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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN VOLLEYBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 12, 2015

Kelly Sheffield

Madison, Wisconsin

THE MODERATOR: Women's Volleyball Head Coach Kelly Sheffield is here. We will have opening comments and take questions.

COACH SHEFFIELD: It's kind of an interesting week in front of us. It's the only time all year that we will play the same opponent on back-to-back matches, so kind of Minnesota week and, you know, big challenge. They're probably playing as well as anybody in the country. Got a lot of experience on that team, a lot of returning experience, Santana is probably on the left side playing as well as any outside in the country, the Tapp sisters have continued to take their game to another level. Their libero has stepped up her play from a year ago, her and Goehner, those guys are really handling the ball really well, and they've got a freshman setter I think that has added an awful lot to their ball club.

We got a big challenge. We're excited about playing them Wednesday night at our place and then going back to their place on Saturday.

Q. There's a lot of talk after last season about adjusting the way the schedules are done. Do you think this is the last year, do you have any better sense that this is the last time you will be doing the home-and-home, and is there anymore talk about adjusting this?
COACH SHEFFIELD: Yeah, sounds like the schedule might have just gotten improved, I haven't seen it. I know there has been a lot of discussion. I think we're going with a different model so this may be the last time that we play our travel partner twice in one week, but I haven't taken a look at what that means.

I think it's -- yeah, it's unique and -- you know, but 14 teams playing 20 matches, that's an unusual kinda deal. But I -- this will probably be the last year that we do it, is my understanding.

Q. Kelly, what did you gain out of two wins out east this past weekend?
COACH SHEFFIELD: I think we continue to get better. I mean, it's -- you know, Rutgers match, it's not often that you're a part of a rain delay, and certainly in our sport you don't see that too often. We had that, you know, and another travel snafu on top of that, so our team has had to -- we've had a few of those issues, where, you know, with other flight delays or leakages in a building or whatever that we've had to just kind of roll with it, and I think those things can help you as you go down the line. The next time we have a rain out maybe we will even be better!

Maryland playing a really, really good serving team. I think we showed a lot of courage with our passers against a team that was rifling bullets at us, and I thought we got a great weekend, again, from Lauryn Gillis and Romana Kriskova, those two, you know, the numbers just keep getting better and better from those guys, but I would say those are probably the things that we got better at.

Q. Looks like your blocks are come up -- are coming along, would you agree?
COACH SHEFFIELD: Yeah, we're three blocks per set this past weekend. It's -- you know, it's one of those things when you get a lot of blocks, everybody thinks that you're a great blocking team, and when you don't block that much then there are all these holes, and you're a horrible blocking team. The thing is that some teams are probably better at avoiding a block than others.

We work hard at it, but your opponent has to do something about it as well. I mean, they go over and they hit 12 inches above where your block is, doesn't matter how much that you work, you know, or if they go and tip over it, doesn't really matter how much -- how good your block is so -- but our numbers are getting better. I think we're getting a little bit better. Of course, as a coach you still sit there and say, man, there is so much room that we gotta get better in that area, and we do.

Q. Other than their setter, there's a lot of the same team that you handled twice, and they were kind of a disappointment, and I think they were disappointed in how last year went for them, and yet they seem to be playing a lot better. As you've watched them, what's the biggest difference from a year ago?
COACH SHEFFIELD: Man, they're better in every aspect, you know, I think -- they don't have holes in their ball control like they did a year ago. They're very, very solid passingwise, their lineup is a lot more stable. I think they were doing a lot of changing things out last year. Better connections with their setter; I think that's making a big difference. But at the end of the day, you know -- I mean, they were young, and they're experienced and they've got everybody coming back, and they're playing -- they're playing like a team that's got a lot of mojo going on right now. Confidence is a powerful thing. When you have it, you feel like you can conquer the world, and you watch them, and you're like, this team believes in themselves, and that's a fun place to be.

And, you know -- you know, when you get that and you look into somebody's eyes, you know, it's -- you feel like you're Superman, you know? So I'm not sure there is an aspect of their game they don't seem like they're better at.

Q. Kelly, should we be surprised that Illinois has four league losses, Penn State has two and Purdue is unbeaten?
COACH SHEFFIELD: Well, scheduling has been probably a little bit of a difference. Illinois you look there and you go four in a row, wow, that's pretty nasty, but, you know, the lowest ranked team they played in that four was 16th ranked, I think, right now, so we're -- you know, Purdue, you know, the -- the meaty part of their schedule is in front of them that -- you know, you certainly don't expect, you know, Penn State to go down to Northwestern -- nothing against Northwestern, Penn State just -- you know, there is a lot of talent over there, but it's been like that all over the country.

That's really what's cool about our sport this year is that we're seeing that -- we're seeing that left and right. No. 5, Arizona State, lost twice this weekend, and Stanford, you know, I think everybody about six months ago had those guys, you know, being one of the great teams of all times, and they've lost quite a few, and part of that's been injuries but still that's why you play the matches.

I think it's going to be like this all year long in our conference. It should be an unbelievably exciting year.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else for Coach? Thanks, Kelly.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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