The No. 4 UW-Whitewater volleyball team continues to thrive at home. Going into the third Warhawk Invite, the Warhawks were 9-0 at home. After sweeping the invite, beating Hardin-Simmons University (Texas), Carroll University and Lawrence University, they are now 12-0 at home and 19-2 overall.
The Warhawks’ first matchup was against a very strong Hardin-Simmons team. They were tested in every aspect, coming back in their first match and winning 3-1. Junior middle hitter Abbie Dix, sophomore middle hitter Amanda Hillman and freshman outside hitter Gaby DiMotto played a pivotal role, as they each had double digit kills. The Warhawks outmatched the Cowgirls in essentially every statistical category, with junior setter Aubrie Krzus having 48 out of the 54 total assists during the match.
“We got to play our game, trust each other, and then just work hard and have perfect energy,” Dix said.
The team emphasizes relying on one another while having fun, especially since there are 13 freshmen on this year’s team.
“I think our team is really coming into their own, as far as our team chemistry,” head coach Stacy Boudreau said.
The Warhawks then took care of their second opponent, the Carroll Pioneers, taking the series 3-0. Very much like the first matchup, the Warhawks dominated each part of the stat sheet again, but did a much better job controlling each set and not allowing room for a Pioneer comeback.
Whitewater attacked .245 against Carroll, and registered double digit kills in all three sets. The Warhawks defense held the Pioneers to single digits in the kill column and a team attack percentage of just .022. The Warhawks in set two attacked a phenomenal .449 as a team. That mark is second-best in program history in the 25-point, rally scoring era.
“It’s really important for us to have a fast start,” Krzus said. “Just getting the first couple points is really important in a match. It’s important to get the energy moving and get into the flow of the game.”
In the final match of the Warhawk Invite, UW-W took down Lawrence University 3-0. Dix led the way with 11 kills and Krzus reached another milestone with her 3,000th assist.
“Everyone’s been such a big part of this process,” Krzus said. “Whether that’s my teammates or my coaches. I could not do any of it without any of them. They’re awesome.”
Whitewater had the best record in the invite with their 3-0 record. Dix, Krzus and Hillmann were named to the all-tournament team.
“Overall, I think just mentally, this was a great weekend for our team,” Boudreau said.
The Warhawks’ next matchup is at the UW-Platteville Pioneers on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Their next home matches are Oct. 17-18 for the Dig Panici Classic.
