Dana Rettke is an American middle blocker who plays for Eczacıbaşı Peron İstanbul and the United States women’s national volleyball team. Born on January 21, 1999, the 203 cm middle developed at the University of Wisconsin before beginning her professional career in Italy and later moving to Türkiye. She made her senior U.S. debut during the 2019 Volleyball Nations League and has worn No. 16 during the current national-team cycle.
Rettke’s career includes a 2019 VNL gold medal, silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and silver medals at the 2023 and 2026 NORCECA Continental Championships. At Wisconsin, she became the first five-time AVCA First Team All-American, won the 2021 AVCA National Player of the Year award and finished her college career by helping the Badgers win the first NCAA championship in program history.
After three professional seasons with the Vero Volley organization in Italy, Rettke joined Eczacıbaşı for 2024–25. Her Turkish club extended her contract through 2026–27, and she reached the 2026 CEV Champions League final with Eczacıbaşı before returning to the U.S. program for another full international summer.
Player Information
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dana Rettke |
| Date of Birth | January 21, 1999 |
| Nationality | United States |
| Hometown | Riverside, Illinois, United States |
| College | University of Wisconsin |
| Position | Middle blocker |
| Height | 203 cm (6 ft 8 in) |
| Weight | 80 kg |
| Spike Reach | 315 cm |
| Block Reach | 308 cm |
| Dominant Hand | Right |
| Previous Clubs | Vero Volley Monza; Vero Volley Milano / Allianz Vero Volley Milano |
| Current Club | Eczacıbaşı Peron İstanbul |
| Club Number | 14 |
| National Team | United States Women’s National Volleyball Team |
| National-Team Number | 16 |
| @dana_rettke | |
| X | @dana_rettke |
USA Volleyball lists Rettke at 6 ft 8 in and No. 16, while her current CEV competition record lists her at 203 cm and 80 kg with a 315 cm spike reach and 308 cm block reach. The current Eczacıbaşı roster confirms No. 14 at club level.
Her official Instagram handle is also linked through her CEV player profile, while Wisconsin’s Paris 2024 athlete page identifies both @dana_rettke on Instagram and X. A current secondary player database lists her as right-handed.
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Rettke grew up in Riverside, Illinois, and attended Riverside-Brookfield High School. Volleyball came relatively late compared with many elite players: she has said she began playing the sport at 15. Before concentrating on volleyball, she also played basketball and earned all-conference recognition in that sport.
Once she committed to volleyball, her development accelerated quickly. At Riverside-Brookfield, she finished her high-school career with 1,280 kills and 259 blocks, set school records in both categories and was named the 2016 Illinois State Player of the Year. She also played for 1st Alliance Volleyball Club.
Her height was immediately distinctive — Wisconsin described her as the tallest volleyball player ever to wear a Badgers uniform — but the early numbers showed more than a physical mismatch. Rettke entered college as a nationally rated recruit who could already score at high efficiency and control significant space at the net.
College Career at Wisconsin
Immediate Impact and a Five-Year All-America Run
Rettke joined Wisconsin in 2017 and became an impact player immediately. She earned AVCA National Freshman of the Year honors and First Team All-America recognition in her first season, beginning a run that eventually made her the first five-time First Team All-American in AVCA history.
Rather than simply remaining productive for five years, Rettke continued to add responsibilities within one of the strongest programs in the Big Ten. She became a five-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, won Big Ten Player of the Year in 2019 and earned AVCA Northeast Region Player of the Year honors three times.
Her 2019 season also overlapped with her first senior international experience. Rettke trained and competed with the U.S. national team during the summer, then returned to Wisconsin and continued developing as both a quick attacker and a primary blocking presence.
Wisconsin’s First NCAA Championship
The final season of Rettke’s college career produced both the team achievement and individual recognition that had previously eluded her.
Wisconsin entered 2021 after consecutive deep NCAA tournament runs, including a national championship-match appearance in 2019 and a Final Four appearance in the following tournament. Rettke returned for a fifth season under the additional eligibility granted after the COVID-19 disruption rather than turning professional immediately.
She hit .430 in her final season, averaged 3.41 kills and 1.43 blocks per set and finished among the national leaders in both hitting efficiency and blocking. In December, she was named the 2021 AVCA National Player of the Year, becoming the first Wisconsin player to win the award.
