Waite addresses media Monday
November 15, 2010 | Volleyball
Nov. 15, 2010
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin volleyball coach Pete Waite addressed the media Monday as his team prepares to wrap up the 2010 home season with two matches this weekend. The Badgers (15-12) take on 19th-ranked Minnesota (20-8, 10-6) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Iowa (7-18, 2-14) on Saturday at 7 p.m. Both matches are in the UW Field House.
Only four matches remain in the 2010 regular season and the Badgers are still battling for an NCAA berth. Wisconsin must finish over .500 in overall winning percentage to qualify for the tournament.
A complete transcription of Waite’s comments is below. You can also watch the video here. Waite’s portion of the video starts at approximately the 24-minute mark.
Opening Statement: Well, we’re coming off a tough five-set loss yesterday at Ohio State. It actually went to extra points. It was 19-17 in the fifth. (It was a) great comeback by our kids. We were down 10-14 in the fifth and to come back that far, tie it and actually have a couple of swings for match point was exciting. And we were right on the verge of the victory, but couldn’t quite close it out.
I look at it in a way that we’re stronger now than we were a year ago. Ohio State had four seniors on the court. We had four freshmen on the court. I look at it, also a week ago, we were at Northwestern and we had a five-set win that went 21-19 and we got that one.
Our kids are battling. They’re right there, they’re right on the verge. It’s just the youth I think at times is catching up to us a little bit, but they’re learning a lot from these experiences. And they feel good about their progress and that they have the opportunity at any point on any match in the Big Ten is to knock somebody off and get the win. The experience has been good for them.
This weekend, we do have Minnesota and Iowa at home. And we hope to close it out for our seniors with a good couple of wins here.
How about this pair of seniors and what they’ve been able to accomplish here in trying to help this young team kind of get to that next level some day?
We actually have three seniors with Jessa Benson, Kim Kuzma and Al Wack. Our captains are Kim Kuzma and Jessa Benson. They’ve actually done a great job, really creating a great mentality with this team, a positive influence every day in the gym and off the court. They’re really leading this team in the right direction. We’ve really, I feel, really turned the bus in the right direction with this group.
Al Wack and Kim Kuzma have been on the court more. And really, both of them have stepped up their game more in the last month than their entire careers, which is what you want a senior to do.
Last year, Kim was hindered by a back injury that really held her (out) from doing her best. Now this year, she’s been much more healthy. It’s still there, but she’s able to contribute and really be a positive influence on the court. I think she’s going to finish up in the, probably the top three or four of all-time digs for the program.
And Al Wack, again, in the last month has had her best matches ever in her career. That’s fantastic that they’re really hitting their stride and playing a great game, and being good role models and leaders for the rest of the players.
You mentioned being better off now than you were before. Obviously, you had a great record non-conference wise and then the tough stretch came in the Big Ten play. How difficult or challenging has it been to keep the attitude, to keep the motivation, to keep everybody pointed in the right direction through that stretch?
It is challenging because they invest a lot in every match, in every practice and they’re just passionate about what they do. But they’re seeing the progress. They know, even in the last three or four weeks, our blocking has improved a ton, which has increased our defensive numbers. Offensively, some people are stepping up.
But some people are still as young players, going through a really good weekend and then an off weekend or a good day and an off day. And that’s just what younger players do. And when we hit on all cylinders, we can beat people. And we’ve gotten some of those wins against the top 25 teams and it’s been great. But at the same time, moving forward, you still have to stay positive as you grow and become a better team. But internally, they feel good.
Honestly, they don’t like losing, but they can see the difference from a year ago until now. And they see what’s going to happen in another year when a lot of these teams, and there are a number of teams that have veteran squads right now, that they’ll lose three or four from their starting lineup, and we will return four or five from our starting lineup. And so there’s going to be a big shift next year.
All winnable matches to come too, right?
Yeah, absolutely. We were right in there with Minnesota at their place, and Iowa we battled with. But Iowa this last weekend knocked off Michigan who is a top-15 team. And that surprised everybody, because Iowa was at the bottom of the conference.
I’ve said that before, how tough and deep the conference is this year that the people at the bottom are knocking off the ones at the top. And it’s really shaking things up for everybody, because you have to be ready every weekend.
They’re definitely winnable and especially being here at home. We’ve been gone for the last two weeks and it’s nice to be back.
