Sports

No. 6 UW-W Volleyball Secures Spot in Third Straight NCAA Regional Championship

Warhawks celebrate after a point against UW-Eau Claire Friday night (Olivia Zinanni)

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

Whitewater, Wis. — The No. 6 UW-Whitewater volleyball team secured their spot in the regional championship match for the third consecutive season Friday night. The Warhawks swept league-foe UW-Eau Claire 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-21) to advance to the title match. 

The regional championship will be another Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown as UW-Platteville took down Washington University in St. Louis in the first match Friday to advance. The Pioneers will make their second appearance in the regional championship in program history while the Warhawks will make their seventh under Head Coach Stacy Boudreau as the teams square off Saturday at 5 PM in Russell Arena. The first 100 UW-Whitewater students (with ID) will get in free to tomorrow evening’s regional championship match. Doors open at 4 PM. 

The Warhawks were dominant early in Friday’s match against the Blugolds. Like much of the season, the UWW block provided a huge advantage for the Warhawks and continuously swayed momentum in Whitewater’s favor. 

A six-point run for UWW midset gave the Warhawks a 17-9 lead. Three blocks bolstered that run and led to a lopsided first set win. 

UW-Whitewater jumped out to a 7-1 lead in set two, but the Blugolds whittled away at the margin making it a battle late. UW-Eau Claire rattled off four in a row to knot the set at 21-21. The squads traded points with ties at 22-22 and 23-23. A Blugold service error gave UWW set point. Aubrie Krzus registered one of her six kills to cap the set and give UW-Whitewater a 2-0 lead in the match. 

The Blugolds held an early lead in set three until a four-point run for UWW gave the Warhawks a 20-17 advantage. The last three points of that run came on blocks for UWW – Chloe Werner and Abbie Dix tallied the bookend blocks while Dix teamed with Jenna Weinfurt for the second of the run. 

A few points later, with UWW leading 22-19, Dix and Krzus turned away a Blugold attack attempt. The defensive powerhouses at the net made it back-to-back blocks on the next rally for match point. UWEC pushed for an additional match point before Alayna Jansky punched UW-Whitewater ticket to the title match with a kill. 

Janky led UWW offensively with nine kills. Defense was the difference as Dix posted nine blocks in the contest. Krzus added five blocks to her six kills without an attack error and 26 assists. Werner registered four blocks, a mark that Weinfurt matched. 

Jaedynn Evans posted 19 digs with Ally Longden adding 13. At the service line, Weinfurt and Emma Bludgen each tallied a pair of aces. 


Girls’ Basketball Battles Fort Atkinson

Fort Atkinson beat Whitewater 46-38 in non-conference girls’ basketball action on Thursday night, November 21. Both teams were looking for the season’s first win, and Whitewater jumped out to an early 14-4 lead. By halftime, Fort Atkinson was back to within one point and started to pull away with a few minutes remaining in the game. Whitewater had a chance to cut it to three with just over two minutes remaining but could not take advantage, and Fort was able to seal the win.

Calli Grosinske led the Whippet scoring with 13 points

Article Submitted by Mike Dowden
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach
dowmi01@wwusd.org
Photo courtesy of Bob and Peter Mischka.

UW-W Volleyball Sweeps OWU, Advances in NCAA Regional

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

The Warhawks celebrate a point against Ohio Wesleyan Thursday (Olivia Zinanni)

The No. 6 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team swept Ohio Wesleyan 28-26, 25-14, 25-15 to open NCAA Regional action Thursday night in Whitewater. The Warhawk win sets up a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup in the next round as UWW will take on UW-Eau Claire at 7 PM Friday in Russell Arena. 

Regional Webpage (Click there for the bracket and other information. Single game tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for senior adults and students, $5 for children ages 3-12, children under 3 are free. All day tickets are also available.) The game may be viewed on uwwtv.org or, presumably, on Spectrum cable.

The Warhawks found a way to take the early lead in the match despite a shaky start in set one. The teams traded small runs throughout the set with UWW grabbing the first set point, 24-23. The Battling Bishops responded with the next two points to force another set point. Alayna Jansky hammered down a kill to tie the game, but OWU responded once more for a third set point. Jansky pounded down back-to-back kills and Hannah Proctor put the finishing touches on the set to make it three straight Warhawk kills and hand UWW the 1-0 lead in the match. 

