Strength. It was written in body paint in the student section in a packed Kris Russell Arena Friday night.
It was also displayed on the court as the Warhawks (8-3) defeated St. Olaf College (6-6) 3-0 on, ‘Dig Panici,’ night.
The Warhawk women’s volleyball team is back. After last season’s disappointing early exit in the NCAA Division III Regionals to Wartburg College, the 20th ranked ‘Hawks (AVCA top 25 poll) have high hopes for the upcoming season.
When former UW-Whitewater student and volleyball player Lisa Panici found out she had a mass tumor inside of her head in December of last year, she only had one thing in mind: to work hard and beat it.
Last weekend, the American Volleyball Coaches Association had the Warhawks ranked No. 24 in its preseason poll.
Last weekend was also when the first of three UW-Whitewater Invites were held in the Kris Russell Volleyball Arena.
For three months, Lisa Panici was living on this campus carefree. Her worries were nothing out of the ordinary for a freshman in college. She had tests to study for, and homework to finish, while also trying to balance the rigors that come with playing a collegiate sport.
