Honors
- 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 AVCA First-Team All-American
- 2019-20 Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year
- 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 VolleyballMag.com First-Team All-American
- 2017 AVCA National Freshman of the Year
- 2017 VolleyballMag.com National Freshman of the Year
- 2017 VolleyMob.com National Freshman of the Year
- 2019, 2020, and 2021 AVCA Northeast Region Player of the Year
- 2017 AVCA Northeast Region Freshman of the Year
- 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 AVCA All-Northeast Region
- 2019 NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team
- 2019 Big Ten Player of the Year
- 2017 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
- 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 All-Big Ten
- 2018 and 2019 NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team
- AVCA National Player of the Week—Oct. 22, 2018; Jan. 26, 2021
- Big Ten Player of the Week—Aug. 28, 2017 (co); Oct. 23, 2017; Oct. 22, 2018; Nov. 5, 2018; Sept. 3, 2019; Oct. 14, 2019; Nov. 4, 2019; Nov. 25, 2019; Jan. 2, 2021; April 5, 2021; Aug. 30, 2021; Oct. 25, 2021
- Big Ten Freshman of the Week—Aug. 28, 2017 (co); Sept. 11, 2017 (co); Sept. 25, 2017, Oct. 4, 2017; Oct. 16, 2017 (co); Oct. 23, 2017; Oct. 30, 2017; Nov. 13, 2017; Nov. 20, 2017
- Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week—Oct. 5, 2015 (co); Oct. 26, 2015; Sept. 5, 2016; Sept. 19, 2016; Sept. 26, 2016; Sept. 11, 2017; Nov. 26, 2018 (co)
- 2019 and 2020 Honda Award finalist
- 2020 and 2021 Sullivan Award Top-10 finalist
- 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Academic All-Big Ten
- 2021 Senior CLASS Award Finalist
Of Note: Trained with the U.S. National team during the summer of 2019, competing in five FIVB matches; team won the 2019 Volleyball Nations Cup ... national active career leader in hitting percentage at .420 ... member of the 2021 USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team ... member of the 2018 USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team—China ... team went 4-1 on the tour with Rettke tallying double-figure points in three matches ... only Badger freshman to be named first-team All-American and first UW player to be named AVCA National Freshman of the Year ... first four-time, first-team All-American in program history and only sixth ever ... set a Big Ten record with nine Freshman of the Week awards ... UW career leader in hitting percentage at .420 ... also ranks sixth in career kills (1,412), sixth in kills per set (3.57), sixth in total blocks (579), third in blocks per set (1.46), tied for fifth in points (1,824) and second in points per set (4.61)
2021: Played and started in all 34 matches and 120 sets ... led the Badgers and ranked second in the Big Ten with 1.43 blocks per set ... surpassed Heather Dodaro for the total block record with 751 career blocks ... led the team and ranked second in the Big Ten with a .430 hitting percentage ... led the team with 3.41 kills per set ... recorded double-figure kills in 23 matches, three matches with 20+ kills ... recorded a season-high 24 kills vs. Penn St. (Oct. 23) ... tied her career-high 13 blocks in the NCAA National Championship game vs. Nebraska (Dec. 18) ... had a season high one assist at Iowa (Nov. 6) ... added 0.23 digs per set ... had a season-high one service ace vs. Minnesota in the Regional Finals of the NCAA Tournament (Dec. 11)
2020: Played and started in all 17 matches and 56 sets ... led the Badgers and ranked second the Big Ten with 1.50 blocks per set ... surpassed 500 career blocks at Purdue (Jan. 23) ... led the team and ranked fifth in the Big Ten with a .414 hitting percentage ... led the team with 3.13 kills per set ... recorded double-figure kills in eight matches ... recorded a season high 17 kills at Minnesota (March 21) ... had a season-high seven blocks in three matches ... had a season high one assist in four matches
2019: Played in 32 of 34 matches, starting 30, and 110 sets ... missed her first two matches as a Badger due to a foot injury ... led the Badgers and ranked fifth in the Big Ten with 3.75 kills per set ... recorded double-figure kills in 26 matches ... became the 23rd Badger to record 1,000 kills in a career, tallying No. 1,000 at Northwestern (Oct. 9) ... recorded 20-plus kills in two matches ... led the Big Ten and ranked eighth nationally with 1.45 blocks per set ... recorded double-figure blocks in two matches for two double-doubles ... stopped a career-high 13 blocks at Penn State (Nov. 29) ... ranked third in the Big Ten and 16th nationally with a .399 hitting percentage ... ranked second on the team with 38 service aces ... ranked 10th in the Big Ten with 0.35 aces per set ... recorded a season-high four service aces at Michigan (Oct. 27) ... added 0.55 digs per set ... had a season-high five digs in two matches
