Last Saturday, the Wisconsin volleyball team faced an unusual opponent'a rock climbing wall. The team visited Boulder's Gym on Madison's east side for an afternoon of rock climbing, something many of the players had never done before.

'Before Saturday, I had no previous rock climbing experience,' said Morgan Salow, a junior 6-4 outside hitter. 'It was kind of a rush.'

The afternoon began by learning correct rock climbing techniques and commands. Then, the Badgers completed some practice rounds before they began 'bouldering,' which is free climbing the wall by following a path of colored pegs without being strapped in.

'Bouldering really helped with team bonding,' said Kim Kuzma, a 5-7 freshman defensive specialist. 'Communication was a large part of climbing because your teammates had to tell you where to put your foot as you climbed up the wall. '

Trust was another large component that was strengthened during the rock climbing excursion. 'We had to trust each other to make sure that we followed the commands and make sure that the ropes were secure,' said Megan Mills, a 5-6 senior defensive specialist. '(Rock climbing) was similar to how we have to trust each other on the court to be in the right spots, do our responsibilities and at the same time talk about what we're doing well and what we can do better.'

The Badgers were able to complete some traditional indoor rock climbing with the help of harnesses and ropes. 'I really enjoyed the role of the belayer'being the person that holds the rope for the climber,' said Salow. 'You had to trust your teammate to hold you securely 50 feet up in the air. It was a really good bonding experience.'

The two-hour climbing session was enjoyed by everyone, especially Kuzma. 'As a freshman, it helped being together and doing something other than volleyball. I liked being with the team for two hours away from the gym and it helped us to communicate and trust each other.'

The day ended with a little friendly competition as the UW squad was divided into teams and played a game of 'Capture the Flag.'