Brenda Volk coached 13 of her first 24 UW-Whitewater softball teams into the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Most of those were no-doubt selections. No. 14 in her 25th season was not.
kAm%96 (2C92H<D 5:5 H:? E96 C68F=2C\D62D@? (:D4@?D:? x?E6C4@==68:2E6 pE9=6E:4 r@?76C6?46 492>A:@?D9:A H:E9 2? ``\b C64@C5] %92E H2D @?6 82>6 36EE6C E92? CF??6C\FA &(\~D9<@D9 W`_\cX 2?5 EH@ 82>6D 36EE6C E92? E9:C5\A=246 &(\{2 rC@DD6 Wh\dX]k^Am
kAmqFE E96? &(\{2 rC@DD6 C@==65 :?E@ E96 G2? $E66?56C6? $@7E32== r@>A=6I @? E96 (9:E6H2E6C 42>AFD =2DE H66<6?5 7@C E96 (xpr %@FC?2>6?E 2?5 H6?E c\_ E@ H:? E96 E:E=6 2?5 8C23 E96 4@?76C6?46’D =@?6 2FE@>2E:4 }rpp 3:5]k^Am
kAm(:E9 @?=J `h 2E\=2C86 36CE9D 2G2:=23=6[ :E D66>65 6:E96C (9:E6H2E6C @C ~D9<@D9 H@F=5 62C? @?6]k^Am
kAmx? E96 6?5[ 3@E9 E62>D 5:5]k^Am
kAm&(\(9:E6H2E6C ?@E @?=J 8@E :?[ 3FE :E H:== 9@DE 2 7@FC\E62>[ 5@F3=6\6=:>:?2E:@? }rpp C68:@?2= E92E 368:?D %9FCD52J 2E E96 G2? $E66?56C6? $@7E32== r@>A=6I] r@6 Wx@H2X r@==686 A=2JD %C2?DJ=G2?:2 Wz6?EF4<JX &?:G6CD:EJ 2E ` A]>] %9FCD52J 367@C6 &(\(9:E6H2E6C E2<6D @? $A2=5:?8 Wz6?EF4<JX &?:G6CD:EJ 2E bib_ E@ 4@?4=F56 E96 7:CDE\52J 24E:@?]k^Am
kAm'@=< H6=4@>65 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ A=2J 2E =62DE 2?@E96C H66<6?5]k^Am
kAm“x’> DFA6C 92AAJ 7@C @FC E62> 2?5 DE277 E@ 86E E96 492?46 E@ A=2J :? E96 }rpp %@FC?2>6?E[” '@=< D2:5 :? 2? 6>2:=] “xE’D D@>6E9:?8 H6 2D 2 AC@8C2> 2=H2JD DEC:G6 E@ C6249[ D@ x 2> AC@F5 @7 2== E96 92C5 H@C< 6G6CJ@?6 92D AFE :? E@ C6249 @FC 8@2=]”k^Am
kAm'@=< H2D 4@?7:56?E E96 3:5 H2D 4@>:?8[ 3FE D96 DE:== H2E4965 E96 DEC62>65 $6=64E:@? $9@H @? |@?52J 27E6C?@@? H:E9 D@>6 2AAC696?D:@?]k^Am
kAm“x E9@F89E H6 925 5@?6 6?@F89 E9C@F89@FE E96 D62D@? E@ 62C? 2? 2E\=2C86 3:5[” D96 HC@E6] “qFE J@F ;FDE ?6G6C <?@H F?E:= J@F D66 J@FC ?2>6 A@A FA 5FC:?8 E96 $6=64E:@? $9@H]”k^Am
kAmr@6 r@==686 Wb`\gX :D E96 9:896DE\ C2?<65 E62> 2>@?8 E9@D6 A=2J:?8 2E (9:E6H2E6C] %96 z@92H<D H6C6 }@] `g :? E96 }2E:@?2= u2DEA:E49 r@2496D pDD@4:2E:@? A@== H9:=6 %C2?DJ=G2?:2 Wbb\hX H2D C2?<65 a_E9]k^Am
kAm%96 (2C92H<D Wae\``X C646:G65 2 G@E6 :? E96 A@==] $A2=5:?8 Wah\``X H2D ?@E C64@8?:K65 3J E96 G@E6CD]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96 (2C92H<D F?56C '@=< ?6G6C D66> E@ 92G6 2 C63F:=5:?8 D62D@?[ E9:D H2D 4=@D6] $6G6? (2C92H<D 62C?65 p==\(xpr 9@?@CD] u@FC H6C6 7C6D9>6? WA:E496C qC@@<6 w@4<[ 7:CDE 32D6>2? %2J=@C z@69=6C[ FE:=:EJ A=2J6C z:2CC2 z@DEC@D<: 2?5 E9:C5 32D6>2? vC246 (:4<>2?X 2?5 2?@E96C H2D 2 D@A9@>@C6 WD9@CEDE@A |6892? sF??:?8X]k^Am
kAmvC25F2E6 DEF56?E A:E496C |255J p?56CD@?[ ;F?:@C A:E496C |2==@CJ w@==2EK 2?5 D@A9@>@C6 D9@CEDE@A |6892? sF??:?8 C@F?565 @FE E96 &(\(9:E6H2E6C 2==\4@?76C6?46 D6=64E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“u@C @FC J@F?8 E62> E@ 82:? E9:D 6IA6C:6?46 … :E H:== @?=J 36?67:E FD :? E96 7FEFC6[” HC@E6 '@=<[ H9@ 92D 2 fae\b_c\d 42C66C C64@C5] “(6 2C6 G6CJ 6I4:E65]”k^Am
kAm}rpp sx'x$x~} xxx $~u%qp{{ %~&#}p|t}%k^Am
kAm(wx%t(p%t# #tvx~}p{k^Am
kAmpE G2? $E66?56C6? $@7E32== r@>A=6I[ &(\(9:E6H2E6Ck^Am
kAmWs@F3=6\6=:>:?2E:@?Xk^Am
kAmvp|t$ %w&#$sp*k^Am
kAmv2>6 `—r@6 Wx@H2X r@==686 Wb`\gX GD] %C2?DJ=G2?:2 Wz6?EF4<JX &?:G6CD:EJ Wbb\hX[ ` A]>]k^Am
kAmv2>6 a—&(\(9:E6H2E6C Wae\``X GD] $A2=5:?8 Wz6?EF4<JX &?:G6CD:EJ[ bib_ A]>]k^Am
kAmvp|t$ u#xsp*k^Am
kAmv2>6 b—(:??6C @7 v2>6 ` GD] (:??6C @7 v2>6 a[ `` 2]>]k^Am
kAmv2>6 c—{@D6C @7 v2>6 ` GD] {@D6C @7 v2>6 a[ `ib_ A]>] W{@D6C 6=:>:?2E65Xk^Am
kAmv2>6 d—{@D6C @7 v2>6 b GD] (:??6C @7 v2>6 c[ c A]>] W{@D6C 6=:>:?2E65Xk^Am
kAmvp|t$ $p%&#sp*k^Am
kAmv2>6 e—(:??6C @7 v2>6 d GD] (:??6C @7 v2>6 b[ `` 2]>]k^Am
kAmv2>6 f—x7 (:??6C @7 v2>6 d H:?D v2>6 e[ `ib_ A]>]k^Am
kAm%:4<6EDi S`_ A6C 52J[ 25F=EDj Sf A6C 52J[ D6?:@CD^DEF56?EDj Sd[ J@FE9]k^Am