University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women’s basketball Kathy Litzau is closing up her 14th season with this extremely impressive Division one women’s volleyball team.

“At times I would call this a perfect team,” she said.

Litzau has been involved with college volleyball since her own playing time at Notre Dame, where she was an outside hitter and middle. Her senior year she was named MVP and captain of her team.

After that she worked some of the Midwest schools like Madison and Illinois as an assistant coach when she applied for the job of head coach at UWM. She came to Milwaukee because it was a perfect situation.

“This was a great city, a great school, and I felt like it was a place where I could build a program,” Litzau said.

In the last 14 years Litzau has made up quite a name for her self. Before she became head coach the volleyball program was nothing compared to what it is today.

According to the official UWM Panthers Web site, Litzau has really shaped this place up.

“Litzau is in charge of a program that won just three matches the year before she was hired. Litzau's resume is now full of successful notes.

She has been named the Horizon League Coach of the Year six times while leading the Panthers to seven Horizon League regular season titles. UWM has also won at least 20 matches eight times under Litzau and advanced to the NCAA Tournament five times.

Plus, her 118 Horizon League victories are by far the most of any active league coach.”

Litzau’s favorite memory of this job is watching the players through out their time on the team.

“Watching my players achieve their goals. Watching them come in as freshmen and succeed as seniors. A lot of them have just really grown into great volleyball players,” Litzau said.

This looks like she has made a very nice environment for her players and in return the players have proven that they deserve her as a coach.

“Their talent has to do with chemistry my team has really kept the chemistry going, they know it’s about winning and staying together,” Litzau said.

The team is rolling into Madison for the NCAA Tournament first and second rounds and if the team doesn’t make it to win, they have had an amazing season, but if they do, thank the coach.

> Comments