Today is Thursday, October 8, 2026
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
Salem, Va. — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team opened play at the NCAA Division III Championship with a phenomenal three-set sweep over Emory Wednesday morning. The Warhawks took down the Eagles 25-13, 25-23, 25-19 in the Cregger Center in Salem, Virginia.
With the win, the Warhawks advance to the semifinals to face the winner of a match between Johns Hopkins and UW-Oshkosh currently underway at the Cregger Center. UWW’s semifinal match is slated for Thursday, December 5 at 4 PM CST. [Per the bracket, Johns Hopkins beat UW-O by 3-2.] The championship is being streamed exclusively on ESPN+.
UW-Whitewater set the tone early in set one to draw all of the momentum in the arena. The Warhawks followed up a 6-2 run with five consecutive points to open up an 18-9 advantage. The five-point spurt featured a pair of kills from Alayna Jansky and a huge block by Chloe Werner and Hannah Proctor. UWW capped the set with a 6-1 run to take an early match lead.
The second set was a back-and-forth affair with the teams trading the lead eight times. The battle came down to the wire in the end. With the Eagles leading 22-21, Jenna Weinfurt hammered down a kill to knot the set. After a miscue from each team, the squads were tied for the 14th time in the set, 23-23. Jansky gave the Warhawks set point with a cue and another Eagle mishap had UWW enjoying a 2-0 lead in the match.
Set three was all Whitewater from the first serve. The Warhawks scored the first three and never looked back, leading the entire way through to secure their spot in the semifinals.
Like it has been all season for UWW, defense was a key difference maker in the match. The Warhawks held the Eagles to a .000 attack percentage in the first set and a negative hitting efficiency in the third. Meanwhile, the offense was working in tandem as UWW hit .234 for the match with double digit kills in each set.
Jansky led all players with 13 kills, adding 17 digs. Weinfurt also posted a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs. Jaedynn Evans tallied 16 digs in the match.
Aubrie Krzus averaged over 10 assists a set with 37 total in the sweep. Middles Abbie Dix and Hannah Proctor combined for seven blocks in the match.
UW-Whitewater has now won their last 14 matches and is a perfect 25-0 in three-setters this season. The Warhawks are amid the program’s 11th trip to the final eight.
Salem, Va. — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s volleyball team is set to open the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship with a quarterfinal match against Emory University Wednesday, December 4. The championship is being held at the Cregger Center at Roanoke College.
The sixth-seeded Warhawks (29-3) will take on the number three seed Eagles (29-2) at 11:30 ET Wednesday. The match will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+.
For more information: https://uwwsports.com/news/2024/11/27/ncaa-championship-preview-warhawk-volleyball-sets-sights-on-salem.aspx
Each week during the 2024-25 academic year, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) will feature two student-athletes (one male and one female) from one of its eight institutions for a “Student-Athlete Spotlight” Q & A segment. The segments will be posted every Thursday and individuals are selected by the institution. The WIAC Student-Athlete Spotlights are presented by Culver’s.
Name: David Cushman
Institution: UW-Platteville
Hometown (High School): Whitewater, Wis. (Whitewater High School)
Year in school: Senior
Sport: Wrestling
Major: Mathematics with an emphasis in Secondary Education
Minor: Spanish
Why did you choose UW-Platteville?
UW-Platteville provides many quality majors I could choose from coming in as a freshman. At the same time, I love the size of Platteville and the surrounding areas in Southwest Wisconsin are unmatched. On my visit here as a senior in high school, I quickly felt that this was a place that I could grow on my own and succeed, which I can gladly say I was right about 4 years later.
What other clubs/organizations on campus are you involved in?
I coach youth wrestling outside of campus.
What do you like most about competing in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and being a NCAA Division III student-athlete?
Being a Division III student-athlete has provided me many opportunities to meet new people and help me grow. I can’t count the number of times being involved with athletics pushed me to higher standards despite how hard college may be at times. Further, wrestling at the collegiate level has been a way for me to work my hardest in all areas of my life such as academics, athletics, and learning to be in the real world.
