Sports

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.

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. 

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. 

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

Northfield, Minn. — The UW-Whitewater women’s cross country team finished sixth at the 2024 NCAA North Regional held in Northfield, Minnesota Saturday morning.

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. 

Ari De La Cerda (Pewaukee, Wis./) paced the Warhawks with a time of 22:25.4 to finish 13th in a field of over 200 runners. A four-time regional participant, De La Cerda’s 2024 time is her best mark and top career finish at the meet. Payton Scoggin (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trails) was clocked in 22:39.7 to finish 19th at the meet. Her mark is also a personal best at the regional. In her second regional appearance, sophomore Renee Forystek (Waukesha, Wis./North) crossed the line in 22:54.9 to claim 29th. As top 35 finishers, De La Cerda, Scoggin and Forystek all earn USTFCCCA All-Region honors. 

Katie Erb (Winnebago, Ill./) added a time of 23:18.0 to finish 43rd while Ella Hansen’s (Pewaukee, Wis./) time of 23:33.4 was good for 54th. Abbey Wedwick (Westby, Wis./) registered a time of 24:23.5 with teammate Carleen Snow (Rio, Wis./DeForest) crossing the line just .02 later – both rank among the top 100. 

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

Stevens Point, Wis. — The No. 7 UW-Whitewater volleyball team punched its ticket to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 28-26) sweep at UW-Stevens Point Thursday night. The Warhawks have advanced to the league tournament title match for the 11th consecutive time and will be seeking their third straight title on Saturday. UWW has won five of the last ten conference tournament championships.

In the other WIAC Tournament semifinal, top-seeded UW-Oshkosh defeated UW-Platteville in five sets. The Titans will host the title match Saturday at 7 PM in a rematch of the 2023 championship. 

UW-Whitewater registered a phenomenal performance in the rematch of a regular season loss in Whitewater Thursday night. On the Pointers’ home court, UWW hit .356 with three Warhawks tallying double digit kills. Meanwhile the defense limited UWSP to an attack efficiency of .202 bolstered by nine total team blocks in the contest. 

The Warhawks trailed through the majority of the first set but were able to capture their first lead of the match on a 4-0 run that forced a Pointer timeout with UWW leading 17-15. From there, the UW-Whitewater advantage hovered between one and three until a 3-0 spurt capped the set. A UWSP miscue was the catalyst on the run as Jenna Weinfurt and Alayna Jansky followed with two consecutive kills for the 25-21 final. 

The first set was the best for UWW offensively. The Warhawks hit .421 led by a fantastic six-kill set from Weinfurt. The powerful outside hitter hit .600 with zero errors in the opener. 

UW-Whitewater registered the first five points of set two before UWSP began whittling away at the lead. The Pointers came back to tie the set 9-9 and the squads traded points until UWW was able to put a small run together. With the gap pushed to three, 15-12, UWW maintained the advantage the rest of the way. Abbie Dix and Aubrie Krzus turned away a Pointer attack with a huge block to cap the set and secure the 25-22 win. 

Chloe Werner had the hot hand in set two with six kills. Dix showcased her blocking supremacy with five assist blocks in the second set. 

Set three was a battle from start to finish. The largest lead by either squad was a 7-4 UWSP advantage early in the set. The Warhawks staved off a first set point for the Pointers before UWSP held on match point to tie it up, 26-26. Weinfurt pounded down a kill to force a second match point and a UWSP error provided the final point. 

For the match, Weinfurt posted a team-high 14 kills followed by 12 each from Jansky and Werner. Jansky added three aces and led UWW with 12 digs on the night. Krzus notched 40 assists in the three-setter adding six blocks. 

Dix hit .462 with 6 kills in 13 attempts with no attack errors. Defensively, she was stellar matching Krzus’ six-block performance. 

According to an article on channel3000.com on November 13, “Chris Davis Jr. committed Arkansas State University Wednesday. Davis Jr scored more than 1000 high school career points last season at Sun Prairie West.”

“….He’s continuing the dreams of his father, Chris Davis Sr. He remains the only University of Wisconsin-Whitewater athlete to have a “player of the year” title. He also helped the Warhawks win two national titles and coached varsity basketball for Sun Prairie West High School.”

“….Davis Jr. plans to win a state championship at Sun Prairie East High School this season.”

