MADISON, Wis. – Head Coach Kelly Sheffield spoke with the media today to preview the challenges ahead and discuss two veteran players.

No. 10 Wisconsin (20-6, 12-4 Big Ten) takes on No. 18 Illinois this Wednesday at 8 p.m. (CT) in Huff Hall before returning home for Sunday's senior night match against Ohio State at 1 p.m.

Archived video of the media session can be found above, and a complete transcript of Sheffield's remarks can be found below.

Opening Statement:
"I think we had pretty good week, individually, with some players. I thought Kelli Bates had a monster week and I think her hard work is start to go pay off and show a little bit in her all-around game. Her and Taylor Morey have really been working hard at their ball control. They've been coming in early in the mornings, and I don't think there was any coincidence that our last four matches have probably been our best passing matches of the season.

And Haleigh Nelson is probably turning into one of the top players in the conference over the past month. We're excited about this week. We've got two teams that are not just top-20 teams, but they're two teams that you could be facing that second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, if we're fortunate to still be playing. Caliber of teams that you could be squared off against to try to make a run to the Final Four.

So we've got two teams that are playing really well, Illinois right in front of us. They're as talented as anybody, and they're playing their best volleyball of the season right now, and an Ohio State team that we lost to at their place earlier this season, so we're excited about getting back after it."

In your mind what has been the difference since those two matches against Minnesota? Is it a young team growing up a little bit more? What do you factor into the eight-game winning streak?
"At the end of the day, Minnesota could end up being a number-one-ranked team today, if not one then two or three. We were right there. I don't know if there was this drastic change from where we're at right now to what we were then.

We were right there in a couple of matches against a team that's got a two-game lead in the Big. But I think our ball control is better now than what it was at that point. I think our outsides are certainly playing much better. Kelli Bates and Lauryn Gillis are certainly playing a lot better than they were at that point, and I think that's been pretty consistent since that point.

I would say that those are areas we're doing a better job, defensively we're getting a little bit stingier as well."

Romana has had good matches and other matches where she isn't as assertive. Is she at full strength? Talk about the consistency in her play.
"Going back and watching the film on our match, sometimes your eyes lie to you, and so during the match I was a little bit frustrated with some of the stuff that we were getting out of her.

After looking at the match, those guys just made some good plays and two of her hitting errors were just long. So maybe my leash needed to be a little bit longer with her on that match. I think the other thing is we're still figuring out how to coach her a little bit. She needs more time off than some of the other players. We're learning that. Coming out of last year her legs get a little bit heavier than some others. So does that mean two days off a week? Is it two days off in a row? Is it one day, then practice for a couple days, then another day? We were playing around with some different things. We feel like we're starting to get a handle on the number of reps she can have and the number of times she needs off.

So we've done a lot of toying around and just trying to take information, but I'm not worried about her. She hasn't put up great numbers in the past few matches, but truthfully some of that might have to do with the coaches rather than her. I think when we get right down to it she is going to be somebody we will be able to count on."

What has Taylor Morey meant to your program this year specifically?
"Massive. I don't know if anybody loves competing more than Taylor. She loves competing. She cares about her teammates, she loves being in the gym. We have afternoon practices but she is in there and has brought Kelli in with her for early morning sessions as well, so here is a kid that's coming up to the coaches and asking for two-a-days during school season. She is kind of a nut that way. She has grown up a lot as far as being able to handle her frustrations and she doesn't get angry as much she gets more determined now.

I think she has done a great job of just leading; how do we show strength in fighting through when things aren't going our way? I thought Courtney Thomas did a great job of that the previous couple of years, I thought Annemarie Hickey did that two years ago. Taylor has kind of led that charge this way. When it gets to be a grind she is doing a lot better job of embracing the grind."