When you think about Wisconsin, the first thing that comes to mind is cheese ‘ cheese and the late Chris Farley.

But if you watched the Binghamton University women’s volleyball team at any point this season, you would have another association with ‘the Badger State’ ‘ Dawn Lammert.

A 6-foot-1-inch sophomore middle-hitter, Lammert does a phenomenal job on the court, placing a force field at the net along with her teammate and close friend, senior Jacki Kane. Lammert is the second-best blocker in the America East Conference, averaging 1.26 blocks per game.

She first got involved with volleyball in sixth grade, playing intramural sports. She went on to play at Arrowhead High School in Sussex, Wis., where her team clinched the volleyball sectionals in 2004.

Volleyball isn’t Lammert’s only skill, however. At Binghamton she also does the high jump for the women’s track and field team.

Lammert felt her season ‘went pretty well’ this fall. During her freshman year she played outside hitter, a position that she never played before, and she felt her performance may have suffered because of it.

‘Its a lot more comfortable being in the position you were recruited to play,’ Lammert said.

BU head coach Glenn Kiriyama is very impressed with Lammert’s performance this season.

‘Dawn was the one that improved the most,’ he said. ‘She has come a long way [and has] had a very good year on the court. She was in every match and she contributed a lot, especially with her blocking.’

Lammert does not have any real motivations when playing other than to win. She believes that a player should not have any excuse to not give all she has got in the game. All heart must be on the court.

‘I like to do my best,’ she said. ‘I don’t like to come off thinking I should have put more effort into [the play].’

Lammert has always looked up to her older teammates ‘ especially Kane, who sort of became her mentor, close friend and just ‘someone to look up to.’ She said that she will definitely miss all the seniors she got to know so well over the past two years.

‘They have always been great motivators for me,’ she explained. ‘It will be kind of empty without them.’

Whenever Lammert has free time (which she seldom does), she likes to watch the ice hockey team play and just hang out with friends, like Kane. She roots for the Milwaukee Admirals hockey team and the Green Bay Packers.

Lammert is also in the Binghamton Scholars program; she graduated valedictorian of her high school, maintaining a 4.0 average through all her four years.

Her goal next year for the volleyball team is simple: to win conferences. She also wants to get higher in blocking on a national level and improve on her hitting percentage.

People can expect a lot from Dawn Lammert in the years to come. She has a great deal of athletic ability, and the strength to be a major player on the team and lead them to wins.