How Wisconsin’s Gulce Guctekin continues to surprise with her serving skills in sweep of High Point

Gulce Guctekin is beginning to get the cling of this serving factor.

Guctekin, the College of Wisconsin volleyball crew’s freshman from Istanbul, Turkey, had by no means served in a match earlier than final weekend as a result of liberos don’t serve within the worldwide sport.

She demonstrated that she is a fast learner as she recorded three aces to offer simply a few of the highlights for the No. 6 Badgers as they cruised to a simple sweep of Excessive Level 25-10, 25-11, 25-14 Sunday afternoon on the UW Subject Home.

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The Badgers scored 20 factors on Guctekin’s 22 serves within the match, together with 9 straight as they closed out the primary set on a 10-0 run. She obtained an ace on her first serve of the day after which one other to get to set level.

“It’s actually pleasurable,” Guctekin stated of her early serving expertise. “I used to be all the time on the passing facet and I wish to serve on the opposite court docket and get aces. I adore it, really.”

Coach Kelly Sheffield does too, regardless that it’s come as one thing of an surprising bonus in her sport.

“I’m seeing a server that could be a lot higher in matches than what she is in observe,” Sheffield stated, drawing nods of settlement from Guctekin and teammate Sarah Franklin within the post-match interview room. “I imply that in a optimistic approach. She hasn’t been serving that lengthy and hasn’t been serving in matches ever and possibly hasn’t performed in entrance of this measurement of crowd shortly.

“To get on the market and put in good ball after good ball after good ball, she makes it look so much simpler than what it perhaps could be. I see a server that’s serving with a variety of confidence. She’s not simply attempting to maintain balls in play. She’s placing strain on them with being flat, and good contact, getting it into house, working the court docket. We noticed a variety of that.”

After all, serving is only a sideline for Guctekin, whose major position with the Badgers (3-1) is to spark the protection within the again row. She confirmed persevering with progress there, as properly, with a season-high 17 digs. She additionally added six assists.

“Defensively, she covers a variety of court docket,” Sheffield stated. “I believe she would most likely be the primary one to say that final weekend she most likely didn’t cowl an entire lot of court docket defensively. Hesitating a bit of bit. I believe we’re seeing a participant that’s much more snug and simply taking part in her approach.”

That utilized to just about all of her teammates on Sunday because the Badgers have been in command all through, by no means trailing at any level within the match.

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With the end result by no means doubtful, Sheffield was on the lookout for progress from his crew, which has had some ups and downs early within the season.

“You need them to have the ability to continue to grow and dealing collectively,” Sheffield stated. “It’s a variety of new items, lots of people who haven’t performed with the folks subsequent to them. Operating a 6-2 as properly.

“Will we proceed to speak higher? Will we proceed to work on balls which can be within the seam higher? Will we eliminate hesitation factors? That’s been one thing that final weekend we hesitated so much. Is that my ball? Is that your ball? I believe these are beginning to turn out to be a bit of bit much less and fewer and that’s what you’re on the lookout for.

“Setters are looking for the place can I get my hitters into house and make good choices there. Actually, the rating doesn’t matter once you’re attempting to do these forms of issues.”

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Sarah Franklin, who struggled at instances in Friday night time’s victory over Marquette, being subbed out at one level within the third set, was again on type with a match-high 14 kills on simply 22 swings, hitting a career-high .545.

“It occurs,” Franklin stated of her tough night time in opposition to the Golden Eagles. “Progress shouldn’t be a straight line. We’re keen to just accept these more durable matches, these more durable challenges the place you’re not on high of your sport. That’s the place I believe a variety of us can enhance probably the most as a result of after we’re down it’s in regards to the maturity of having the ability to bounce again after these performs.

“Rewatching that sport and having the ability to bounce again and are available again even higher the subsequent sport is sort of my foremost focus. I believe I did that fairly properly. I simply sort of watched my sport and made little adjustments throughout the board between passing, hitting, serving, and I simply suppose I modified my mentality to a bit of extra get on the market and get after it.”

The Badgers hit .421 for the match with solely 9 errors on 76 assaults. The Panthers (4-2), Massive South Convention champions the previous two seasons and unanimous favorites to win once more this season, hit -.074 with 22 errors and simply 16 kills. Former DeForest athlete Sopheea Mink didn’t have a kill however had one dig.

HIGH POINT (kills-digs-blocks) — Maberry 3-2-1, Mink 0-1-0, Dumford 0-0-0, Van Eekeren 1-3-0, Salley 4-1-0, Miggins 1-3-0, Palazzolo 5-0-0, Idlebird 1-0-0, Kratzer 0-0-0, Grasson 0-3-0, Wesolich 1-0-1, Maeurer 0-1-0, Wessling 0-9-0. Totals 16-23-1.

WISCONSIN (kills-digs-blocks) — Reed 0-0-0, MacDonald 0-0-0, Gregorski 0-0-0, Hammill 0-2-0, Crawford 3-5-3, Robinson 11-0-3, Ashburn 0-5-0, Franklin 14-4-3, Smrek 2-0-1, Demps 3-0-0, Wrobel 1-0-0, Hart 3-2-5, Guctekin 0-17-0, Orzol 4-5-1. Totals 41-40-8.

Hitting share — HP -.074, W .421. Aces — HP 1 (Miggins), W 7 (Guctekin 3). Assists — HP 16 (Miggins 6), W 38 (Ashburn 19). Att. – 7,229.