Kacie Carollo from Whitewater, WI, who is studying Integrated Science-Business at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has earned a roster spot on the Warhawk women’s basketball team for the 2024-25 season.

The Warhawks are coming off a run to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals (Elite Eight) in 2023-24. UW-Whitewater was ranked fourth in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll entering the 2024-25 season.

Head coach Keri Carollo enters her 23rd season at the helm of the program in 2024-25. She has led the Warhawks to eight WIAC championships and 15 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including four Final Four bids (2008, 2013, 2014, 2022) and two appearances in the national championship game (2013, 2022).

UW-Whitewater is led by four-time All-American and Preseason All-America selection Kacie Carollo (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater). The senior guard, a two-time First Team All-WIAC pick, ranked among the top 10 in the league in multiple categories last season including scoring (14.7/game), rebounding (8.1/game), three-point field goal percentage (.338), three-pointers per game (1.8), free throw percentage (.789), assists (4.5/game) and steals (2.0/game).

Carollo is one of four starters returning for UWW this season. Senior forward Katie Hildebrandt (McFarland, Wis./McFarland) ranked among the top 20 in the conference in scoring (9.7/game), rebounding (4.6/game), field goal percentage (.428) and blocks (1.4/game) last season. Senior guard Maggie Trautsch (Sun Prairie, Wis./DeForest) and sophomore guard Bri McCurdy (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) were among the top 15 three-point shooters in the WIAC in 2023-24. The duo ranked among the top 16 in three-pointers per game and three-point field goal percentage. Trautsch added a top 10 average in blocks (0.5/game) and was among the top 20 in rebounding (4.5/game) and steals (1.1/game).

Mallory Oloffson (Normal, Ill./Normal Community) is also back for the Warhawks. The senior forward appeared in all 30 games for UWW last season. Junior forward Renee Rittmeyer (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) played in 29 games a year ago while sophomore forward Mia Gillis (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel Catholic) and sophomore guard Sylvia Fox (Edgerton, Wis./Edgerton) each saw the floor in more than 20 contests.

UW-Whitewater started the 2024-25 season with consecutive victories against nationally ranked DePauw (Ind.) and Lakeland on Nov. 8-9. The team continues action as it visits Carroll on Nov. 16. Visit uwwsports.com to view the complete game schedule.

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

The No. 7 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team swept UW-Stout 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-20) in the first round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament presented by Culver’s Tuesday night. The win marks the 40th consecutive for UWW over the Blue Devils and secures a spot in the WIAC Tournament semifinal. 

The Warhawks will head to UW-Stevens Point on Thursday for the semifinal. The other match has UW-Oshkosh hosting UW-Platteville. Both matches are slated for a 7 PM start with the winners advancing to the title match on Saturday. 

UW-Whitewater set the tone from the service line with 13 aces in the contest Tuesday. Offensively, the Warhawks hit .240 with double digit kills in each set. Meanwhile, the defense held UWS to single digits in the kill column and an attack percentage of just .079. 

UWW was dominant in the first set scoring eight straight early to jump out to a 9-2 lead. From there, the Warhawks cruised to an early 1-0 lead in the match bolstered by a .333 team attack percentage. UW-Stout hit .000 with six kills and six errors in the first set. 

The big Warhawk run didn’t come until later in set two. With just a three-point lead, 18-15, UWW scored six consecutive to push set point, 24-15. Chloe Werner put the finishing touches on the set with a kill. 

The third set was a combination of the first two — UWW used a five-point run early to take a 9-3 lead. A six-point run later in the set gave the Warhawks a 20-10 lead. After pushing to match point, 24-15, the Blue Devils refused to fold scoring the next five when Ava Rebarchik hammered an attack off the block for the final kill of the evening. 

The UWW middle hitters combined for a stellar performance — Hannah Proctor hit .571 with five kills in seven attempts while Abbie Dix hammered down nine kills in 15 attempts for an attack percentage of .533. The pair combined for just two attack errors on the night. 

Outside hitters Alayna Jansky and Jenna Weinfurt matched Dix’s nine kills to share team-high honors. 

Defensively, Jansky registered a match-high 13 digs while libero Jaedynn Evans added 10. At the net, Dix posted four blocks while Weinfurt and Abbie Krzus each tallied three. 

Jansky and Emma Bludgen bolstered the Warhawks from the service line with four aces each. Ally Longden added three on the night. Krzus dished out 35 assists adding three blocks in the contest.