Danielle Hart

Personal: Hart comes from an athletic background, with her father, Jim, having competed in swimming and water polo at Virginia Military Institute. She is the oldest of two children in her family. She graduated from Wisconsin in May 2022 with a degree in life sciences communication and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in sports leadership. Outside of volleyball, Hart's interests include her yellow lab named Max and her passion for art. She credits Wisconsin head volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield as one of the people who have made a significant difference in her life. If not for her volleyball career, she envisions herself as a full-time wedding photographer and owns an ocean epoxy resin art business, shophartart.com. In her earlier years, she participated in art camps and swimming until middle school. Her volleyball journey began in the seventh grade. Hart enjoys traveling and going on road trips, and her jersey number, No. 3, was chosen with the help of her roommates.

2023 Season: Hart compiled 1,979 leaderboard points while making her professional debut. She appeared in 18 sets during her rookie season but unfortunately missed nine of the final 11 contests, including the final seven outings in a row. She maintained a batting average of .284 with 37 kills and was ranked seventh among the league’s middle blockers with 14 block assists. Hart also tallied 16 solo blocks and received MVP 1 recognition against Team Valentin-Anderson on October 8. Her season-high performance included eight kills with nine block assists, earning her a season-best 340 leaderboard points. Additionally, she notched eight kills against Team Hentz on October 20 and achieved six-kill performances against Team Edmond in the Week Two opener and against Team Edmond on October 22. Hart was one of six players selected in the Athletes Unlimited Volleyball College Draft.

International Experience: Hart played a pivotal role in Team USA's triumph, securing a Bronze medal at the 2023 Pan American Cup and a Gold medal at the NORCECA Championship. Her talent was showcased alongside notable players like Brooke Nuneviller, Morgan Hentz, Kendall White, and Sydney Hilley as part of the 2023 USA Volleyball squad. Additionally, she was a crucial member of the Gold-winning team at the 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six. In 2018, Hart was part of the USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team, which clinched victory at the Pula Cup in Croatia, where she averaged 1.48 kills and 0.74 blocks per set, contributing two service aces.

At Wisconsin: During her impressive six-year tenure at Wisconsin, Hart earned her stripes as a Middle Blocker, appearing in 112 matches and 349 sets. Her collegiate career saw her amass 596 career kills and an impressive total of 416.0 blocks while maintaining a remarkable .359 hitting percentage. She played a pivotal role in guiding the Badgers to four Big Ten Conference championships. Hart's prowess on the court earned her three All-Big Ten selections, including a coveted First-Team notice in 2022. Furthermore, she was recognized for her academic achievements with three Academic All-Big Ten honors. In her final season at Wisconsin, she secured Third-Team AVCA All-America distinction, followed by a First-Team All-America pick by VolleyballMag.com in 2022. As a redshirt sophomore, she earned Honorable Mention All-America recognition from VolleyballMag.com, boasting a .322 hitting percentage in 34 matches. Hart's contributions extended to the NCAA tournament, where she helped lead the Badgers to three semifinal appearances, including two berths in the championship match. Her crowning achievement came in 2021 when she was part of the NCAA Championship-winning team. As a sixth-year senior, Hart served as the captain of the Badgers and was ranked third nationally with an average of 1.51 blocks per set. She also led Wisconsin and ranked second in the Big Ten with a remarkable .418 hitting percentage. Despite a knee injury that sidelined her for most of the 2021 campaign, she made a strong comeback. During the 2021 spring season, she started all 17 matches and ranked seventh in the Big Ten with a .373 hitting percentage. Her redshirt freshman year saw her in action in 21 matches.