The final two sets were all UW-Whitewater. The Warhawks jumped out to an 8-3 advantage in set two. OWU whittled away at the margin, but another big run extended the lead to seven, 17-10. A six-point sway late in the set gave UWW set point, and a Battling Bishop miscue handed the Warhawks a 2-0 lead in the match. 

A few small runs added up to a big lead in set three. The Warhawks quickly built a 19-10 advantage and cruised to the finish line. Chloe Werner hammered down a kill and then teamed up with Abbie Dix on a block for the final two points of the match. 

Dix paced the Warhawks offensive with 13 kills hitting .458 in the match. Werner was the most efficient with 11 kills in 19 attempts while committing just one attack error on the evening – a hitting percentage of .526. Jansky joined her teammates in double digits with 10 kills. 

Defensively at the net, UW-Whitewater showcased why they are the best blocking team in the nation. Proctor and Dix posted seven blocks each while Jenna Weinfurt and Werner had four a piece and Aubrie Krzus added three. 

Krzus tallied 33 assists in the match while Jaedynn Evans led UWW with 10 digs. 

The Warhawks are competing in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 35th time in program history and 18th under head coach Stacy Boudreau. UW-Whitewater is now 72-5 in matches played in Russell Arena in the last five seasons. 

UWW swept UW-Eau Claire during the conference slate this season. The Warhawks won 25-17, 25-22 and 25-11 in that match that was held October 4 in Russell Arena. Since 1995, UWW is 34-13 against the Blugolds.

No. 3 Warhawk Women’s Basketball Downs CUW on the Road

Kacie Carollo goes up for a layup in a game earlier this season (Tim Kruse)

Mequon, Wis. — The No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team was impressive on both ends of the floor in an 80-37 win at Concordia Wisconsin [CUW] Wednesday night. 

The Warhawks held the Falcons scoreless for nearly eight minutes after CUW scored the opening bucket, allowing Wis.-Whitewater to lead 19-7 at the end of the first quarter. They capitalized on Concordia’s 10 turnovers while committing only two themselves. UWW was efficient from the free-throw line, making 7 of 8 attempts, and outscored the Falcons 8-3 on points from turnovers. Kacie Carollo contributed significantly for UWW, scoring a team-high with two 3-pointers and a total of 10 points in the quarter.

In the second quarter, UWW extended their lead over CUW with a 21-6 run. UWW held CUW scoreless for over seven minutes to start the period. The Warhawks dominated in the paint, scoring 12 points while also capitalizing on the Falcons’ turnovers with 5 points. The visiting team shot an efficient 9-for-17 from the field, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, while CUW struggled offensively, making only 2 of 12 shots and committing 7 turnovers. UWW’s defense was active, recording 5 steals and limiting CUW’s second-chance opportunities.

The second half was more of the same with UW-Whitewater holding the advantage on both sides of the ball, extending the lead down the stretch. 

The Warhawk offense was stellar Wednesday as UWW shot 54-percent from the floor (30-56) and 73-percent from three-point range (8-11). Their efficiency from deep is tied for the fourth-best three-point percentage in a single game in program history. 

Carollo led the way with 21 points hitting 7-10 from the floor, 4-5 from deep and 3-3 from the charity stripe. She added nine boards and eight assists in the contest. Mia Gillis knocked down 6 of her 8 shots for 13 points. Defensively, Logan Lowry registered four blocks in the game while Bri McCurdy added three steals. 

UW-Whitewater returns to the court Tuesday as they host Illinois Wesleyan at 6 PM in Kachel. 

UW-W to Host NCAA Volleyball Regional Beginning Thursday (Updated)

Updated 11/21/24 @ 8:10 p.m. to provide availability of television broadcast.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will host a NCAA Division III Volleyball Regional beginning Thursday, November 21. 

Where: Russell Arena, Williams Center, Whitewater, WI

When: Thursday, November 21-Saturday, November 23

Regional Webpage (Click there for the bracket and other information. Single game tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for senior adults and students, $5 for children ages 3-12, children under 3 are free. All day tickets are also available.)

The Warhawks, ranked 6th nationally, are making their 35th NCAA appearance in program history and 18th under Head Coach Stacy Boudreau. Coach Boudreau was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association Region 8 Coach of the Year earlier today. 

UW-Whitewater will open play in the regional against Ohio Wesleyan Thursday. The match is slated for a 7 pm start.  The game may be viewed on uwwtv.org or, presumably, on Spectrum cable.

The Whitewater, Wis. Regional features two other Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams – UW-Eau Claire and UW-Platteville, as well as Washington University in St. Louis, Edgewood College, Saint Benedict and Northwestern-St. Paul.