Two days later, Wisconsin defeated Nebraska in five sets to win the first NCAA women’s volleyball championship in school history. Rettke tied her career high with 13 blocks in the championship match and was selected to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team.
Her final Wisconsin totals underline the scale of the college career. Rettke ended with a school-record .422 career hitting percentage, 751 total blocks and 2,333 points, while also finishing with more than 1,800 kills. Those numbers combined high-volume scoring with a level of blocking production rarely sustained across five seasons by the same middle.
The awards continued after the championship. Rettke received the 2021–22 Honda Sports Award for volleyball and was named Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year for the second time, making her only the third woman at the time to win the conference-wide award twice.
Club Career
Vero Volley: Three Seasons in Serie A1
Rettke moved directly from Wisconsin into one of the strongest professional leagues in the world. She joined the Vero Volley organization for 2021–22, initially competing under the Vero Volley Monza name before the team’s senior women’s identity shifted to Milano.
The transition placed her in Italy’s Serie A1 and European competition immediately. Rettke became part of a deep roster rather than being asked to reproduce the enormous volume she carried at Wisconsin, which required a different kind of development: converting fewer opportunities efficiently while competing for playing time against experienced international middles.
Her three Italian seasons produced repeated deep postseason runs. With Vero Volley, Rettke was part of Italian league runner-up teams in 2021–22 and 2022–23 and reached the 2023 Italian Cup final.
The 2023–24 campaign brought another set of major finals. Allianz Vero Volley Milano finished runner-up in the Italian Super Cup and Italian Cup before reaching the 2024 CEV Champions League final, the first European club final of Rettke’s professional career. Eczacıbaşı’s later official signing announcement included those runner-up finishes among her established club résumé when it brought her to Türkiye.
Moving to Eczacıbaşı
Eczacıbaşı announced Rettke’s transfer in May 2024, adding the American middle for the 2024–25 season. The move shifted her from Italy to Türkiye’s Sultanlar Ligi and placed her inside another club with consistent domestic and Champions League ambitions.
The club described her net presence and physical capacity as important reasons for the signing. Rettke’s first season in Istanbul also gave her significant European responsibility: during the 2025 Champions League campaign, she recorded 20 kill blocks and 64 points over 24 sets before the Final Four stage, placing her among the competition’s notable middle blockers. CEV included her among the eight nominees for its 2025 Champions League middle-blocker All-Star voting.
Her importance to the club carried into the next season. In January 2026, Eczacıbaşı extended Rettke’s contract for two additional seasons, covering both 2025–26 and 2026–27. The club specifically cited her athletic performance, physical capacity, international experience and effect on the team environment.
The 2025–26 Run to Two Major Finals
Eczacıbaşı’s 2025–26 season included several deep tournament runs. In the Turkish Cup semifinal, Rettke started as the club defeated Fenerbahçe 3–1 to reach the final. VakıfBank then won the championship match 3–1, leaving Eczacıbaşı as Kupa Voley runner-up.
The Champions League run went even further. In the second leg of Eczacıbaşı’s quarterfinal against DevelopRes Rzeszów, Rettke scored 11 points with three aces, two blocks and six kills on six attempts. Although the Turkish club lost that match, its earlier result was enough to secure a Final Four place.
Eczacıbaşı ultimately advanced to the Champions League final on May 3, 2026. Rettke started against VakıfBank, which won the match 3–1. The result gave her a second Champions League silver medal in three seasons, this time with a different club.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Vero Volley Monza | Italy |
| 2022–23 | Vero Volley Milano | Italy |
| 2023–24 | Allianz Vero Volley Milano | Italy |
| 2024–26 | Eczacıbaşı Dynavit | Türkiye |
| 2026–27 | Eczacıbaşı Peron İstanbul | Türkiye |
CEV’s current player history traces the same progression from Monza and Milano to Eczacıbaşı and lists Rettke with Eczacıbaşı Peron İstanbul for the 2027 European competition cycle.
National Team Career
A Gold Medal in Her First Senior Summer
Rettke’s senior U.S. national-team career began unusually early relative to her college timeline. She joined the senior program in 2019 while still a Wisconsin player and made her debut during that year’s Volleyball Nations League.
