Dana Rettke wins Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year, becoming third in conference history to win twice

Dana Rettke, the powerhouse middle blocker who led the University of Wisconsin on a thrilling run to the NCAA Division I volleyball championship, has been named Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year, becoming the third Big Ten athlete so honored twice.

Rettke also won the award in 2019-20 and joins former Badgers running star Suzy Favor (1988, 1989, 1990) and Indiana swimmer Lilly King (2017, 2018) as the only two-time winners in Big Ten history. She's the first athlete, male or female, to earn the honor in nonconsecutive seasons.

Before Rettke won two seasons ago, the previous Badgers Female Athlete of the Year came back in 1997 when cross country and track star Kathy Butler shared the award. In addition to Favor, distance runners Stephanie Herbst (1986) and Cathy Branta (1985) also won the award while competing for UW.

Rettke, an unprecedented five-time All-American, helped deliver the first national championship in Badgers volleyball history and third straight trip to the Final Four (and third straight Big Ten title). She was named the 2021 American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Year, the first Badgers player so honored. She earned a school-record 11 Big Ten Player of the Week awards during her tenure with the Badgers.

More:Volleyball standout Dana Rettke is Wisconsin's first Big Ten athlete of the year in two decades

The 6-8 Illinois native set UW records for hitting percentage (.422), blocks (751) and points (2,333).

“This is a very prestigious honor when you think of how many elite athletes there are in the Big Ten,” UW volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield said in a release. “Dana had a season and career that will be remembered for a long time.” 

When Rettke won two years ago, she became the first volleyball player to win the Big Ten honor since Penn State's Megan Hodge in 2010. Only two other volleyball players (Penn State's Lauren Cacciamani in 2000 and Ohio State's Laura Davis in 1995) have been honored as such. 

Minnesota wrestler Gable Steveson was named the Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year. Basketball standout Johnny Davis was Wisconsin's nominee for the award; UW has only won the Male Athlete of the Year once (Ron Dayne in 2000).

JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.