University of Wisconsin, Whitewater Women's Softball

Volk's Conference Championships at UW-W 1999 WIAC Champions 1999 WIAC Tournament Champions 2003 WIAC Tournament Champions 2008 WIAC Champions 2009 WIAC Champions 2013 WIAC Tournament Champions 2014 WIAC Champions 2014 WIAC Tournament Champions 2015 WIAC Champions 2015 WIAC Tournament Champions 2016 WIAC Tournament Champions 2017 WIAC Champions 2017 WIAC Tournament Champions 2018 WIAC Champions 2018 WIAC Tournament Champions 2019 WIAC Champions 2021 WIAC Champions Postseason Appearances at UW-W in Volk Era 1999, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018. 2019 NCAA Division III Tournament participants 1999 Regional Runner-Up 2008 Regional Champions and NCAA Division III National Runner-Up 2014 Regional Champions, Super Regional Champions and NCAA Division III Third Place 2018 Regional Champions 2019 Regional Runner-Up Brenda Volk has been the head coach of the UW-Whitewater softball program since 1999 and is entering her 25th year at the helm in 2022-23. Volk earned her 700th career win in 2022, becoming the first coach in WIAC history and the 10th active coach in NCAA Division III to achieve the milestone. During the same year, she was honored by UW-Whitewater's Women's Issues Committee as a Woman in Leadership as part of the committee's Women's History Month program.   The 2021 WIAC championship marked the sixth time the Warhawks earned the title in a seven-year stretch. Overall, Volk has led the Warhawks to nine Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships, eight WIAC Tournament titles and 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. Volk has been named WIAC Coach of the Year six times during her career. Volk, along with her coaching staff, was also recognized as NFCA Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 1999, 2008 and 2014.    During Volk’s first season, the team won the WIAC championship and set the school record for most wins in a season with 41. Since then, Volk has compiled a 22-year overall record of 680-274-5, which is the most wins accumulated by any coach in WIAC history. Entering the 2021 season, Volk was ranked 20th among active Division III coaches (minimum five years as a head coach) in winning percentage (.710) and 15th in total victories (651). Those totals rank 27th and 29th all time, respectively.   The Warhawks posted the program's best ever national finish in 2008, placing second at the NCAA Championship, followed up by a third-place finish in 2014. Volk has coached numerous All-Americans, All-Region and All-Conference players, including eight WIAC Position Players of the Year and six WIAC Pitchers of the Year.         The Warhawks have been just as successful in the classroom as on the field, maintaining a team grade point average above a 3.0 in 21 of the past 24 seasons.  During the 2018 and 2019 seasons, every player on the roster finished with a GPA above a 3.0. In 2021, 22 of 24 student-athletes were selected as Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes (GPA of 3.5 and higher) and the team recorded an impressive 3.791 team GPA, the seventh highest in NCAA Division III. This was the highest finish since 2008, when the Warhawk team finished 10th in the nation. The 2003 team finished ninth.  During her time at UW-Whitewater, Volk has had 10 players named WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athletes, as well as seven players who have earned Academic All-American honors. Before assuming the head coaching duties, Volk served as the pitching coach at UW-Whitewater from 1992-1997. In 1998, she taught math and was the head varsity softball coach at Fort Myers (Fla.) High School, where she was tabbed Conference Coach of the Year. During her collegiate career at UW-Whitewater, Volk was a four-year letter winner and received All-Conference honors in 1990 & 1991 as well as All-Region honors in 1991. Volk was inducted into the UW-Whitewater Athletics Hall of Fame as a player in 2010.    In 1992, Volk received her bachelor's degree in secondary math education with a minor in coaching. In 2004, she earned a master's in sport science with an emphasis in coaching from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Ala.     Mailing Address: Intercollegiate Athletics Williams Center UW-Whitewater Whitewater, WI 53190   Brenda Volk's Softball Record at UW-Whitewater Year W-L WIAC Record WIAC Finish 1999 41-7 6-0 (East) 1st 2000 37-9 6-0 (East) 1st 2001 25-14-3 3-2-1 (East) T-2nd 2002 26-13 6-5 T-5th 2003 24-18-1 6-10 7th 2004 32-14 10-6 T-3rd 2005 19-24 4-12 T-8th 2006 25-15 8-8 4th 2007 24-15 8-8 5th 2008 39-11 14-2 1st 2009 38-7 16-0 1st 2010 31-15 10-6 3rd 2011 28-12 11-5 T-2nd 2012 32-11 12-4 2nd 2013 32-7 12-4 2nd 2014  39-13 12-2 1st 2015 36-9 13-3 T-1st 2016 29-14 8-5 4th 2017 37-9 14-0 1st 2018 29-13-1 12-2 1st 2019 28-14 11-3 1st 2021 29-10 10-4 T-1st 2022 20-19 7-7 4th Total 700-293-5 (.704) 219-98-1 (.690) --- *Note: The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Office: 107 Athletic Complex Phone: (262) 472-1155 Fax: (262) 472-2791 Email: [email protected] (Updated July 15, 2022)

Beth Bonuso enters her 22nd season as an assistant coach for the UW-Whitewater softball team in 2022-23.  She started as the Warhawk assistant coach in 2002 after serving two years as a student assistant coach.  Bonuso spends most of her time working with the Warhawk outfielders, where she was able to help develop three different NFCA All-American outfielders during the 2008 & 2009 seasons.  During her time at UW-W, Bonuso has been instrumental in the success of the softball program, as she brings something unique with her passion and knowledge in developing the mental game of the student-athletes.  In addition to being a part of the Regional Coaching staff of the Year in 2008 & 2014, Bonuso was named the NFCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2014. In 2021, Bonuso was honored as a Woman in Leadership by UW-Whitewater's Women's Issues Committee.   A native of Arlington Heights, Ill. (Buffalo Grove High School), Bonuso was a four-year letter winner at UW-Whitewater from 1996-1999.  The Warhawks earned an NCAA Tournament bid three of the four years during Bonuso's career and captured the conference title during her freshman and senior seasons.  During her senior year in 1999, Bonuso helped guide UW-Whitewater to a 41-7 record, which is the most wins by any Warhawk softball team.  Bonuso received her bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in criminal justice in 1999 from UW-Whitewater.  She went on to earn her master's degree in psychology, specializing in sport psychology, from Capella University in 2006.    In addition to her coaching duties, Bonuso serves as an academic instructor for various courses and is the Coordinator for the Leaders in Action Learning Community.  She also assists with business operations for the athletic department.   Mailing Address: Intercollegiate Athletics Williams Center UW-Whitewater Whitewater, WI 53190 Office: 133 Williams Center Phone: (262) 472-1476 Fax: (262) 472-2791 Email: [email protected] (Updated July 15, 2022)