the position.
"It's really fun when you start digging the other team's bigger hitters," said Wack excitedly. "If there's a good dig, then the crowd goes 'Oooooh.' Everybody gets riled up and then we feed off of that. So I like it a lot."
Her most difficult adjustments have been the faster pace of the game in college and the need to step in front of older teammates.
"It's hard calling balls off some seniors and juniors," she said. "It's just me being more vocal, loud and aggressive. That takes an adjustment."
But Wack has persevered. It helps that volleyball runs through her family. Her aunt, Darla Wack, is a member of the UW-Milwaukee Sports Hall of Fame after a sterling collegiate career in volleyball and basketball. Her older brother, Nate, is a starting outside hitter for UC-Santa Barbara.
Also, her younger sister, Allison, is a sophomore at Westosha Central. She helped lead the Milwaukee Sting to a national title this past season and was named the national freshman of the year.
Wack giggled, shrugged her shoulders and said enthusiastically of her sister, "She's really good."
Last year they played together at Central and drew nicknames like Wack Attack and Double Trouble.
She hasn't drawn a nickname yet at Wisconsin. More important, she and the Badgers' freshman class have been noticed. The class was ranked sixth best in the country.
That sounds smart, which fits Wack quite well.
"I don't think we look like freshmen, either," Wack said confidently. "And I don't think we play like freshmen. I think that's a strong point with this team."
Waite could get 400th victory: Pete Waite will earn his 400th career victory tonight if the Badgers beat Virginia.
"It's a big milestone. It makes me look back to the beginning and the teams I've been with and the coaches I've been with. It says a lot for the effort people have put in," said Waite, who is 133-38 in his sixth year with the Badgers.
Waite, who is in his 17th year of coaching that includes a stop at Northern Illinois, hopes to reach more milestones during his career. He ranks 12th among winningest active Division I coaches with a .741 winning percentage.
"You want to go a lot farther," said Waite, who led the Badgers to the NCAA title game in 2001. "But it does say that over the last 17 years as a head coach there have been a lot of fun times," he said.
Three freshman starters: Waite continues to tinker with the Badgers' lineup as they try to earn their first weekend sweep of the season. Besides facing Virginia (8-1), they will also face Marshall (4-3) and Cincinnati (5-2) Saturday during the second day of the tournament.
The big change this week is freshman middle blocker Taylor Reineke replacing sophomore Amy Bladow in the starting lineup. Waite said he may try Bladow at the right side.
"When you've got a young group like that, it's a whole different tempo on the court and blend of people. It takes time to get things together. We're still trying to get people in the right positions."
Endowment recipients: Sophomore middle Maria Carlini spoke at the donor appreciation scholarship luncheon Wednesday. She was one of two student-athletes asked to offer their reflections of the endowment program.
Four volleyball scholarships are endowed. Carlini receives the George Shinners Family scholarship while sophomore setter Katie Lorenzen receives the Harlan B. Rogers scholarship, senior right-side hitter Jill Odenthal receives the William and Eva Mae Stolte scholarship and junior middle blocker Sheila Shaw receives the Steve Lowe scholarship that honors the late UW coach.
E-mail: rschultz@madison.com
UW Volleyball
What: InnTowner Invitational.
When: Today and Saturday.
Where: UW Field House.
Schedule: Today - Cincinnati (5-2) vs. Marshall (4-3), 5 p.m.; Wisconsin (3-2) vs. Virginia (7-1), 7 p.m. Saturday - Cincinnati vs. Virginia, 10 a.m.; Wisconsin vs. Marshall, noon; Virginia vs. Marshall, 5 p.m.; Wisconsin vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m.
Published: 11:01 AM 9/17/04
By Rob Schultz
September 17, 2004
Give Jo Wack some credit.
Unlike most top high school athletes who earn the attention of colleges with their pure athleticism, Wack raised eyebrows with her attention to detail and by playing fundamental volleyball.
It's why she's one of three freshmen who will start for the Wisconsin volleyball team tonight when it hosts Virginia during an Inntowner Invitiational match at the UW Field House.
"I was never the one who brought a lot of heat," said Wack, an all-state outside hitter from Salem who plays back row for the UW as libero.
"I was always one of the smarter players when I was hitting front row," she added. "Ball control sets up the offense so I want to be the person who starts that off."
The 5-foot-11 Wack has been outstanding for the Badgers so far this season as she has solidified the team's ball control in the mold of former UW stars Sara Urbanek and Erin Byrd.
She joined teammate Sheila Shaw on the Jayhawk Invitational all-tournament team last weekend in Lawrence, Kan., after averaging 4.55 digs per game while helping lead the Badgers (3-2) to two victories. She had a career-high 22 digs in the Badgers' tournament finale win over Rhode Island.
