Blugolds, Badgers, & Beyond; Wisconsin Volleyball Reigns in 2021

If we go back to a year ago (I say “we” because we were all in this state of uncertainty with everything in our lives), we were counting the number of spectators inside a facility, sorting out contact tracing, doing whatever we could to have volleyball and to keep a season going.  Above all else, we were all searching for something positive, something to celebrate, a win in some capacity.  Little did we know what the athletes and teams from Wisconsin would bring to us not only as volleyball fans, but as human beings where we can look back at say that 2021 was the year Wisconsin volleyball across all levels that brought so much joy to everyone, raising multiple trophies across various levels, where we are leaving 2021 as winners. 

Here are just a few of many positives where current Wisconsin prep athletes, former Wisconsin prep athletes, and current Wisconsin college teams found success. 

February through April, we had a college volleyball season.  It was kind of weird, but we had a season. To turn on the Big Ten Network and watch volleyball in March did bring happiness where we could enjoy a match on TV the night of a club tournament and still follow the success of teams we always enjoy rooting for. However, teams had to pause activities, players had to sit out due to various covid protocols, but we had volleyball, and even a D1 national tournament. 

Kentucky Volleyball Head Coach Craig Skinner surprises Maddie Berezowitz with a scholarship offer 🎉

You love to see it. 📄 pic.x.com/1krty6JzNK

— Cats Coverage 😼 (@CatsCoverage_) January 14, 2021

Wisconsin natives, Maddie Berezowitz (Burlington/Milwaukee Sting) and Elise Goetzinger (Mount Horeb/Milwaukee Sting) were able to raise the trophy in April as the national champions.  Wisconsin kids were able to see themselves as champions.  To be on a national stage and show that if you dream big, it can be done.  These two athletes serve as such great role models for players within the state and still have plenty of history to write as Wildcats next season. 

CHAMPIONSHIP CATS 😼#NCAAVB x @KentuckyVB pic.x.com/lYqNhabfFs

— NCAA Women’s Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) April 25, 2021

The first Wisconsin team to win a national championship in 2021 was the Carthage Men’s Volleyball Team where they dominated the 2021 season, going 23-0 and lost a total of three sets all season. Head Coach  JW Kieckhefer, a Hartford, Wisconsin native was named the AVCA Division 3 Coach of the Year.  He is blazing quite the path for a successful coaching career.  He also played club for North Shore out of Milwaukee.  Carthage will be a heavy favorite once again for the men’s season in 2022. 

Congratulations to Carthage men’s volleyball head coach JW Kieckhefer on officially receiving his 2021 AVCA Division III Coach of the Year award today! #fiREDup pic.x.com/5RzJzmoJhT

— Carthage Sports (@carthagesports) December 16, 2021

Fast forward to this fall where we would have a “normal” season.  Teams are traveling in planes to tournaments, multi-team events, and it “feels” like it was in 2019.  With everyone not having a “normal” season in the fall of 2020/spring 2021 and some not having any sort of season in the 2020/2021 school year, there were a lot of question marks, especially for NCAA D3. 

For the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds, they started the preseason outside of the top 25.  They were receiving votes, much like the rest of the WIAC.  There was an opportunity for plenty of teams to chase a title.  Eau Claire did not lose a match after October 9, against Hope College out of Michigan which they would later avenge the loss in the NCAA Regionals enroute to the Elite Eight.  The Elite Eight in St. Louis means there are three wins separating each team from a national title.  For Eau Claire, it was a sweep in the opening round against Tufts University, a 3-2 marathon match against Juniata, and a sweep in the championship Calvin (MI).  Wisconsin native Kendra Baierl (Marshfield – Columbus Catholic) was named to the All Tournament Team.  Baierl would be named an AVCA All American along with two other Lakeville, MN natives in Charlie Nelson and Arianna Barrett.  The Blugolds are coached by Kim Wudi, a legend in the state, and is assisted by Jodi Risen who was named the NCAA Division 3 Assistant Coach of the Year. Risen was a former Eau Claire player and even spent time as a club coach with Eau Claire Air. 