UW-W Claims Third Consecutive WIAC Tournament Title

UW-Whitewater poses with the WIAC Tournament trophy and banner (Steve Frommell)

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

Oshkosh, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team took down top-seeded UW-Oshkosh in a five-set thriller to claim the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title for the third straight season. The Warhawks secured the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship with the win setting blocking records along the way. The 3-2 victory featured set scores of 20-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-18 and 15-12 for the program’s 19th league tournament title. 

It was a purple block party in Oshkosh Saturday night — UWW registered 21.0 total blocks as a team breaking the program record for blocks in a single match. That mark is also the most by any Division III team this season. Both middle hitters, Hannah Proctor and Abbie Dix, registered double digit blocks in the match with 10 and 11 respectively. 

The Titans used a 6-1 midset run to open up a 19-12 advantage leading to the first set win. 

The Warhawks responded in a big way. The offense hit .500 in set two while the defense held UWO to a .000 attack efficiency. An 8-1 run in the middle of the set gave UWW a 13-7 lead. The Warhawks capped the set scoring seven of the last eight points. The final point came on a huge Jenna Weinfurt and Proctor block. 

Set three went the Titans’ way but, once again, UWW had the response. The Warhawks held UWO to a hitting percentage of .041 in the fourth while the offense limited errors. A huge 8-0 run opened up a 19-8 lead for UW-Whitewater. Weinfurt and Dix teamed up for a block while Dix joined Aubrie Krzus on another in the run. All three added a kill in the series. Proctor put the finishing touches on the set with a kill to force the decisive fifth set. 

The fifth was a nail-biter with the Titans pushing a lead to 10-7 on a four-point spurt. Like they had been doing the whole match, the Warhawks used a big block to sway momentum in UWW’s favor. Dix teamed with Chloe Werner to spark a run. Following a Titan point, UW-Whitewater ran off the next six to force match point, 14-11. The run featured three consecutive blocks — Alayna Jansky and Dix on the first followed by a solo from Dix and finally a Krzus and Dix double that made it 12-11. A Titan miscue made it 13-11 and a Jansky kill gave UWW match point. 

UWO pushed a second match point but Dix pounded down a kill for the final point of the match. 

Jansky led UWW with 18 kills while Weinfurt added 17. Dix added 10 kills in the contest. Krzus tallied 49 assists and added six blocks. 

Jaedynn Evans bolstered the defense with a match-high 24 digs while Jansky posted 14 and Ally Longden had 10. 

The Warhawks automatically qualify for the NCAA Division III Championship and will find out where they are headed, or if they are staying in Whitewater, during the NCAA Selection Show set for noon Monday. 

Bazeley Medals Twice at State Swim Meet

Makayla Bazeley capped off her high school swim career at the WIAA State Meet in Waukesha on Friday, November 15, with two medals! Makayla swam to a 2nd place finish and new school record in the 200 Freestyle in a time of 1:54.44 and a 3rd place finish in the 100 Backstroke in a time of 57.72. Congratulations, Makayla, on an amazing season and swim career!

Article and Photos Courtesy of Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Swim Coach
ReynoldsSM07@uww.edu

No. 4 UW-W Women’s Basketball Tops No. 21 Carroll

Kacie Carollo drives to the basket in a game earlier this season (Tim Kruse)

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

Waukesha, Wis. — The No. 4 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team came back from a nine-point halftime deficit to top No. 21 Carroll 62-60 on the road Saturday evening. 

After an even first quarter where both teams scored 14, the Warhawk offense struggled in the second. UWW shot just 21-percent from the floor while the Pioneers put up 18 to take a 32-23 lead at the intermission. 

UW-Whitewater regrouped and came out on fire on the other side of the break. The Warhawks shot a phenomenal 90-percent (9-10) from the floor including 2-3 from beyond the arc adding a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe in the quarter. 

UWW whittled away at the lead eventually grabbing the advantage at the 56 second mark on a layup by Maggie Trautsch. She added a pair of free throws to give the Warhawks a 49-46 lead at the end of the third. 

An old-fashioned three-point play for Carroll to open the fourth knotted the game 49-49. UW-Whitewater responded with a five-point run courtesy of a triple from Kacie Carollo and a pair of free throws from Bri McCurdy. 

Over the next three minutes, the only bucket was a Pioneer free throw. McCurdy broke the drought with a three-pointer at the 2:20 mark to give UWW a 57-50 lead. 