"She has helped us immensely," said UW coach Pete Waite, who is teaming Wack with fellow freshman setter Jackie Simpson and freshman middle Taylor Reineke in the starting lineup tonight.
"For Jo to be in that role and then have a freshman setter - that means the first two contacts (with the ball) on every play for us are from freshmen. That's a lot of responsibility," Waite added.
The effervescent Wack wouldn't want it any other way. She has won everywhere she has played, including at Westosha Central, which won the WIAA Division 1 state title last year. It's a big reason why she entertained scholarship offers from UCLA and UC-Santa Barbara before deciding to play at Wisconsin.
"Jo's a great ball-control player. For her to go through her high school and club career as an outside hitter and come to us as a libero is a very unselfish move. And she's happy with it," said Waite.
Wack loves it partly because she knows she wouldn't be playing if she was strictly a front-row player. She also loves the position.
"It's really fun when you start digging the other team's bigger hitters," said Wack excitedly. "If there's a good dig, then the crowd goes 'Oooooh.' Everybody gets riled up and then we feed off of that. So I like it a lot."
Her most difficult adjustments have been the faster pace of the game in college and the need to step in front of older teammates.
"It's hard calling balls off some seniors and juniors," she said. "It's just me being more vocal, loud and aggressive. That takes an adjustment."
But Wack has persevered. It helps that volleyball runs through her family. Her aunt, Darla Wack, is a member of the UW-Milwaukee Sports Hall of Fame after a sterling collegiate career in volleyball and basketball. Her older brother, Nate, is a starting outside hitter for UC-Santa Barbara.
Also, her younger sister, Allison, is a sophomore at Westosha Central. She helped lead the Milwaukee Sting to a national title this past season and was named the national freshman of the year.
Wack giggled, shrugged her shoulders and said enthusiastically of her sister, "She's really good."
Last year they played together at Central and drew nicknames like Wack Attack and Double Trouble.
She hasn't drawn a nickname yet at Wisconsin. More important, she and the Badgers' freshman class have been noticed. The class was ranked sixth best in the country.
That sounds smart, which fits Wack quite well.
"I don't think we look like freshmen, either," Wack said confidently. "And I don't think we play like freshmen. I think that's a strong point with this team."
Waite could get 400th victory: Pete Waite will earn his 400th career victory tonight if the Badgers beat Virginia.
"It's a big milestone. It makes me look back to the beginning and the teams I've been with and the coaches I've been with. It says a lot for the effort people have put in," said Waite, who is 133-38 in his sixth year with the Badgers.
Waite, who is in his 17th year of coaching that includes a stop at Northern Illinois, hopes to reach more milestones during his career. He ranks 12th among winningest active Division I coaches with a .741 winning percentage.
"You want to go a lot farther," said Waite, who led the Badgers to the NCAA title game in 2001. "But it does say that over the last 17 years as a head coach there have been a lot of fun times," he said.
Three freshman starters: Waite continues to tinker with the Badgers' lineup as they try to earn their first weekend sweep of the season. Besides facing Virginia (8-1), they will also face Marshall (4-3) and Cincinnati (5-2) Saturday during the second day of the tournament.
The big change this week is freshman middle blocker Taylor Reineke replacing sophomore Amy Bladow in the starting lineup. Waite said he may try Bladow at the right side.
"When you've got a young group like that, it's a whole different tempo on the court and blend of people. It takes time to get things together. We're still trying to get people in the right positions."
Endowment recipients: Sophomore middle Maria Carlini spoke at the donor appreciation scholarship luncheon Wednesday. She was one of two student-athletes asked to offer their reflections of the endowment program.
Four volleyball scholarships are endowed. Carlini receives the George Shinners Family scholarship while sophomore setter Katie Lorenzen receives the Harlan B. Rogers scholarship, senior right-side hitter Jill Odenthal receives the William and Eva Mae Stolte scholarship and junior middle blocker Sheila Shaw receives the Steve Lowe scholarship that honors the late UW coach.
E-mail: rschultz@madison.com
UW Volleyball
What: InnTowner Invitational.
When: Today and Saturday.
Where: UW Field House.
Schedule: Today - Cincinnati (5-2) vs. Marshall (4-3), 5 p.m.; Wisconsin (3-2) vs. Virginia (7-1), 7 p.m. Saturday - Cincinnati vs. Virginia, 10 a.m.; Wisconsin vs. Marshall, noon; Virginia vs. Marshall, 5 p.m.; Wisconsin vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m.
Published: 11:01 AM 9/17/04