2018: Started in all 32 matches and played 117 sets ... averaged 3.74 kills/set and 1.54 blocks/set ... had a team-high 10 kills and five blocks against North Carolina (Aug. 24) ... tallied eight kills and six blocks against Florida State (Aug. 25) ... recorded 11 kills, a career-high five digs, four blocks and an ace against Texas (Sept. 1) ... led UW with 14 kills and nine blocks against High Point (Sept. 2) ... put down a season-high 19 kills with nine blocks and two digs at Baylor (Sept. 7) ... had eight kills, six blocks and two aces at North Texas (Sept. 9) ... collected eight kills and eight blocks at Marquette (Sept. 14) ... led the team with 16 kills and seven blocks against Illinois State (Sept. 15) ... had a team-high 11 kills with a career-best six digs, three blocks and three aces against Ohio State (Sept. 19) ... recorded nine kills and six blocks against Rutgers (Sept. 22) ... led the team with 12 kills and added three digs and a block at Minnesota (Sept. 26) ... tallied a match-high 15 kills with two aces, two digs and two blocks at Purdue (Sept. 29) ... went off at Illinois (Oct. 3), scoring 23 kills with four digs and three blocks ... notched 14 kills with seven blocks and two aces at Iowa (Oct. 6) ... had 10 kills, five blocks and three digs against Northwestern (Oct. 12) ... led the team with 19 kills and added six blocks against Illinois (Oct. 13) ... recorded her second career double-double with 12 kills and 10 blocks against Nebraska (Oct. 19) ... hit .739 with 17 kills and three blocks against Iowa (Oct. 20) ... tallied a team-high 21 kills with nine blocks at Michigan (Oct. 26) ... notched 11 kills, four blocks and two aces at Michigan State (Oct. 27) ... exploded for a career-best 30 kills with four blocks and three digs against Minnesota (Oct. 31) ... earned 16 kills and 10 blocks for a double-double against Michigan (Nov. 4) ... paced the Badgers with 16 kills, four digs and two blocks against Purdue (Nov. 9) ... hit .650 with 13 kills, two digs, two blocks and an ace against Indiana (Nov. 10) ... led all players with 17 kills at Ohio State (Nov. 16) ... had seven kills and six blocks at Maryland (Nov. 17) ... recorded eight kills and seven blocks at Rutgers (Nov. 23) ... set career highs in blocks (11) and digs (9) with 14 kills for her fourth career double-double at Penn State (Nov. 24) ... tallied nine kills, five blocks and three digs against Green Bay (Nov. 29) ... recorded nine kills and six blocks against Pepperdine (Nov. 30) ... had a team-high nine kills with five blocks, five digs and an ace against San Diego (Dec. 7) ... put down 21 kills with five blocks at Illinois (Dec. 8)
2017: Played in all 32 matches, starting 32, and played in 113 sets ... averaging 4.39 points/set, 3.42 kills/set, 1.37 blocks/set and 0.22 aces/set ... led the Badgers with 15 kills and six blocks vs. Louisville (Aug. 25) ... hit a career high .778 (15-1-18) against North Carolina (Aug. 26) ... led the Badgers with 13 kills, five blocks and a service ace against Lipscomb (Sept. 7) ... collected 12 kills, four blocks, two digs and an ace against Texas A&M (Sept. 9) en route to being named to the HotelRed Invitational All-Tournament team ... put down a career-high 19 kills with five blocks and two aces against Michigan State (Sept. 22) ... served a career-high five aces and had a career-high nine blocks against Michigan (Sept. 24) ... tied her career high with 19 kills and had five blocks and three digs against Minnesota (Oct. 4) ... recorded 12 kills, eight blocks, two digs and an ace against Nebraska (Oct. 11) ... notched a team-high 14 kills with four blocks and one dig at Maryland (Oct. 18) ... recorded a career-high 22 kills with no errors while adding four blocks and a dig at Minnesota (Oct. 21) ... led the team with 17 kills and added four blocks, two digs and an ace at Penn State (Oct. 25) ... notched 14 kills, seven blocks and an ace at Indiana (Nov. 10) ... earned her first career double-double with 13 kills and 10 blocks at Northwestern (Nov. 19) ... had a team-high 13 kills with four blocks and an ace against Penn State (Nov. 24) ... collected 15 kills, four blocks and a dig at Iowa State (Dec. 2) ... recorded 13 kills, two blocks and a dig at Stanford (Dec. 8)
High School: Ranked No. 8 on PrepVolleyball Senior Ace list ...
