Wisconsin’s Kelli Bates will be entering into her final year with the Badgers in 2017, being a consistent force for the team over the past three years.
In her freshman season, Bates put down 331 kills on the year for 2.85 kills per set. In addition, she picked up 267 digs. Her sophomore season saw Bates put down 366 kills with 318 digs, improving her numbers over year one.
Her junior season, the team saw an influx of amazing talent take the floor, therefore, Bates’ role with the team changed. Bates primarily saw time in the backcourt as the team’s libero in 2016, picking up 485 digs for an average of 3.98 digs per set.
Bates originally was going to take her volleyball talents to Dayton, where Kelly Sheffield, Wisconsin’s head coach, was originally coaching. Once he got the job at Wisconsin, Bates followed Sheffield for the ride.
Bates’ parents explain that she just wants to play and to win, meaning that she would take any role that was given to her on the court – moving from the front row to the back.
Leave a Reply