MADISON, Wis. – Dana Rettke, a senior middle blocker from the University of Wisconsin, was named the Honda Sport Award winner for volleyball as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA). She is the first Badger to earn the national award for volleyball.

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 46 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies "the best of the best in collegiate athletics".  The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2022 Honda Cup, which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 27 at 9 p.m. EST.

Rettke was chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Finalists included Tori Dilfer (Louisville), Logan Eggleston (Texas) and Stephanie Samedy (Minnesota

"It is such an honor to be recognized alongside so many amazing and influential women in our sport," said Rettke. "While this award has my name on it, it speaks volumes to my team and how great it is. Being surrounded by inspiring woman every day is a blessing. Thank you to everyone at Wisconsin for helping me get to where I am today, because without them nothing could be possible. Thank you to Honda for supporting female athletes and recognizing excellence. It really is an honor."
 
Rettke was named the 2021 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Player of the Year and is the first-ever five-time AVCA First-Team All-American in the organization's history. Most recently, she led her team to Wisconsin's first NCAA national championship and was named to the 2021 NCAA All-Tournament team for her efforts.

Hailing from Riverside, Illinois, Rettke is a three-time AVCA Northeast Region Player of the Year and a Big Ten Player of the Year. This is her third straight year as a Honda Award finalist and she has earned five All-Big Ten First-Team nods and is a five-time All-Northeast Region honoree. She set the UW record for most career Player of the Week honors, earning 11 career accolades.  

The middle blocker led the Big Ten Conference and ranked sixth nationally with a .430 hitting percentage and ranked fifth nationally with 1.43 blocks per set. She set the program's all-time blocking record (751), and points record (2333.0) and posted the best career hitting percentage at UW (.418).

"What a tremendous honor for Dana to join the list of great players in our sport who have won this award over the years," stated head coach Kelly Sheffield. "This is a tribute to all of the hard work and sacrifice that Dana has put in over the years and how she conducts herself and leads, both, on and off the court - not to mention the huge part her teammates have played in her success along the way.  Dana just completed one of the all-time great collegiate careers in the sport of volleyball and this is great recognition of that. 
 
The CWSA, entering its 46th year, has honored the nation's top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women's athletics programs.  

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda's mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life's potential through its focus on the areas of education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.