Sending a huge congratulations to our @UWECVolleyball Blugolds—the national champions! Wisconsin is so proud of you.https://t.co/AT2MxFG35d

— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) November 26, 2021

As for the Badgers, this is a team who has been one we’ve watched grow up.  For the likes of Dana Rettke, Sidney Hilley, and Grace Loberg, they were in the stands as future Badger reecruits when hearts were broken back in 2016 when Stanford roared back from an 0-2 deficit in the Fieldhouse to come back and win the regional and eventually a national championship.  Fast forward through regional final losses, a championship loss, and a pandemic, this group has been through it all.  What I love about college sports is that we feel the success and the heartbreak of these athletes, we ride the wave with them.  After plenty of tears over the past four years, the tone of this year changed from heartache to pure joy.  We were vicariously doing snow angels with the team in the confetti, we are still reliving the weekend through the social media posts, and we are now closing out 2021 with happy tears after 2020 and 2021 with a lot of uncertainty.

Sending a huge congratulations to our @UWECVolleyball Blugolds—the national champions! Wisconsin is so proud of you.https://t.co/AT2MxFG35d

— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) November 26, 2021

As for the team personnel of the Badgers, there were not any Wisconsin natives that were actively playing on the court during the championship, but for teams who win a national championship there is much more than the six athletes who are on the court.  The lone Wisconsin native on the team is Liz Gregorski who prepped at Xavier High School in Appleton.  Her story is one where people who have known her since high school, know the adversity she has been through to get back on the court.  When I started writing for Prep Dig in 2018, I saw her approach for an attack at one of those early January, 8 AM Great Lakes Power League matches with her FC Elite team where she landed wrong and based on the scream…you knew it was bad.  My heart sank because I knew it wasn’t good.  With full reconstruction of a knee injury, Gregorski got back on the court and not even a year later….it happens again.  Gregorski is back at it, she’s the ultimate teammate for this Badger squad. They don’t win a national championship without her.  Every championship squad has one those athletes who are selfless, persevering through adversity, and being the ultimate teammate.

When Wisconsin teams win, we all win (Yeah Sports!).  I know that is far too cliche and a little cringey, but there is truth behind this.  For programs like the Carthage Men, UW-Eau Claire, and Wisconsin (and other programs across the state), it goes beyond the matches played during their season.  They host camps throughout the summer, their coaches are putting on clinics for other coaches, their athletes are providing a platform for all youth players to look up to.  The college athletes in Wisconsin are accessible for youth players.  The coaches are extremely transparent for coaches who have questions or those who need some assistance.  

Seeing the confetti Saturday night and the Badgers cut the net, it was symbolic for all volleyball fans in Wisconsin as to how we persevered through a year of uncertainty to end with a celebration where we can claim our own as some of the best in the nation. 

Get you a teammate that makes preparing for your final match of the year as fun as @LizGregorski.

🤣 @BadgerVB pic.x.com/98jkxee5Wl

— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) December 18, 2021

Other Notes To Celebrate: 

Kudos to the Badger Region – They were the first to run a convention center event in Wisconsin this past March where they had to follow very extreme covid protocols in order to host.  They did it, and it was done well.  They were also able to successfully and safely run their Badger Region High Performance Camps and All Star teams who were able to compete in Florida. 

Viterbo University out of La Crosse continued their dominance at the NAIA level, going 39-2, finishing in the NAIA Sweet Sixteen. 

Mckenna Wucherer Mckenna Wucherer 6'1" | OH Brookfield Central | 2022 State #1 Nation WI of Brookfield Central and Milwaukee Sting was named one of the top two attackers at the FIVB U18 World Championships in Durango, Mexico this fall. 

UW-Milwaukee won the Horizon League while Ari Miller was named an AVCA All American.

One of my top sports moments…ever. Over 18,000 fans and a five set thriller.

It’s a great year to be in volleyball if you live in Wisconsin with multiple national champions across divisions.

Congratulations @BadgerVB @KellyPSheffield and his staff. pic.x.com/e0v84mC6Sl

— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) December 19, 2021