The UW-Whitewater women’s volleyball team entered its home tournament this weekend as the No. 4 team in the nation, but the Warhawks still had something to prove. After a hot start to the year, Whitewater stumbled in two of its previous three matches, including a tough five-set loss to WIAC rival UW-Eau Claire and a straight-set defeat at Saint Olaf (Minnesota).
Back at Kris Russell Arena on Friday night, the Warhawks looked like a team on a mission. In their first matchup of the Warhawk Invite, Whitewater overwhelmed UW-River Falls from the opening serve and never looked back, cruising to a 3-0 sweep.
The Warhawks dominated the opening set 25-12, fueled by long scoring runs and a defense that smothered the Falcons’ attack. The next two sets followed a similar script, as Whitewater pulled away late to secure 25-18 and 25-15 victories, respectively.
Junior setter Aubrie Krzus set the tone, recording nearly 30 assists in the match to keep the Warhawks’ offense clicking.
“We’ve really been focusing on communication in practice, and I think that really showed tonight,” Krzus said. “We had really good communication, and that just makes everything else work better.”
Freshman outside hitter Gaby Dimotto added a spark on the attack, leading the team with 13 kills in the win. She said playing in front of a home crowd gave the team extra energy.
“Just the feeling at home—it just feels good,” Dimotto said.
That home-court advantage has been a major weapon for the Warhawks. Last season, they went 16-1 at Kris Russell Arena en route to a national runner-up finish. This fall, they have picked up right where they left off, improving to 7-0 at home after the invite.
Head coach Stacy Boudreau said the team responded exactly the way she hoped after recent setbacks.
“I think we served pretty aggressively, we hit some great spots and we were able to get them out of system,” Boudreau said. “Just our efficiency and energy overall was a big help tonight.”
(Charlie Clark)
Whitewater’s strong play carried over through the rest of the tournament. On Saturday, the Warhawks swept Illinois College 3-0, winning comfortably 25-10, 25-14 and 25-20. Later in the day, they capped the invite with a 3-0 victory over Rose-Hulman, though that match was much tighter. The Warhawks held off the Fightin’ Engineers in three competitive sets, 25-23, 25-21 and 25-22.
Overall, Whitewater went 9-0 in sets over the weekend and showcased the depth and balance that make the Warhawks one of the top teams in Division III volleyball. Krzus orchestrated the offense, Dimotto established herself as a reliable scoring option, and the Whitewater’s back row limited opponents’ chances to string together points.
For a team that has national championship aspirations, the invite offered a chance to reset after a shaky stretch, and reminded both opponents and themselves of what they can do when they play focused and intentional.
The Warhawks improved to 15-3 overall with the sweep of the tournament and are now back in position to build momentum as the WIAC schedule heats up.
Whitewater will have a few days to regroup before another key matchup, as the Warhawks play host to a WIAC rival, UW-La Crosse, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 1 in the Kris Russell Arena.
