The Wisconsin volleyball team continues to struggle with inconsistent play after dropping two matches over the weekend to Illinois and Purdue.

With a combination of five freshmen and sophomores in the regular rotation — including both of the setters — part of the Badgers’ inconsistencies may be attributed to an inexperienced roster.

“We are still working on that,” head coach Pete Waite said about the identity of his team at his Monday press conference. “You know, I think that they have to figure themselves out a little bit too. They have to find out who can step up consistently at almost every position. I think there are times when we do it for spurts at a time. We can get halfway or two-thirds of the way through each set and we will be right there with teams, and sometimes we will let it slip away, sometimes through our unforced errors. We have to really solidify our quality of play for a longer period of time.”

If the Badgers (14-6, 4-4 Big Ten) are to regain their dominant form, senior Audra Jeffers will likely be leading the way. Jeffers — the lone senior starter for the Badgers — was named captain for UW this season and has been backing up that title with her play on the court.

Jeffers ranks first in hitting percentage at .323 for UW, and she leads the team in blocking, averaging 1.07 per set.

“[Audra] is a phenomenal leader and a captain,” Waite said. “She is one of the most positive people and players that I have ever met. In any kind of a loss or a situation that is not going well, she steps up and voices her opinion in the locker room and on the court. She keeps everyone in a positive direction, and that is tough. Whether you are looking at our sport or football, confidence is huge.

“Nobody likes to lose, so when the losses are there you need a senior to step up, and Audra has been doing that for us.”

Conference remains tough

Further exposing UW’s troubles is an improved Big Ten conference. The Big Ten boasts the No. 1 team in the nation, Penn State, and six schools ranked in the top 25. The Badgers fell two spots to No. 21 after being swept last weekend.

“A lot of coaches say this every year but this is the strongest Big Ten group that I have seen,” Waite said. “It is partly because the teams that have been in the bottom of the Big Ten have new coaching staffs that have come in and really surprised some people. Over the course of either their first year, or their second and third year, it has been much, much stronger. Right now Penn State is just leading the pack, and everybody else is just kind of beating up on each other.”

One of the highlights of the season will be when UW plays host to Penn State (20-0, 8-0 Big Ten) on Friday at the Field House in a match that will be televised on ESPN2. The Nittany Lions are the defending national champions and represent a litmus test for the young Badger squad.

Though UW has been plagued with inconsistency all season, a win over PSU would represent a major accomplishment.

“Penn State is the national champion from last year, and they are undefeated in the conference and undefeated on the season right now, so they are stronger than they were last year,” Waite said. “At home here I think we have some magical things happen sometimes. No matter what is happening during the course of the season, we meet Penn State and some battles occur that are just amazing to watch.

“Our kids are pumped for it, and we came off that loss last year in five sets after a controversial call in the fifth [set] that has left everybody hungry for more.”