Most freshmen spend their first season figuring things out, but for UW Oshkosh’s libero Callie Panasuk, that wasn’t the case. 

Panasuk said that she was never seen as just a freshman on the team.

“They trusted me on the court and helped me grow so much as a person and player,” she said. “I got pushed, but they also supported me through everything, which gave me a lot of confidence early on.”

Panasuk was given a huge opportunity to play one of the most impactful positions on the court early on and is now a Division III women’s volleyball national champion.

Panasuk said the moment still doesn’t feel like reality.

“You dream about moments like this growing up but experiencing it with this group of people that I love so much makes it even more special,” she said. “There is just so much pride knowing all the hard work we put in together paid off. From the beginning of this season, we knew we wanted it, so we put in the work every day at practice to reach this goal.”

Head coach Jon Ellmann said the moment was never too big for Panasuk.

“She had one receiving error I think in the entire three matches potentially, which is crazy— unheard of — so she was dialed in.”

Panasuk said Ellmann has worked hard at creating a culture centered around growth, competitive spirit and teamwork.

“Everything we do connects back to being great teammates and pushing each other to get better,” she said. “He’s created an environment that feels like a family, people support each other, but they also hold each other accountable. He wants us to grow not only as volleyball players, but as people as well.”

Panasuk said even though the national championship was 276 miles away at Illinois Wesleyan University, the Oshkosh faithful made it feel like home.

“The support we’ve gotten all season has been unreal,” she said. “People show up, they cheer loud, they’re proud of us and we really feel that love. Especially this championship week, parents and family chose to miss work to come and support us so that is really special to us. I’m so grateful to be a part of a community that cares this much about our program.” 

Panasuk said winning the national championship with current teammates and former Wisconsin Juniors Volleyball Club teammates Malia Winchel and Emmy Wizceb was one of the coolest parts of the weekend.

“Malia and Emmy are both older than me so I obviously looked up to them so much when I would see them at practices, and now we got to share a moment like this on such a huge stage with our WJV family cheering us on,” said Panasuk. It is a full circle moment and something we’ll never forget.” 

Panasuk said it’s important to continue to improve on and off the court as she approaches her sophomore season. 

“Winning a title this early definitely motivates me to not be satisfied, now the goal is to help us stay at that championship level and hopefully win more together,” she said. 

Panasuk said she was grateful to be named to the all-tournament team, but that the award reflects how the team played. 

“My teammates put me in really good positions, and I just wanted to do my job for them,” she said. “So, it’s really a team award in my mind.”

Panasuk said the entire journey for the team is bigger than just the national championship.

“The best part is that it never feels like just volleyball,” she said. “It feels like we’re a part of something bigger, like a true UWO volleyball family.”