There's nothing easy about playing volleyball in the Big Ten. There are very, very few teams that give you a deep breath. Yet not all of them will be ranked. If it seems that the Badgers have had an unusually high number of ranked teams to start Big Ten play, you'd be right. Wisconsin has played four conference matches, and all of them have been against ranked opponents.
That doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon. Illinois may not end up being ranked ahead of the Wisconsin match, but they should be. It's a tough and aggressive team that will cause plenty of trouble in the Big Ten. Then it's on to No. 1 Nebraska after that. It's a brutal schedule, but Charlie Fuerbringer is unfazed and says this team is more connected than ever.
After the match, Fuerbringer joined the Big Ten Network sideline reporter to talk about beating Minnesota 3-1 in Minneapolis. When asked about the upcoming schedule and how confident the Badgers are feeling, Fuerbringer didn't miss a beat: "We are feeling good. I think this is the most together our team has been all season," Fuerbringer said. "We are just building every single day. Taking it day by day."
Wisconsin has now won four straight ranked Big Ten matches and six straight
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The problem with the Badgers is not talent. In fact, you could argue that the ceiling for Wisconsin is higher than any team in the country (including Wisconsin). The question will be whether the Badgers can reach the ceiling or not. The amount of young talent is incredible for the Badgers. There are four true freshmen in the starting lineup: Audrey Flanagan, Decelise Champion, Lynney Tarnow, and Anna Bardaro.
Two of the other three starters are transfers into the program: Jaela Auguste and Eva Travis. That means every single player that Charlie Fuerbringer is serving on the floor is brand new to Wisconsin.
Thus, the question was always going to be connectivity, or as Fuerbringer calls it, "togetherness." She's feeling confident about how they are playing together right now. She said that her young hitters aren't rattled by an error and are asking immediately for another set to them.
The Badgers have had an incredible run of tough opponents this season and have only dropped four matches, all within the first eight matches of the season. Wisconsin has only lost one match with Champion on the team, and that was her first real match. So, things are looking way up, and they've made a decent statement to start the Big Ten play.
Will it be enough to beat No. 1 Nebraska coming up? That's a big question; so far, the Cornhuskers haven't even lost a set in conference play. The team is a wagon and will be hard to drop. Wisconsin will have to find that connection and be quick to take down the top team in the Big Ten. But it sure makes you feel better to hear the Wisconsin setter say that this team is finally clicking together and is more "together" than ever.
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