The United States went on to win the competition, giving Rettke a VNL gold medal in her first senior international season. She also participated in the Olympic qualification period that secured the U.S. place for Tokyo. Her involvement was especially notable because she then returned to Wisconsin rather than beginning a full-time professional career.
Rettke returned to regular senior-team competition after college. She played in the 2022 VNL, helped the U.S. to fourth place at the 2023 VNL and earned silver at the 2023 NORCECA Continental Championship. She was also part of the Road to Paris Olympic Qualifier roster.
Paris 2024 Olympic Silver
In June 2024, Rettke was named to the 12-player U.S. Olympic roster, making Paris her first Olympic Games. She and setter Lauren Carlini also became the first Wisconsin volleyball players selected to a U.S. Olympic team.
The Americans recovered from an opening five-set loss to China by winning four consecutive matches. They swept Poland in the quarterfinal and defeated Brazil in five sets in the semifinal before meeting Italy for gold.
Italy won the final in straight sets, leaving the United States with silver. The medal was Rettke’s first Olympic honor and added a major international result to a résumé that already contained her 2019 VNL title.
World Championship and the 2026 Cycle
Rettke remained involved after Paris rather than stepping away from the international program. She played VNL again in 2025 and was part of the U.S. team that finished fifth at the 2025 FIVB Women’s World Championship.
One of her strongest World Championship matches came against Argentina. Rettke shared the team scoring lead with 15 points, producing 11 kills without an attacking error on 14 swings, three blocks and an ace in a 3–1 victory. The result secured the United States a place in the Round of 16.
Her role continued under the U.S. program’s new 2026 cycle. Rettke appeared in VNL Weeks Two and Three and remained on the roster for the Finals in Macao. Across nine matches, Volleyball World credited her with 63 points, 41 attack points, 21 blocks and one ace, with 55.41% attack efficiency.
The U.S. was eliminated by China in a five-set quarterfinal, but Rettke produced one of her best senior international matches. She scored 18 points on 14 error-free kills and four blocks, hitting .700 in attack.
Rettke then continued with the United States into the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship. The Americans reached the final and finished with silver after a five-set loss to Canada, giving Rettke another continental medal and extending her senior international record through the end of the 2026 season.
Playing Style & Strengths
At 203 cm, Rettke has one of the most distinctive physical profiles among elite international middle blockers. Height alone, however, does not explain why she has been productive from college through Champions League and international volleyball. Her strongest trait is the combination of that reach with efficient first-tempo attacking.
Rettke has historically scored at unusually high percentages for significant stretches. She finished her Wisconsin career with a school-record .422 hitting percentage, and her final collegiate season ended at .430. In the 2025 World Championship win over Argentina, she converted 11 of 14 attacks without an error, while her 2026 VNL attacking efficiency was listed at 55.41%.
Her size is particularly valuable when the setter can establish her early in a rally. Rettke presents a large target on quick sets and can contact above an opposing block without needing an exaggerated approach. That makes her effective as both a direct scoring option and a player who can hold the opposing middle in place, creating more room for the pins.
Blocking remains the other major part of the profile. Rettke finished her Wisconsin career with 751 total blocks, and that production translated into European and international volleyball. Before the 2025 Champions League Final Four she had 20 kill blocks in just 24 sets, while the 2026 VNL produced 21 block points across nine matches.
Her four-block performance against China in the 2026 VNL quarterfinal also illustrates how her size works best when combined with good positioning. She does not have to chase every attacker with dramatic movement; when her read and footwork put her in the correct channel, her reach can take away a large section of the net.
Serving has become a useful secondary scoring tool as well. Rettke is not primarily defined as a serving specialist, but three aces in the 2026 Champions League quarterfinal match against DevelopRes showed how service pressure can complement her blocking and attacking contributions.
What separates the best versions of Rettke from a middle who simply presents a physical obstacle is efficiency. Her most valuable matches tend to combine low-error attacking with direct block points, allowing her to influence the scoreboard without needing the number of swings taken by an opposite or outside hitter.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Volleyball Nations League | Gold medal |
| 2023 | NORCECA Continental Championship | Silver medal |
| 2024 | Olympic Games — Paris | Silver medal |
| 2026 | NORCECA Continental Championship | Silver medal |
USA Volleyball’s current athlete record lists Rettke’s 2019 VNL championship, Paris Olympic silver and both NORCECA silver-medal campaigns among her senior international results.
