The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team is headed back to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 36th time in program history. The Warhawks will compete in the Bloomington, Illinois Regional hosted by Illinois Wesleyan set to begin Thursday. 

Regional Schedule - First Round - Thursday, November 20 (regional seeds listed): 
11:30 AM - No. 3 UW-Whitewater vs. No. 6 Coe
2 PM - No. 2 Calvin vs. No. 7 Hanover
4:30 PM - No. 4 Northwestern-St. Paul vs. No. 5 St. Olaf
7 PM - No. 1 Illinois Wesleyan vs. No. 8 Asbury
*Live coverage links and additional information can be found on IWU's Tournament Central page.

The Match:
This is the 15th battle of the Hawks since 2006. The Warhawks hold the all-time record against the Kohawks 10-4 bolstered by the current seven-match win streak for UWW. The last matchup was also in postseason action -- UW-Whitewater defeated Coe 3-1 in a 2023 regional held in Mount Vernon, Iowa. 

How We Got Here:
UW-Whitewater (25-7) received an at-large bid into the 2025 NCAA Volleyball Championship. The Warhawks are ranked 23rd in the most recent NPI rankings. 

UWW is once again one of the best blocking teams in the country this season. The Warhawks are second in Division III in total blocks (283) -- just two behind the national leader -- and rank sixth in blocks per set (2.48). UW-Whitewater's offense has accumulated 1,447 kills this season - ranked 27th in Division III. 

Warhawk Leaders: 
Abbie Dix (Brodhead, Wis./Brodhead), the nation's top blocker, bolsters the Warhawks' blocking contingent. The junior middle averages a DIII-best 1.43 blocks per set with a total of 153 on the season. She also leads UW-Whitewater with 303 kills this season. A two-time All-WIAC selection, Dix's 426 career blocks is ranked seventh in UWW history. 

Running the offense is one of the top setters in the nation, Aubrie Krzus (Wheaton, Ill./Warrenville South). The junior eclipsed the 1,000 assist mark for the third consecutive season and she ranks 18th in Division III with 1,070 assists in 2025. An All-American and three-time All-WIAC selection, Krzus has tallied 3,368 career assists, ranked sixth in the program record book. In addition, Krzus has posted 87 blocks and hammered down 158 kills on a .342 attack percentage this season. 

Gaby DiMotto (New Berlin, Wis./West) has been a consistent presence on the outside this season. The freshman is second on the team in kills (300) adding 49 aces, 115 digs and 50 blocks to her stat line. She was an Honorable Mention All-WIAC selection this season. 

Holding down the backcourt, Natalie Lawton (Elmhurst, Ill./IC Catholic Prep) has had a phenomenal freshman campaign as UWW's libero. Lawton's 540 digs is a top 40 mark in Division III and led to WIAC All-Defensive Team recognition this season. 

Emma Bludgen (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) is the lone senior on the Warhawks' squad. An incredibly versatile athlete, Bludgen has played nearly every position for the Warhawks in her four years with the team - setter, defensive specialist, libero and outside hitter. The league's top server with 55 aces, Bludgen moved into the top 25 in program history with 123 career aces this season.

Coach Boudreau: 
The Warhawks are led by one of the best in Division III. Coming into 2025, Head Coach Stacy Boudreau was the eighth winningest active coach in Division III. With a career record of 570-146, Coach Boudreau is ranked among the top 15 winningest coaches all-time in Division III with a win percentage of .796. In 20 seasons, Boudreau has led UW-Whitewater to the NCAA Tournament 18 times including four trips to the quarterfinals, four national runner-up finishes and a pair of national championships.

Powered by Tradition -- UWW By the Numbers: 
36th NCAA Division III Tournament appearance; 11-time quarterfinalists; 5-time semifinalists; 4-time national runners-up; 2 national titles; 58-34 overall NCAA record; 43 All-Americans; 65 All-America honors; 18 WIAC titles; 19 WIAC Tournament titles

The Kohawks:
Coe (21-9) won the American Rivers Conference Tournament to receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Kohawks are making their third trip to the postseason in the last four season. Coe is listed 47th in the latest NPI rankings.

Nationally, Coe ranks 17th in kills (1,499) and 30th in digs (1,953) this season. The Kohawks are led by Maggie Furlong who has registered 333 kills and 54 blocks this season. Setter Maddy Maahs has 1,169 assists while Kelsey Hansel is the team's top server with 41 aces. Defensively, Elise Blaesing has 330 digs.

Kohawk head coach April Elsbernd is in her first season at Coe.