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| Kacie Carollo used to be the little girl cutting down nets with her parents at UW-Whitewater. UW-Whitewater athletics photo |
By Brian Lester
D3sports.com
Kacie Carollo’s home address isn’t Kachel Gymnasium on the campus of UW-Whitewater, but it might as well be.
After all, Kacie has grown up in the Warhawk women’s hoops program.
From being the little girl cutting down nets with her mom, Keri, the head coach, as well as her dad, Joe, an assistant, to now being the leader of a Whitewater squad gearing up for a fourth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament, Kacie has had quite the journey.
“It doesn’t seem completely real some days,” Kacie said. “Growing up watching the older girls do big things like play in the tournament was so cool for me as a little kid. And now I get to do it. It’s a dream come true.”
Keri, in her 22nd season here, has countless memories of Kacie as a little girl being around the basketball program. She cherishes those memories as well as the ones that have been made over the last four years of Kacie’s collegiate career.
“It’s very special,” Keri said. “There are tons of photos in my office and around the house of her with nets around her neck when she was only 5, 6, 7 years old, and for her to be able to do that as a young adult, too, it’s special. As parents, Joe and I are excited about the opportunity we’ve had to coach her and be a part of her journey.”
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| A high-school age Kacie Carollo joins her mom on the ladder for a net cutting ceremony in 2018. d3photography.com photo by Steve Frommell |
Joe used to coach with the men’s team at Whitewater and has been with the women’s program since 2007. He remembers the Final Four appearance the team made in his first season with the women’s team and said Kacie went along with them.
“We got to take Kacie and seeing her light up with a smile on her face, and the hugs she gave to the players, those are great memories," Joe said. "And at this point, we’re trying to make some more memories in the next few weeks.”
Kacie, the WIAC Player of the Year, averaging a team-leading 20.4 points per outing, wasn’t certain she would end up playing at Whitewater. She considered other options. After a discussion with a former assistant and grad assistant, she decided playing for the Warhawks was the right move to make.
“Originally I didn’t want to play here. I was going to go figure out my own situation, but at the end of the day, after some long talks, I was convinced Whitewater was home. And with the winning tradition and how much my parents invested in the team, I’m glad I did stay.”
Sure, it’s different being coached by not just one, but two parents, but it’s well worth it.
“Some days are difficult because we all think alike and say the same thing, and I’m sure the team may get a little frustrated by it,” Kacie said with a laugh. “But it’s super cool to bring that family dynamic every day and make the other players feel like family, too.”
The well-connected Warhawks begin Sweet 16 play Friday in Pennsylvania. Whitewater (24-6) will take on a familiar foe in UW-Stout (21-7). The winner gets Scranton or Johns Hopkins on Saturday.
The Warhawks, champions of the WIAC, have won nine in a row going into it and have overcome challenges along the way, including a three-game losing streak in early January that included a 76-65 loss to Stout.
They lost two in a row to start February as well, including another loss to the Blue Devils, this time by an 87-60 score. But they avenged that setback with a 69-63 win in the conference tournament.
“They’ve been extremely resilient,” Keri said. “We’ve had some bumps in the road, and I’ve challenged them multiple times to overcome the obstacles, and they’ve always responded. They’ve always bounced back and have always fought back. I could not be more proud of this team.”
Kacie agrees, pointing to fellow senior teammates, especially, like Maggie Trautsch, Katie Hildebrandt, Olivia Zuege and Mallory Oloffson as having a big part of her success.
“I couldn’t be more thankful for the other girls, especially the seniors,” Kacie said. “My teammates are like sisters and have all played a part in what we’ve been able to do. I’m super proud. This team is special. All four years here for me have been special.”
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| UW-Whitewater AD Ryan Callahan, Keri, Kacie and Joe Carollo pose on the Warhawks' Senior Day in February. UW-Whitewater athletics photo |
Kacie, who played in a national title game as a freshman and would love another shot at that this year, said one of her driving forces is thinking back to all the great players at Whitewater that she watched growing up.
“All those memories from when I was younger, and seeing those players, they are at the forefront of my mind when practice gets tough or games get tough,” Kacie said. “I put it all into perspective and what it means to be a part of this program. Having grown up here, it makes it all that much more special to me.”
For Joe and Keri, they’ve enjoyed watching Kacie grow up with the Warhawks. Joe can recall the countless hours in the gym with her and is proud of the leader she’s become on the court over the last four years.
“As a freshman, she was very mature for her age and knew her role,” Joe said. “She became a starter late in the year (as a freshman) and was a solid contributor and has evolved from there. She’s also done a great job of handling the role of mom and dad coaching, and her role as a leader has really helped and made a difference.”
For Keri, the basketball side of Kacie’s growth has been cool to see. But to her, it’s about more than just basketball.
“Mine is probably less about basketball and more about how college is part of your transformative years. I’m grateful as a coach and mom that I’ve been able to help guide her along the way,” Keri said. “She’s become a wonderful person, very giving and thoughtful, and I’m grateful I’ve been able to be a part of her life during this time. It’s great seeing her growth as not only a basketball player, but as a human, too.”
Kacie is thankful she’s had her parents along for the ride these last four years and hopes the journey continues for a while longer.
It’s not lost on her either how big of a deal it is to have the success the Warhawks have enjoyed during her career.
“We’re all grateful to continue our season, and it’s special to do this with my parents,” Kacie said. “To go four years in a row to the Sweet 16, it’s super, super special and a testament to how hard the coaches and the players work every single day.”