Today is Sunday, July 28, 2024
The Whippets saw their best finish in several years at the Kettle Moraine Tournament this past weekend, with a 5th place finish in the gold bracket. Teams included Kettle Moraine, Lake Mills, Arrowhead, East Troy, Kewaunee, Wauwatosa East, Muskego, Manitowoc Lincoln, Dominican, Barneveld, Sun Prairie West, Verona, Appleton East, The Prairie School, Newman Catholic, and Whitewater.
The Whippets faced The Prairie School (Racine) in the first round of pool play and beat them in best of three sets with the scores of 25-8, 22-25, 15-12. This was a battle, and the Whippets came out on top with statistical leaders of Calli Grosinske with 19 assists, Kindyl Kilar and Ella Spear with 3 aces apiece, Kilar with 9 digs, and Kilar with 21 kills.
Up next was another match in pool play where the Whippets battled Newman Catholic (Wausau). This match found the Whippets losing in a two of three-set match with scores of 23-25, 25-23, and 13-15. Statistical leaders for this match included Calli Grosinske and Cali Kopecky with 3 aces apiece. Grosinske finished with a double-double with 19 assists and 28 digs, and Kindyl Kilar also finished with a double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs.
Following pool play, the Whippets were reseeded to 6th place, which placed them in the Gold Bracket playoff (top 8 teams moved here). The Whippets faced a tough Kettle Moraine team and struggled in the first set. They came back in the second set, falling just short with scores of 10-25 and 20-25. Statistical leaders for this match included Kilar with 10 kills, Caleigh Yang with 8 digs, Cali Kopecky with 2 aces, and Calli Grosinske with 12 assists.
The first-round loss in the playoffs left the Whippets playing off for 5th place, facing Appleton East. The Whippets came out dominating and won in two straight sets with scores of 25-21 and 26-24. Statistical leaders included Kindyl Kilar with a double-double with 17 kills, 12 digs, and 2 aces, Caleigh Yang with 17 digs, and Calli Grosinske with 17 assists.
The coaching staff could not be prouder of this squad. Coach Kilar stated, “For us to come out and battle against schools much larger than us and truly come together and compete, was fun to see. We didn’t back down, we persevered through some ups and downs and came out on top in our last match. To place 5th is an absolutely solid accomplishment for our varsity squad.”
Next up is conference play, with the Whippets heading to Brodhead on Tuesday (9/13) followed by a home match (Parents’ Night) against McFarland on Thursday (9/15).
Article and Photo Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
You could feel the energy in the gym the minute the Whippet Varsity Volleyball team took to the court on Thursday, September 8! The Whippets were honoring something bigger than volleyball, the inspirational educators who have made a difference in their lives. As Kindyl Kilar spoke to the crowd at the beginning of the match, “You have been chosen not only for the subject you teach, or the lessons you have created, but for the meaningful relationships you have created with each one of us. You have cared for us, inspired us, and allowed us to see potential in our futures. So tonight, we honor you!” Each member of the program chose an inspirational educator that touched their lives in some way. Whether a grade school educator, a coach or a counselor, they have made an impact and were honored.
Kilar shared, “Showing gratitude for people in our lives who have made a difference is bigger than volleyball. The wins are nice, but understanding in this world that honoring people who have touched our lives in a positive way is so much bigger than volleyball. Tonight, there were some true educators who have been called to a vocation and those educators touched each of our athletes in some way. We were honored to have so many educators in the gym with us, and I was honored to be able to highlight them with our athletes.”
The Whippets went on to sweep the Chiefs in three straight sets behind a very loud and energetic crowd. “This was such a fun night. The fans were awesome, the youth came out and supported us, our educators were here, and it was great to bring home a win,” said Kilar.
This was a program win for the Whippet teams as all three levels defeated Big Foot. “As a coaching staff, we are so proud of what our athletes are doing. They are working hard in the gym and weight room, and it is producing positive results,” said Kilar.
Statistical leaders on the night included Calli Grosinske with 26 assists, Ella Spear with 12 digs, Jenna Pope with 2 blocks, Cali Kopecky, Grosinke, and Pope with 3 aces and Kindyl Kilar with 26 kills. The Whippets won 25-16, 25-19, and 25-23.
Article and Group Photos Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
Action Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
The Whippet Girls’ Swim Team traveled to Elkhorn for their dual meet on Thursday, September 8. Out of the 11 events, the Whippets placed 1st in 7 events overall! These 1st place finishes were:
🏆200 Medley Relay – Grace Foucault, Emerson Dunham, Makayla Bazeley, and Brooke Bazeley
🏆200 Freestyle – Grace Foucault
🏆200 IM – Makayla Bazeley
🏆50 Freestyle – Brooke Bazeley
🏆200 Freestyle Relay – Makayla Bazeley, Emerson Dunham, Brooke Bazeley, and Grace Foucault
🏆100 Backstroke – Makayla Bazeley
🏆100 Breaststroke – Grace Foucault
Our new Whippets had an opportunity to compete in individual events. These swimmers include:
✔Atreya Wilson swam in the 100 Breaststroke and then immediately swam in the 400 Relay.
✔Ace Hudec and Andrea Alcala competed for the first time this season. They both did a great job in conquering the dive and flip turns in the 50 Freestyle.
✔Big shout out to Charlotte Hajewski for taking on the 200 IM, which is never an easy swim, and to Josie Treder for taking on the 100 Butterfly for the first time!
We are so proud of all our Whippet swimmers! The dogs next compete on Saturday at the Elkhorn Invite.
Article and Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
Excerpted from a Gazette article on September 8:
UW-Whitewater has a 42-game regular-season football winning streak at Perkins Stadium.
That streak faces a strong challenge Saturday afternoon, and thousands of fans are expected to watch it.
No. 1-rated and defending NCAA Division III national champion Mary Hardin-Baylor makes the 1,100-mile journey north to take on the sixth-ranked Warhawks at noon Saturday.
UW-Whitewater coach Kevin Bullis knows the Division III powerhouse matchup will attract a crowd—maybe as many as a record 20,000.
“That’s my dream,” Bullis said. “If we have 15,000, fantastic.”
The Perkins Stadium record crowd is 17,535 that watched the Warhawks play Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe UW-Oshkosh on Oct. 8, 2016.
The article continues here, including comments on last week’s game.
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