Digging In with Jocelyn Wack
September 22, 2005 | Volleyball
Wisconsin sophomore Jocelyn Wack is in the midst of a 40-match streak with double-figure digs. Wack's consistent defensive prowess has helped the 10th-ranked volleyball Badgers (8-1) hold opponents to a meager .097 hitting percentage this season. Wack has led the team in digs in all but four matches during her 40-match span.
Wack will be anchoring the Badger defense against a pair of Big Ten Conference opponents this weekend in the UW Field House. The UW hosts fifth-ranked Minnesota on Steve Lowe Night Friday at 7 p.m. Wisconsin's 1990 team, coached by Lowe and the first to win a Big Ten championship, will be celebrated as well.
The Golden Gophers are 10-1 with their only loss coming in a five-game home match against top-ranked Nebraska. Minnesota is hitting .281 as a team in 11 matches this season.
Wisconsin hosts 9-3 Iowa Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Badgers have not lost a match to the Hawkeyes since Nov. 19, 1994.
Wack, a 5-11 libero, is already the UW's leader for digs in a season (567) and per game (4.93). In nine matches this season, the Salem, Wis., native is averaging 4.96 digs per game and is also tied for third on the team with seven service aces.
'Coming into this year, I didn't even know that there was a streak going,' said Wack. 'Now it's a big deal and I didn't even know about it.'
Wack's career-high for digs came in the most crucial game of her career. Wack had 35 digs against Hawai'i in the Badgers' five-game upset of the second-ranked Rainbow Wahine in the 2004 NCAA Regional Semifinal. Her match-high this season is 22 digs against Valparaiso at last weekend's InnTowner Invitational.
Appearing in 41 career matches at the UW makes the 40-match double-figure dig streak even more impressive. The only match Wack did not record double-figure digs was in her Badger debut during last season's opener against Missouri, barely missing the double-figure mark with nine digs.
With so many accomplishments in such little time, Wack realizes her 40-match streak is only a product of teamwork. The UW allowed opponents to hit at a .197 clip during 2004, considerably lowering that mark by .100 in eight matches so far this season.
'It's a really cool thing to have for how much time and energy we're putting into our blocking and our defense,' said Wack. 'Our blocking is a huge part of the digs that I get, too. I just set up around the block and they get awesome touches.
'It's really just a team effort with the blocking and making sure everyone is set up right. Where the blockers set up depends on where we play defense. If there's a split in the block, then you need to jump into that seam. The blockers are doing awesome, they're getting touches on tons of balls so we can run them down.'
Wack's streak has been in jeopardy a few times along the way, recording a scant 10 or 11 digs six different times. She recently drew the concern of the team's support staff this weekend with 12 digs against Villanova and 10 against UCLA.
'I didn't know how many I had (against UCLA) and after the Villanova match until (UW Athletic Communications Volleyball Contact) Diane (Nordstrom) came up to me and said, `Jocelyn, you're scaring me!' because I had 12 digs in that match. I don't really look at it that much,' said Wack. 'It's really a team effort, as long as we get the win, I'm gonna be happy.'
The UW's opponents should be more scared about Wack 's performance because the sophomore still feels she hasn't mastered the libero position.
'I expect to develop better at libero. I think I'm still working out the kinks, working at taking balls over the head and seeing the court a little better,' said Wack. 'I've been working hard on digging around and working around the blocks on defense.'
