it the "woe is me" complex.
"You can start whining and complaining to each
other," he said, "or you can stand there and hunker
down together and look at things as opportunities.
To me, it's a more fun way of looking at it."
Sheffield reminded his players that a Wisconsin
team had not rallied from a 0-2 deficit in years.
"I wasn't exactly sure how long it had been," he
confessed. "But I knew it had been awhile and that
none of these players had come back from 0-2.
"I told them it had been five or six years since it
happened."
And he was right. The last time the Badgers battled back from a 0-2 deficit was in 2008. In fact,
since 2004, Wisconsin was 1-56 when it lost the
first two sets ― until last weekend.
"That's all he had to say to us," Thomas said.
"We're a team that's going to take on challenges
and that was a challenge. That's a big thing for him,
and he's going to keep giving us challenges."
The national rankings are not a big thing to Sheffield. This week, the Badgers were ranked No. 25 in
the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll
― the first time they've been ranked since Oct. 27,
2008.
"The rankings mean (that) so far you've had a
pretty good year," Sheffield said. "In our case, it has
been a pretty good two weeks, and that's all that it
means.
"Probably with our players it gives them a little
more enthusiasm. When adversity has been in front
of you, as it has been for us, it probably gets them a
little more excited to come to practice.
"But really that's all it does with our team. It's
not something we talk about at all."
Recruiting is another story.
"We're able to sell a message to recruits that
can have some real impact," Sheffield said. "When
you're selling a vision, it makes it a little easier
to clarify that. Hopefully it also energizes our fan
base."
That's why Sheffield is so excited about this
weekend's matches at the Field House.
"When you're playing in front of the one of the
best fan bases in college volleyball, everybody gets
stoked about that," he said, noting the players talk
about their home crowd in reverent terms.
"First one of the season, first one in my career
here, (I'm) absolutely excited."
"WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING IN FRONT OF THE
ONE OF THE BEST FAN BASES IN COLLEGE
VOLLEYBALL, EVERYBODY GETS STOKED
ABOUT THAT," SHEFFIELD SAID. "FIRST ONE
OF THE SEASON, FIRST ONE IN MY CAREER
HERE, (I'M) ABSOLUTELY EXCITED."
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