While Wisconsin volleyball has only played 13 games thus far, they have already used four different lineups.
The third-ranked Badgers started the season with junior Kelli Bates, a former outside hitter, playing libero, while freshman phenom Molly Haggerty joined junior Lauryn Gillis on the left-side pin. This line up brought success for the team as they took down the then-sixth-ranked University of Hawaii and the 18th-ranked San Diego Toreros.
After losing Lauryn Gillis to an ankle injury, Kelli Bates resumed her role as an outside hitter, and freshman M.E. Dodge took over as the team’s libero. Both Bates and Dodge struggled at their new respective positions, and the Badgers suffered their first and only loss the season at the 11th-ranked University of North Carolina.
The next day brought more changes after Molly Haggerty tweaked an ankle. Senior Romana Kriskova moved from her post on the right side, to play outside with Bates, and another senior, Tori Blake, came off the bench to cover the right side of the net. Despite the previous day’s loss, and playing without their two starting outside hitters, Wisconsin still took care of Louisville in three sets.
Fortunately, Haggerty’s absence was short-lived, and the team’s lineup resembled their second one when they played Texas A&M and the University of Texas. The Badgers handily beat the 16th-ranked Aggies before toppling #2 Texas in a five-set thriller.
This lineup remained until the second week of Big Ten play when Lauryn Gillis was cleared to return to action. She returned to her spot on the outside while Molly Haggerty moved over to the right side.
Despite all of the lineup changes the team has dealt with over the past five weeks, the Badgers have proved that they have the ability and the depth to adapt to changes while still remaining a top tier team. With lots of volleyball still to be played, it will be interesting to see how their line up progresses as the season continues.
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