In early 2022, women’s indoor volleyball standout Dana Rettke of Riverside decided the best route to reaching France for the 2024 Summer Olympics went through Italy.
The 6-foot-8 middle blocker had just been named the NCAA National Player of the Year and the sport’s first five-time AVCA All-American. She powered the University of Wisconsin to its first national championship the previous December.
Yet to improve chances of making her first 12-player U.S. Olympic roster, the 2017 Riverside Brookfield High School graduate played 2½ professional seasons in the Italian League and the Champions League comprising the best club teams throughout Europe.
“It’s one of the reasons I got to where I am today. You’re playing against great, great volleyball players, the best in the world. They have the physicality you just don’t have in the NCAA,” Rettke said.
“When I tell you [the Olympic team] has been on my mind every single day for a whole year and a half, the whole club season was what I have to do to make the roster.”
Rettke officially was named to the Olympic team June 5 and leaves for Paris Saturday. The U.S. returns eight players and head coach Karch Kiraly from the 2021 team in Tokyo, which captured its first gold medal in the sport.
Rettke’s fans in Paris will include father John and sister Leah and mother Kathy the second half of play.
“It’s just a magical place. I think the Olympics in Paris makes it that much more magical and special,” Rettke said.
“It’s been some time that’s passed from officially being named on the team, but I don’t know if it’s really sunk in yet. It’s been like a dream come true and I’m just really excited to get to defend the gold with the team.”
Rettke received her exciting news as she wished — by herself. She and roommate Jordan Thompson, headed to her second Olympics, agreed to be apart when the email arrived.
“It was definitely a suspenseful moment. I was just sitting in the living room. I opened up the letter and saw my name on it,” Rettke said. “Once that kind of sunk in, the next second I called family and friends.”
The only disappointment was within minutes the roster had become public. Several people Rettke wanted to contact personally were instead sending her congratulations.
The past five years, Rettke has been on the U.S. training roster. She was at Wisconsin when the U.S. achieved its gold medal victory around 2 a.m. by sweeping Brazil in three sets.
Rettke and roommates agreed to avoid television and social media so they could watch the replay that morning unaware of the outcome. Rettke secretly “cheated” and saw the third set live but kept the results to herself.
“To watch that moment happen for my teammates and friends was so incredible,” Rettke said. “Just knowing how much work, sacrifice and dedication went into that moment, not only for that group but the women before them, I was over the moon that day.”
Entering these Olympics, the U.S. is No. 5 in Monday’s FIVB world rankings behind No. 1 Italy, Brazil, Turkey and Poland.
A new preliminary format for the 12 competing countries is three 4-team pools rather than two 6-team groups. The top two teams in each pool advance to the single-elimination quarterfinals along with the two best third-place pool finishers.
The U.S. pool includes No. 6 China, No. 9 Serbia and No. 19 France. On June 21, the U.S. lost to eventual champion Italy in the quarterfinals of the Volleyball National League in Bangkok, Thailand and had an overall tournament record of 7-6.
“I think we learned a lot about ourselves and exposed what we need to get better at,” Rettke said. “This might be the strongest Olympics for volleyball that’s ever been. It’s really just going to come down to who’s playing the best volleyball at that time and I think we’re putting ourselves in a good position.”
In Italy, Rettke played for the Vero Volley Milano club team based in Monza, which this past season reached the Champions League final for the first time in its history.
Italy boasts four of Rettke’s recent or previous club teammates. National players for the Netherlands, France and Dominican Republic also were teammates.
“It makes it kind of fun because you know their tendencies but they know yours. You always wish the best for each other but you want to beat them,” Rettke said.
“It’s the same teams we play against any tournament. The Olympics definitely make it a little bit of a higher stake. I think it’s really just about not making it bigger than it really is, even though it is big. Don’t get me wrong. It’s the Olympics, the pinnacle of any athlete’s dream. Every team is bringing their A game. It’s absolutely going to be a challenge and you have 40,000 people in the stands watching. It’s going to be crazy.”
U.S. captain Jordan Larson, points leader Annie Drews, setter Jordyn Poulter, libero Justine Wong-Orantes and middle blocker Haleigh Washington were among the eight players who appeared in the gold medal match in Tokyo, which was moved back one year by the worldwide pandemic. Larson is playing in her fourth Olympics and Kelsey Robinson Cook from Wheaton St. Francis her third.
Another first-time Olympian is Lauren Carlini, a West Aurora graduate regarded, with Rettke, as Wisconsin’s all-time greats and the first Badgers in the Olympics for the sport. They missed playing together at Wisconsin by one year but crossed paths as Carlini (2012-16) continued training after her senior season while Rettke already was in Madison after graduating from RBHS one semester early.
“She’s been someone I looked up to the whole recruiting process,” Rettke said.
Next professional season, Rettke will have new teammates in Istanbul, playing for Eczacibasi Sport Club in the Turkish League. She’ll always be grateful to Italy, her teammates and coaches for contributing to her Olympic moment.
“[Italy] was a blast. Beautiful country. Amazing culture. The food speaks for itself. I think if I stayed for one more year, I would have been fluent,” she said.
“I really appreciated their pace of life and appreciation for leisure time and enjoying life. I’m really going to miss it. It will always hold a special place in my heart for sure.”