Wisconsin's Carlini, Rettke to compete in gold medal volleyball match for Team USA

The USA took down Brazil in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics on Thursday.

Jul 10, 2024; Long Beach, California, USA; Dana Rettke†(14) of the USA serves against the Netherlands during the USA Volleyball Cup at The Walter Pyramid. The USA defeated the Netherlands 3 -2 in a tuneup for the upcoming Paris Olympics. / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Both Lauren Carlini and Dana Rettke had storied college careers for Wisconsin Badgers volleyball, and they're now doing it on an international scale for Team USA at the Paris Olympics. In the semifinals against Brazil on Thursday, the USA escaped with a thrilling victory after a back-and-forth, five-set barn burner. They'll now be playing in the gold medal match this Sunday at 6 a.m. CT.

Rettke played for the Badgers from 2017 to 2021. She started nearly 150 games through her career, earned Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year twice (2019 and 2020), and was the first five-time AVCA first team All-American in college volleyball history.

These days, Rettke plays professionally for Vero Volley Monza in the Italian Serie A1 League. As a member of the national team since 2019, she helped the USA qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, but the 2024 Games are the first she has competed in.

Carlini played for Wisconsin from 2013 to 2016. She started 133 career games, was a four-time All-American, and earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 2014. The 2024 Olympics are also the first of her career.

After going 2-1 in the group stage with wins over France and Serbia and a loss to China, Team USA has taken down Poland and Brazil in the knockout stage. They'll face the winner of Italy and Turkey in the gold medal match as they look to defend their title from Tokyo.