Dana Rettke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dana Rettke |
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Rettke in 2022
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Full name | Dana Lynn Rettke | |||||||||||||
| Born | January 21, 1999 Riverside, Illinois, United States |
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| Height | 204 cm (6 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||
| Weight | 85 kg (187 lb) | |||||||||||||
| College(s) | Wisconsin | |||||||||||||
| Volleyball information | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Middle blocker | |||||||||||||
| Current club |  Eczacıbaşı Dynavit |
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| Number | 14 | |||||||||||||
| Career | ||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Dana Lynn Rettke, born on January 21, 1999, is an amazing American professional volleyball player. She plays as a middle blocker for Eczacıbaşı Dynavit in Turkey's top volleyball league. Before becoming a pro, Dana played college volleyball at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She made history by being the first player to be named an AVCA First Team All-American five times in college. Dana was also a key member of the United States women's national volleyball team. She earned many awards during her college career, including the Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year twice and the Honda Sports Award for volleyball.
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Early Life and Starting Volleyball
Dana Rettke grew up in Riverside, Illinois. She graduated from Riverside Brookfield High School in 2017. Dana started playing basketball when she was in first grade. She only began playing volleyball when she was in ninth grade.
Even though many college basketball teams wanted her, Dana decided to focus on volleyball. She felt a strong connection to the sport. In October 2014, when she was a sophomore, Dana committed to play for the Wisconsin Badgers women's volleyball team. As a senior in high school, she was named the Illinois Player of the Year. She also received All-American honors from USA Today and the AVCA.
College Volleyball Career
After high school, Dana went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2017. She studied business marketing there. Dana was a middle blocker for the Wisconsin Badgers. She was the tallest player on the team at 203 centimeters (about 6 feet 8 inches).
First Year Success
In her first year (2017), Dana started in all 32 matches. She played in 113 sets. She was great at scoring points, getting kills, and blocking shots. For her amazing performance, Dana earned All-Big Ten honors. She was also named a first-team AVCA All-American.
Continued Excellence
In 2018, Dana again started every match. She played in 117 sets. She continued to be a strong player, getting many kills and blocks. For the second year in a row, she was on the All-Big Ten team. She also made the AVCA All-American first team again.
Junior Year and NCAA Tournament
As a junior in 2019, Dana played in 30 of 34 matches. She missed a couple of games because of a foot injury. Still, she led her team in kills per set. Her team made it to the championship match of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Dana earned her third straight All-Big Ten and first-team AVCA All-American honors. She was also named the 2019–20 Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year.
National Championship and Awards
On December 18, 2021, Dana helped lead the Badgers to their first-ever NCAA national championship. She was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament team. On January 4, 2022, Dana won the Honda Sports Award for volleyball. This award goes to the best female college volleyball player in the nation. In June 2022, Dana won the Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year award for a second time. She was the first Big Ten student-athlete to win this award in non-consecutive seasons.
International Volleyball Career
Dana Rettke has played for both the U.S. national team and professional clubs overseas.
Playing for Team USA
In May 2019, Dana was chosen to join the United States women's national volleyball team. She played in the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League in China. Dana helped the U.S. team win a gold medal in this competition. Later that year, she played with Team USA in a tournament where they qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Most recently, Dana was part of the U.S. team that won the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Professional Club Teams
After her successful college career, Dana became a professional volleyball player. In 2022, she signed with an Italian club team called Vero Volley Milano. In May 2024, Dana signed with the Turkish club Eczacıbaşı Dynavit. She continues to play for them today.
