Next up: Volleyball’s Hilley leads watch list of talent on the rise
August 18, 2017 | General News, Volleyball, Andy Baggot
A sneak peek at Wisconsin student-athletes who could step out of the crowd in 2017-18
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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — It's fair to wonder if Sydney Hilley is blazing her own trail or following in the footsteps of the most decorated player in Wisconsin volleyball history.
Hilley has long been enamored with Lauren Carlini, the four-time All-America setter for the Badgers, freshly graduated and now angling for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team.
Hilley chose to attend UW because of Carlini, committing when she was a high school freshman in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Hilley either attended home matches or watched them online after she orally committed, devoting almost all of her attention to how Carlini handled herself before, during and after matches.
Hilley even graduated from high school early because of Carlini, enrolling at UW in January so she could train alongside Carlini before the AAU Sullivan Award winner left Madison to train with the U.S. national team and begin her professional career in Italy.
But Hilley doesn't flinch when the topic is broached. She firmly believes she's charting her own course.
"I'm my own person," she said firmly. "I don't want to be Lauren Carlini. I want to be Sydney Hilley."
All of these freshmen can't wait to #BringIt this fall. Bell, Hart, Hilley, Loberg, Rettke, Shanahan, Whalen/p> — Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) June 26, 2017
UW coach Kelly Sheffield said Hilley made 10 or so in-person visits to watch Carlini play over the years — it's a five-hour car ride from suburban Minneapolis to Madison — and tuned in religiously online to absorb the work of her celebrated predecessor.
"I think she looked up an awful lot to Lauren and respected and studied her and tried to add things to her game," Sheffield said of Hilley.
But when Sheffield looks at Hilley, he sees a leader, not a follower.
"But she's not trying to be Lauren Carlini," he said after a recent preseason practice. "She's trying to be the best Sydney Hilley."
Few UW student-athletes will be scrutinized more closely by outsiders in 2017-18 than Hilley, a 6-foot dynamo and prep All-American who was the third-ranked recruit in the country in 2016.
Being cast as The Next Big Thing is daunting enough as an athlete, but Hilley is trying to do more than that.
Carlini was the charismatic face of the program who helped guide the Badgers to the NCAA semifinals as a freshman, followed by two Elite Eights and a Sweet 16.
She helped nudge the bar of expectations so high that nearly 5,000 season tickets — a program record — were sold for the coming season at the renovated, 6,012-seat UW Field House. The Badgers are ranked seventh heading into their 32nd year at the facility.
"Obviously, Lauren Carlini is the best player to ever go through this program and coming after her is pressure, but I think it's more motivation than pressure," Hilley said.
"Just watching her and how she affected this program, I want to be the same thing. I want to even be better than her. I know that's a huge goal, but it motivates me every day."
ICYMI #Badgers announce their 2017 television schedule! 6? matches on national broadcasts! #GameFaces
— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) August 17, 2017
Hilley comes to preseason practices with a Carlini-inspired to-do list.
"What would Lauren be doing right now?" Hilley asks herself. "How can I do something better than Lauren?"
Hilley can one-up Carlini in an obvious way.
"I want to win a national championship more than anything," Hilley said.
"She's desperate to try and do that," Sheffield said.
The Badgers reached the NCAA championship match in 2000 and 2013, but fell to Nebraska and Penn State, respectively.
"She geeks out — this team geeks out — on what this fan base would be like winning a championship," Sheffield said. "They've waited a long time. She'd like to be a part of that."
Carlini offered a glowing analysis of her successor, calling her "very skilled, super athletic with a very high ceiling" after seeing Hilley up-close.
"I have no doubt that Badger fans are going to be in great hands with her," Carlini said. "I think she's very intuitive and she's a great player already."
According to Carlini, Hilley's strength is "she's very coachable and totally open to change, which is going to be so valuable throughout her career."
Does Hilley do anything better than Carlini?
"She's a great server," Carlini said. "I think she's going to get a lot of points for this team. Behind the service line, she's going to be a force to be reckoned with."
When that insight was a passed along to Hilley, she laughed.
"That's funny because I think serving is where I need to get a lot better," she said.
??vs.?? Scrimmage THIS Friday at 6:30 PM. Are you as excited as @Sarah_Dodd5 and @Mdodge19volley ??
— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) August 16, 2017
It didn't take long for Hilley to assert herself as a college student and teammate.
She got a 4.0 grade-point average for her first semester at UW, impressive when you know she plans to major in genetics and attend pharmacy school. She also has A's going in to her two summer school courses.
According to Sheffield, Hilley received votes when it came time to choose captains.
"Every one of our older kids voted for her," he said.
Junior defensive specialist Amber MacDonald was ultimately chosen for the role, but Hilley, one of seven freshmen in the second-rated recruiting class in the country, will factor into the leadership equation.
"She'll be our floor captain during matches," Sheffield said of Hilley, "but I don't want her feeling the weight of the team on her."
Carlini said Hilley's plate will be filled with leadership demands nonetheless.
"Being the setter, playing that quarterback position, you have to be able to have hard conversations (and) demand things out of people," Carlini said. "It may be uncomfortable as a freshman, but you have to be willing to do that and take that leadership role."
Sheffield isn't worried about that part of Hilley's skill set. He noted she started as an eighth-grader on her nationally-ranked club team and as a freshman in high school.
"She's always been the best player on a really good team with her being really young," he said. "That hasn't fazed her at all. She's had no problem communicating with older players."
Seeing Hilley interact with her UW teammates has eased one of Sheffield's biggest concerns.