What is your favorite…
Flavor of the Day from Culver’s? Crazy for Cookie Dough
Menu item from Culver’s? Pub Haus Burger
Non-Athletic Spot on Campus? The Bear’s Den is a calm place where I can either sit back and relax or work on my homework and study.
TV Show? Yellowstone
Holiday? Fourth of July
Food? I can’t go wrong with a burger.
Animal? German short haired pointer
Smartphone App? Instagram
Musical Group/Artist? I’m a big fan of country music with current artists I listen to ranging from George Strait and Toby Keith to Cody Johnson and Riley Green.
Professional Sports Athlete/Team? Green Bay Packers
Vacation Spot? The coastline of the Carolinas
What is your greatest sports moment?
I don’t think there’s any better rush than coming back from behind in matches to win in overtime in front of the team and a big crowd. This just happened at the University of Dubuque Invite in the finals for an overtime win.
What is your favorite thing to do off the court/field with your teammates?
I like doing anything relaxing with the team whether that’s having fires or practicing roping. Another fun thing my teammates and I like to do is go line dancing in Dubuque.
Who is someone that you look up to?
My parents.
Do you have any words of advice for younger/upcoming student-athletes?
Don’t take the little things for granted. Every moment spent with teammates, coaches, and friends are priceless and these relationships go far beyond the mat, court, or field. It’s easy to be hyper focused and stressed about succeeding, but great things will come to those who work hard and earn the moment.
One word that describes you?
Tenacious.
What is your dream job?
My dream job is teaching and positively impacting others’ lives.
Three things on your “bucket list”?
—Go elk hunting out west in the mountains.
—Go on a big trip somewhere with friends.
—Run a tough mudder.
Do you have any pre-game/pre-event superstitions or rituals? If so, what are they?
I eat a peanut butter and jelly after every weigh-in.
Bri McCurdy brings the ball up the floor in a game earlier this season (Tim Kruse)
By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information
The No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women’s basketball team battled in a fast-paced, top 10 matchup against No. 8 Illinois Wesleyan Tuesday night in Kachel Gym. The Warhawks’ fourth-quarter comeback fell just shy in the 84-78 loss to the Titans.
The game came down to the wire in the fourth quarter with the difference coming from the free throw line. A two-point IWU lead after the first grew to six points by halftime, 40-46. On the other side of the break, UWW narrowed the gap by one to head into the fourth trailing by five, 51-56.
The Warhawks picked up the pace and put the pressure on in the fourth. UWW opened the period on a 6-0 run to reclaim the lead, 57-56, courtesy of a pair of free throws from Katie Hildebrandt and layups from Mallory Oloffson and Bri McCurdy. The Titans responded with an old fashioned three-point play, but Kacie Carollo answered on UW-Whitewater’s end with a triple to put UWW back on top 60-59. Oloffson jumped a passing lane and found McCurdy cutting through the paint for a lay-in to push the lead to 62-59 with 7:12 on the clock.
The teams traded buckets until just under the five-minute mark when Illinois Wesleyan’s trips to the charity stripe took hold as they scored the next seven from the line. The Titans hit a three with 2:19 to go to take a four-point lead, 76-72. UWW scored quick with Oloffson hitting a layup off a Hildebrandt assist, but a pair of free throws for IWU had the gap back to four.
The Titans negated a single free throw with a layup to take a five-point advantage, 80-75, with just over a minute to go. McCurdy knocked down a pivotal three-pointer to pull UWW to within two 30 seconds later. Forced to foul late, Illinois Wesleyan was able to seal the game at the line.
The Warhawks held massive advantages in fastbreak points (40-3) and points in the paint (40-28), but free throws were vital. The Titans hit 21-22 from the charity stripe while UWW was 14-16 in the game.
Carollo led all players with 26 points playing the entire 40 minutes. She added five boards, six assists and three steals. Oloffson knocked down 8 of 10 for 16 points. McCurdy drained 3 of 5 from deep en route to a 16-point performance.
Maggie Trautsch paced UWW on the glass with six boards while Hildebrandt added three blocks and four steals.
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