Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
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"She's one of those players that makes everybody on the court better with her enthusiasm," Sheffield said of Morales. 40 Mikaelsen broke her foot and freshman setter Lauren Carlini missed half of the preseason. "One of the things that I've been really impressed with," Sheffield said, "is that it has been kind of a 'man down, next person up' mentality. You have to have that. When Tori Blake went down with a concussion, Haleigh Nelson came in and took that position and hasn't given it up. "When Annemarie Hickey goes down with an ankle injury, Deme Morales jumps in and she has been great. Hickey is back, but she's not taking that position from Morales at this point. She has given us a // VARSITY October 17, 2013 toughness that we have on our team but she just amps it up to another level. "There are some issues maybe when (Morales) goes in, but there are other things that are really, really good. Our strengths are maybe different with her in there instead of someone with size like a Crystal Graff (a 6-3 junior). You change the mentality of what you're doing with your team." The Badgers have just one player, Dominique Thompson, who has started every match; and only three have played in all 18 ― Morales, Nelson and Ellen Chapman. Despite the personnel adjustments, Morales doesn't feel like there has been any lack of continuity; which she says is a credit to Sheffield. "Personally, I don't really think it's a big issue," she said, "because from the start Kelly kind of made it a huge point to make sure everybody is ready and prepared. He really set the groundwork for having chemistry on the team. Everybody has gotten a feel for how to play with each other." Speaking to Sheffield's overall influence on the UW program ― the Badgers are 4-2 in the Big Ten Conference and they need just one more win to match last season's total ― Morales said, "He's a big motivator and an inspiring guy, I'd say. He makes it fun to come to practice; it's not like a job." What he takes most seriously about his job is communication. "Kelly," Morales went on, "is a pretty direct guy. He tells it like it is. He makes it clear what he wants out of you. The thing that I like about him a lot is that he really seeks the best out of everyone." In returning the compliment ― "She's one of those players that makes everybody on the court better with her enthusiasm" ― Sheffield brought context to where he thinks the program is today. "Our goal is to win a Big Ten championship," he said. "We're not there but we're getting closer all the time." The schedule sets up nicely for the Badgers, who have four straight Big Ten home matches beginning Friday night against Michigan. After playing in tough