"She's very focused, very driven," he said. "Yet she's not wound so tight that she can implode or explode.
"That was one of my worries. She's a high achiever, but there's an ability to take a deep breath and be able to smile and laugh at yourself."
It's going to be a great season in the Field House! #cantwait
— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) August 11, 2017
Working with Carlini during the spring allowed Hilley to measure herself emotionally.
"On the court, I think we have pretty similar personalities," she said of Carlini. "I'm more confident on the court than off the court. She's just confident all-around."
Hilley knows she'll be asked a lot of questions about following in the footsteps of Carlini, but as far as she's concerned, she's walking uncharted territory.
"I'm my own player and I'm doing my best, trying to be the best I can be for this team," she said.
Hilley's path becomes more defined Friday when the annual Cardinal and White Scrimmage is held at the Field House. Things start getting real Aug. 25 and 26 when Louisville, Minnesota and North Carolina come to town for the fourth annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Sheffield had a simple, but powerful overview of Hilley's journey.
"Great players," he said, "want to be great no matter who was before them."
Heading into the new school year, is there anyone else on Wisconsin's list of Who's Next?
Of course. Here's a sampling:
Men's basketball: Aleem Ford, a redshirt freshman small forward from Lawrenceville, Georgia, has added more than 20 pounds to his 6-foot-8 frame and is expected to bring versatility to the front line. He's got an inside-outside game that fits well in the UW scheme.
Men's cross country: Oliver Hoare, a sophomore from Sydney, Australia, is looking to become the latest Down Under success story for the Badgers, following the long stride of UW senior Morgan McDonald. Hoare recently became the first UW freshman to break four minutes in the mile.
Men's golf: Nick Robinson, a sophomore from Palos Verdes, California, is coming off a rookie season in which he compiled the fourth-best scoring average by a UW freshman (74.61). He was the top finisher for the Badgers in four of 11 events.
Men's hockey: Sean Dhooghe, a true freshman winger from Aurora, Illinois, has "fan favorite" written all over his speedy, highly-skilled 5-foot-3 frame. He was the buzz of San Jose's NHL prospects camp earlier this summer and heads a sterling recruiting class.
Men's soccer: Elan Koenig, a redshirt sophomore from Los Angeles, started all 19 games last season and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. His role grew for 2017-18 when world-class defender Sam Brotherton turned pro, bypassing his final season of eligibility.
Men's swimming and diving: MJ Mao, a true freshman from Honolulu, Hawaii, is a butterfly and breaststroke specialist who was the top-rated recruit in Hawaii and 20th nationally. He's the reigning junior national champion in the 100 breast and 100 fly.
Men's tennis: Daniel Soyfer, a sophomore from Plantation, Florida, is coming off a debut season in which he racked up the most wins by a UW freshman since at least 1990 (26-11). He'll be key for the Badgers in their quest to return to the NCAA meet.
Men's track and field: Rashid Coulibaly, a sophomore from Oshkosh, has his sights set on becoming the best pole vaulter in program history. He cleared 17 feet indoors and outdoors as a freshman, qualifying for the NCAA outdoor meet.
Wrestling: Andrew Crone, a fifth-year senior from Delafield, becomes a UW headliner with the departure of NCAA podium regulars Isaac Jordan and Connor Medbery. Crone was named the Badgers' most improved competitor after going 29-13 and qualifying for the national meet.
Women's basketball: Marsha Howard, a 5-10 junior forward from Chicago, will be counted on to produce and lead a rebuilding outfit. She was the sixth-most improved scorer in the Big Ten last season, upping her points per game from 2.1 as a freshman to 7.5 as a sophomore.
Women's cross country: Alicia Monson, a sophomore from Amery, is looking to build off her debut season in which she was the No. 2 runner for the Badgers in the NCAA meets. She'll team with junior Sarah Disanza to give UW a formidable 1-2 punch.
Women's golf: Lexi Harkins, a senior from Crystal Lake and transfer from North Carolina, is looking to put an exclamation mark behind a stellar college career. She competed in 33 tournaments for the Tar Heels, including two NCAA championships, and has a career scoring average that would rank in the top five in UW history (75.35).
Women's hockey: Claudia Kepler, a senior left winger from Verona, reached double-digit goals three straight seasons for Ohio State before transferring and sitting out last year per NCAA rules. She's a rarity in that she was elected to be a co-captain before making her UW debut.
Women's soccer: Victoria Pickett, a junior midfielder from Barrie, Ontario, is back to ignite the offense after a redshirt season in which she played for Team Canada. She was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2015 and will be the focal point of the Badgers' attack this year.
Softball: Haley Hestekin, a true freshman from Kaukauna, is one of the headline recruits for the Badgers. The right-handed pitcher amassed three no-hitters and 14 shutouts for the Ghosts last season and was 65-6 with a 0.47 earned run average for her career.
Women's swimming and diving: Cierra Runge, a junior from Cochranville, Pennsylvania, is an Olympic gold medalist in the freestyle who debuted last season after transferring from California. She was hampered by illness during the NCAA meet and is eager to make up for the lost opportunity.
Women's tennis: Sara Castellano, a junior from Carmagnola, Italy, and a transfer from Kansas State, played No. 1 singles and doubles for the Wildcats before transferring and sitting out last season per NCAA rules. She was a top-50 prospect on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour prior to coming to the U.S.
Women's track and field: Emma Fitzgerald, a sophomore from Braintree, Massachusetts, is the latest in a growing line of elite multi-event standouts for the Badgers. She already holds the school standard in the javelin, a 170-feet, 6-inch lightning bolt set during the outdoor season.