The Pioneers hit a layup that was quickly countered by a Carollo layin for UWW. Back-to-back buckets for CU cut the gap to two, 59-57, with 30 seconds to go. 

UWW inbounded to Carollo who dribbled through traffic as time ticked off the clock. The Pioneers finally fouled with 19 seconds left and Carollo hit both from the charity stripe to push the lead back to four, 61-57. 

Carroll pushed the ball up the court and hit a quick three to narrow the gap to one with 13 seconds remaining. Carollo was fouled again and hit one of two to give UWW a two-point lead with just under 10 seconds to go. 

A foul in the paint stopped the clock with two seconds to go and gave the Pioneers an inbounds play with enough time to get a shot off. Carroll did get a three-pointer off but the shot went wide to seal the Warhawk win. 

Carollo paced the Warhawks with 26 points on 9-15 from the floor, 3-5 from deep and 5-6 from the free throw line. Trautsch added 17 bolstered by 3-4 from beyond the arc. Mallory Oloffson pulled down nine boards adding four steals in the game.

Warhawks Dominate in Regular Season Finale

Jaden Hendrickson picks off a pass in Saturday’s game (Olivia Zinanni)

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

Eau Claire, Wis. — The UW-Whitewater football was dominant in a 48-7 win at UW-Eau Claire Saturday afternoon.

Tyler Vasey and the Warhawk special teams unit set the tone early. Vasey took the opening kick 71 yards down to the UWEC 24-yard line. Three plays later, Jackson Fox nailed a 35-yard field goal for an early 3-0 lead. That was the lone score of the first quarter. 

On the first play of the second quarter, Dyson Klubertanz jumped a passing lane inside the Warhawks five-yard line and returned the pick to the 29. The turnover led to UW-Whitewater’s first touchdown of the game – a 14-yard Jason Ceniti to Brian Stanton connection for the 10-0 advantage. That would be all the Warhawks needed in the game, but UWW continued to roll. 

UWW scored on the next drive as Drake Martin punched it in for the 17-0 lead. Jaden Hendrickson picked off a pass on the Blugold’s next drive and the Warhawks turned it into points on the other end. Another Ceniti passing touchdown, this time to Vasey from two yards out, put the finishing touches on the drive. Fox split the uprights on the point after for a 20-0 advantage. 

On the other side of the break, the Warhawks added 14 points in the third courtesy of a 36-yard Noah Battle run and a 44-yard Vasey carry. 

The fourth quarter saw 14 more added to UWW’s total in response to an Eau Claire touchdown early in the period. Ceniti took off on a 38-yard scoring sprint. He added a second score with his feet on a four-yard run to cap the scoring in the game for the 48-7 final. 

Ceniti was 10-11 for 149 yards and a passing touchdown. He added 124 yards and a pair of scores on the ground. Vasey registered 75 yards on five carries with a touchdown in the game. 

Vasey was also the top target with four catches. Steven Hein led the receiving corps with 45 yards on a pair of catches. 

Defensively, Kamrin Hutt had a phenomenal game with 12 tackles including 10 solo and a tackle for a loss of two. 

Warhawk Men Second at NCAA North Regional

File photo of Christian Patzka and Gunner Schlender competing in a meet earlier this season (UW-Whitewater Athletics)

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

Northfield, Minn. — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s cross country team finished second at the 2024 NCAA North Regional held in Northfield, Minnesota Saturday afternoon. 

The top teams from each of the ten regional sites automatically qualify for the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship with 22 more teams receiving at-large bids. Additionally, the top seven individuals from each regional, 70 total, who did not qualify with their team will earn a bid to the national championship. The complete championship field will be announced Sunday, November 17 on ncaa.com. 

Christian Patzka and Gunner Schlender crossed line together with a time of 24:30.40. Patzka officially took fourth with Schlender claiming fifth. The time is the second-fastest for Schlender in a regional meet. Dan Anderson added a 13th-place finish with a time of 24:50.10 while Chris Allen posted a time of 25:04.80 to finish 23rd. Allen’s mark is a regional best for the senior. All four Warhawks earn All-Region recognition with top 35 finishes. 

Tucker Johnson crossed the line just outside the top 35 with a time of 25:17.90 for 36th. Conner Murphy was right behind with a time of 25:19.30 for 38th. Alex Metko rounded out the group of Warhawks with a time of 25:43.30 for 56th in the field of over 200 runners. 

The 2024 NCAA Division III Championship will be held at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terra Haute, Indiana on Saturday, November 23.