Selected Club & College Honors
| Year / Season | Team | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Wisconsin | NCAA Division I Championship | Runner-up |
| 2019 | Wisconsin | Big Ten Championship | Champion |
| 2020 | Wisconsin | Big Ten Championship | Champion |
| 2021 | Wisconsin | Big Ten Championship | Champion |
| 2021 | Wisconsin | NCAA Division I Championship | Champion |
| 2021–22 | Vero Volley Monza | Italian Serie A1 | Runner-up |
| 2022–23 | Vero Volley Milano | Italian Serie A1 | Runner-up |
| 2022–23 | Vero Volley Milano | Coppa Italia | Runner-up |
| 2023–24 | Allianz Vero Volley Milano | Italian Super Cup | Runner-up |
| 2023–24 | Allianz Vero Volley Milano | Coppa Italia | Runner-up |
| 2023–24 | Allianz Vero Volley Milano | CEV Champions League | Runner-up |
| 2025–26 | Eczacıbaşı Dynavit | Turkish Cup | Runner-up |
| 2025–26 | Eczacıbaşı Dynavit | CEV Champions League | Runner-up |
Eczacıbaşı’s official career summary documents Rettke’s Italian runner-up finishes, while the Turkish federation confirmed her 2026 Turkish Cup and Champions League silver medals with Eczacıbaşı.
Selected Individual Awards
| Year / Season | Award |
|---|---|
| 2017 | AVCA National Freshman of the Year |
| 2017 | AVCA First Team All-American |
| 2018 | AVCA First Team All-American |
| 2019 | AVCA First Team All-American |
| 2019 | Big Ten Player of the Year |
| 2019–20 | Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year |
| 2020 | AVCA First Team All-American |
| 2021 | AVCA First Team All-American |
| 2021 | AVCA National Player of the Year |
| 2021 | NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team |
| 2021–22 | Honda Sports Award for Volleyball |
| 2021–22 | Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year |
Her five consecutive First Team All-America selections established an AVCA record, while the 2021 National Player of the Year and Honda Sports Award capped the final season of her Wisconsin career.
Personal Life & Education
Rettke is the daughter of Kathy and John Rettke and has a younger sister, Leah, who also played college volleyball at Triton College. She studied business with a marketing focus at Wisconsin and participated in the university’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Her Wisconsin biography also records involvement with Badgers Give Back and UNCUT Madison, a student-athlete storytelling platform. When asked about causes important to her during college, Rettke identified mental health.
That college period was unusually long and consequential for an elite prospect. Rather than leaving after becoming an established national-team player in 2019, Rettke remained at Wisconsin through the pandemic-adjusted eligibility cycle and completed a fifth season. The decision ultimately gave her both the NCAA championship and National Player of the Year award she had listed among her college goals.
Where Is Dana Rettke Playing Now?
Dana Rettke currently plays for Eczacıbaşı Peron İstanbul in Türkiye’s Vodafone Sultanlar Ligi. She wears No. 14 for the club and is under contract through the end of the 2026–27 season.
Her future with the organization was settled well before the current campaign. In January 2026, Eczacıbaşı renewed Rettke’s contract for two seasons, covering 2025–26 and 2026–27. The club subsequently adopted the Eczacıbaşı Peron İstanbul name for the current season, and its 2026–27 roster continues to list Rettke among the middle blockers.
The new season follows a 2025–26 campaign in which Eczacıbaşı reached both the Turkish Cup final and CEV Champions League final. The club also played the 2026 Turkish Champions Cup in October, losing a five-set final to VakıfBank before beginning its league schedule. Rettke has remained part of the active rotation during the opening weeks of the Sultanlar Ligi.
Internationally, she remains an active member of the United States women’s national-team program. Her 2026 season included the VNL Finals and the NORCECA Continental Championship, where the U.S. finished with silver.