Volleyball Fab 50 ... 2016 first-team All-American by
USA Today, FLO Volleyball, PrepVolleyball and Max Preps ... 2016 second-team AVCA All-American ... 2016 Illinois State Player of the Year, joining Molly Haggerty, Lauren Carlini and Annemarie Hickey in receiving this award ... 2015 and 2016 first-team all-state selection ... three-time all-conference mention, including being named MVP as a senior ... two-time all-area pick ... named her Riverside-Brookfield High School female athlete of the year in 2015-16 ... set career and single season records for kills and blocks for coach Dan Bonarigo ... finished her career with 1,280 kills and 259 blocks while ranking second with 486 digs ... also played basketball as a freshman and sophomore, earning two all-conference honors ... also earned honorable mention all-state honors in basketball as a sophomore ... played AAU basketball for Illinois Elite ... member of 1
st Alliance Volleyball Club ... aided her team to two top-25 national finishes
Personal: Parents are Kathy Rettke and John Rettke ... has one sister Leah (20) ... Leah played volleyball at Triton College from 2018-2020 ... nicknames are Dane and Danye ... born Jan. 21 ... major is business: marketing ... member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) ... volunteers with Badgers Give Back
Why Wisconsin?
"I chose Wisconsin because I knew the people I was surrounded by here would get me to the next level, whether that is in volleyball or in life. In addition, the campus, community and athletic programs are all elite and were exactly hat I was looking for in a university."
Match Highs
Kills: 30 vs. Minnesota, 10/31/18
Attacks: 50 vs. Minnesota, 10/31/18
Attack pct: .778 (15-1-18) vs. North Carolina, 8/26/17
Assists: 2 (2x; MR vs. Illinois, 10/13/18)
Service aces: 5 vs. Michigan, 9/24/17
Digs: 9 at Penn State, 11/24/18
Blocks: 13.0 (2x; MR vs. Nebraska (NCAA), 12/18/21)
Points: 32.0 vs. Minnesota, 10/31/18
Double-doubles: 6
Off the court with Dana
Roommates on Campus: Sydney Hilley and Joslyn Boyer
Volunteer Activities: Badgers give back
Involvement in Organizations on campus: UNCUT Madison –a nonprofit media platform which to tell the authentic stories of student athletes.
Describe what it is like to play in Field House: It’s an experience that could never be replicated anywhere else. The energy in the gym every night is indescribable. There is so much tradition in the building and I cannot wait to be back playing in front 7,000 close friends again.
First started volleyball: When I was 15
Most memorable volleyball match: National Semi-Final in 2019, Quarterfinal in 2021
The best part of playing volleyball is: The connections I make with my teammates
My favorite thing about Wisconsin volleyball is: Our culture and the people
Before each match, I: Eat pre-game meal, take a nap
Best UW road trip: NYC for Thanksgiving in 2018, Europe in 2019, and Pittsburgh for NCAA Tournament in 2019
One word that describes the team: Experienced
One word that describes me: Passionate
What is the best thing you bring to the team? Energy and great hugs
Favorite thing to do off the court with my teammates is: Get Pedicures, Most memorable volleyball achievement: 4x-First Team All-American
The best thing about the Field House is: The history and the fans that fill it every single game
My “Bucky” (UW things you want to do) List is: Go to as many sporting events as possible this year
Dream as a collegiate player: Win a National Championship and National Player of the Year
Post-college plans/goals: Starting my professional career overseas and with Team USA. Goals: Win Gold at the Olympics, Win Champions League, and have a long healthy career.
The best thing about Madison is: How active and passionate the community is. There is always something to do and everyone loves the Badgers.
Favorite Coach Sheffield saying: “Be an active participant in your own rescue”
What causes do you care about? Mental Health
What does it mean to be a Badger?
"Being a Badger means more than I could ever put into words, but the best way to describe it is you are committing to living an extraordinary life. Whether that be in the classroom, on the court, or just life in general, you are committing to giving 100% in anything and everything you do."
