How Wisconsin volleyball capped the playing portion of its foreign tour

MILAN, Italy — The University of Wisconsin volleyball team said arrivederci to the competition part of its foreign tour on Monday with a tightly contested loss to the Italian National B team.

The Badgers closed out their tour with a 21-25, 22-25, 24-26 loss to the Italians. The teams agreed to play a fourth set that the Badgers won 25-21.

The Badgers were in position to win each of the sets but faltered down the stretch of each one. They were up 20-19 in the first set before the Italians closed on a 6-1 run. In set 2 UW, was ahead 22-19 only to see the Italians score the last six points. And in the third set, Italy ran off the last four points to overcome a 24-22 UW lead.

“They were cleaner than us when it was winning time,” coach Kelly Sheffield said. “We got in the red zone and they were cleaner. We were sloppy in those areas.

What Wisconsin volleyball players saw in their visit to Venice

“I was talking with their coaches and they went with some different players today. They went back and watched a lot of film and prepared for this because they’re getting ready for the World University Games. They’re preparing for us while we’re on paddleboards.”

Sheffield was particularly pleased with the play of junior right side Anna Smrek, who continued a series of strong performances on the tour.

“As the match went on she got better and better and better,” Sheffield said. “She played at a really high level and we got to the point where the setters were feeding her just about every single ball. In system, out of system, on quicks. She hit .500 for the match. I’d say the last 2½ sets she had to hit .700.”

Smrek had 11 kills through the three official sets and added six more in the fourth. Julia Orzol led the way with 12 kills in the first three sets.

He also singled out sophomore outside hitter Ella Wrobel, who picked her game up a notch from the day before, sophomore libero Gulce Guctekin and senior defensive specialist Sydney Reed, who played libero in the third set.

The Badgers finish the tour with a 3-2 mark but in Sheffield’s mind the tour has been flawless on most every level.

Third match of foreign tour delivers familiar outcome for Wisconsin volleyball

“Invaluable,” he said of the experience. “When you’re talking about just on the court, getting three matches out of Temi (Thomas-Ailara) with these guys was really important. We were stretched in a lot of ways, not just playing but with travel and sightseeing and then go play. The competition we played forced us to be really good if we didn’t want to get run out of the gym. The concentration of being able to lock in from point to point is just invaluable.

“I thought Gulce got stronger as the tour went on, which was great. She played well in front of friends and family in Istanbul and then continued the last two days. I thought Smrek got better as the tour went on, which is really impressive when you think about it. The kid is 6-9 and doing as much walking as we’re doing and it’s hard to be sitting on a bus when you’re that long and to come in and get stronger as the tour goes on and not get worn down is really tough.”

He also praised the overall play of Orzol as well as senior middle blockers Caroline Crawford and Gabby McCaa, who were able to see some action after being hobbled by injuries in the spring.

Wisconsin volleyball sophomore has personal connection to 2023 NBA Finals

“Then you look off the court, the experience, the culture, getting out of your comfort zone, hanging out with teammates when you’re really tired and getting to know each other on a different level. It’s been an amazing trip and we’ve still got a couple more days.”

The Badgers leave Tuesday morning for Zurich, Switzerland, where they will attend a Bruce Springsteen concert.

Familiar face

Former Badgers player and Milan native Giorgia Civita came to see Monday’s match and renew acquaintances with her former teammates and coaches.

Civita, who spent the past year as an assistant coach at Florida International in Miami, has decided to step away from volleyball. She said it was difficult to be so close to the game as a coach and not be able to play.

Julia Orzol's worlds collide in surprising run-in on Wisconsin volleyball trip

“I tried coaching, but I don’t think it aligns with what I need at the moment,” said Civita, who spent two seasons as a defensive specialist with the Badgers and was an inspirational force in the 2021 national championship season as she played on despite suffering a torn ACL. “I felt like I was stuck. I felt like I needed a fresh start. I liked the people I worked with but I think I need to be completely away. It’s hard when you transition from playing to not playing. So I thought I had to try something completely new.”

Civita will start a new job with Caterpillar Inc. in Geneva, Switzerland, where she will be training with the marketing, sales and management departments for 13 months.

While she’s eager to take that new direction, she doesn’t dismiss the possibility of circling around to a role in volleyball again at some point.

“I think this will help me understand do I miss volleyball, do I want to go back to it,” she said. “I think trying new things is a good thing to do.”

Whatever she does she will take her experience as a Badger with her.

“It meant everything,” she said of her UW experience. “How much Kelly and the coaching staff taught me how to face adversity, I think those are the years that I grew the most. Like Kelly said, if something bad happens to you, nobody cares. Like when I tore my ACL, you’ve got till tomorrow to cry and then you’ve got to figure out a way to move forward.

“I think that approach along with how to work hard every day, how to explore and try new things, that’s what I take the most out of that experience. That, and the people. How I approach life, the biggest things I take from my time at Wisconsin.”