Recent Performance Snapshot
| Competition / Match | Performance |
|---|---|
| 2026 Volleyball Nations League | 63 total points in nine matches |
| 2026 VNL Attack | 41 attack points; 55.41% attack efficiency |
| 2026 VNL Blocking | 21 block points |
| 2026 VNL Quarterfinal vs. China | 18 points; 14 kills, 4 blocks; no attack errors on 20 swings |
| 2026 Champions League Quarterfinal at DevelopRes | 11 points; 6 kills on 6 attacks, 3 aces, 2 blocks |
| 2026 Turkish Cup | Runner-up with Eczacıbaşı Dynavit |
| 2026 CEV Champions League | Runner-up with Eczacıbaşı Dynavit |
| 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship | Silver medal with United States |
The 2026 numbers show Rettke contributing in the same areas that have defined her career: high-efficiency middle attacking and direct point production from the block. Her best recent performances have also come in knockout-level matches, including the VNL quarterfinal against China and the Champions League quarterfinal in Poland.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Dana Rettke?
Dana Rettke is listed at 203 cm, or 6 feet 8 inches, by USA Volleyball, Volleyball World and current CEV competition records. Eczacıbaşı’s club profile rounds her height to 204 cm.
What position does Dana Rettke play?
Rettke is a middle blocker. She is used primarily as a quick attacker and blocker and has played the position throughout her college, professional and senior international career.
Which club does Dana Rettke play for?
Rettke currently plays for Eczacıbaşı Peron İstanbul in Türkiye. She extended her Eczacıbaşı contract through the 2026–27 season.
What number does Dana Rettke wear?
Rettke wears No. 14 for Eczacıbaşı Peron İstanbul and No. 16 for the United States women’s national team in the current cycle.
Did Dana Rettke play in the Olympics?
Yes. Rettke made her Olympic debut at Paris 2024 and won a silver medal with the United States after the Americans reached the gold-medal match against Italy.
Did Dana Rettke win an NCAA championship?
Yes. Rettke helped Wisconsin win the 2021 NCAA Division I women’s volleyball championship, the first national title in program history. She recorded 13 blocks in the five-set championship victory over Nebraska.
What college records did Dana Rettke set?
Rettke finished her Wisconsin career with program records for career hitting percentage (.422), total blocks (751) and total points (2,333). She also became the first five-time First Team All-American in AVCA history.
When did Dana Rettke join Team USA?
Rettke made her senior U.S. national-team debut during the 2019 Volleyball Nations League. The United States won gold that season.
References
- USA Volleyball — Dana Rettke official athlete profile
- USA Volleyball — USA Volleyball Announces 2026 Women’s VNL Roster
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Women Bow Out of 2026 VNL with Quarterfinal Loss to Host China
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Women Take Silver at the 2026 NORCECA Continental Championship
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Women Use Strong Middle Play to Defeat Argentina at the 2025 World Championship
- USA Volleyball — USA Volleyball Reveals Women’s Team for Paris 2024
- USA Volleyball — U.S. Women Take Olympic Silver in Paris
- Volleyball World — Dana Rettke 2026 VNL player profile and statistics
- Volleyball World — USA Beat Argentina and Advance to the 2025 World Championship Round of 16
- University of Wisconsin Athletics — Dana Rettke official Wisconsin player biography
- University of Wisconsin Athletics — Dana Rettke Named AVCA National Player of the Year
- University of Wisconsin Athletics — Rettke Becomes First Five-Time First-Team AVCA All-American
- University of Wisconsin Athletics — Dana Rettke Receives Honda Award for Volleyball
- University of Wisconsin Athletics — Dana Rettke Named Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year
- University of Wisconsin Athletics — Paris 2024 Wisconsin Olympians
- Eczacıbaşı Sports Club — Dana Rettke current player profile
- Eczacıbaşı Sports Club — Dana Rettke Joins Eczacıbaşı Dynavit
- Eczacıbaşı Sports Club — Tigers Renew Contract with Dana Rettke
- Eczacıbaşı Sports Club — 2026–27 Eczacıbaşı Peron İstanbul Player and Coaching Staff
- CEV — Dana Rettke current European competition player record
- CEV Champions League — Eczacıbaşı Secure 2026 Final Four Place Against DevelopRes
- CEV Champions League — 2025 Middle Blocker All-Star Candidates
- Türkiye Voleybol Federasyonu — VakıfBank Win the 2026 Women’s Kupa Voley Final
- Türkiye Voleybol Federasyonu — VakıfBank Win the 2026 CEV Champions League Final
- Türkiye Voleybol Federasyonu — VakıfBank Win the 2026 Women’s Champions Cup
- Women Volleybox — Dana Rettke player data and dominant-hand record
