Fort Atkinson Native Lauren Pfeifer Earns All-WIAC Recognition

2014 Nov 11

Lauren Pfeifer, a Fort Atkinson native, has earned All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference recognition this season.

Senior libero Kelsey Nobilio was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year. First team honorees include Nobilio, Kim Frei, Kristen Ruchti, Ariel Feiertag and Lauren Pfeifer. Jessica Sabey was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team and Nobilio added All-Defensive Team honors.

Nobilio is the sixth Warhawk to earn WIAC Player of the Year honors and holds every dig record kept by UW-Whitewater. This season she broke the career mark for number of matches with double figure digs and career digs for the Warhawks. Earning first team honors and defensive team honors for the third consecutive season, Nobilio is second in the conference with 5.18 digs per set. She has played in every match this season at libero for the Warhawks. In her career, Nobilio has 125 matches with 10 or more digs including 29 this season, 50 matches with over 20, 11 with 30 or more and she is the lone player to wear a UW-Whitewater jersey to record 40 or more digs in a match, a feat she has accomplished twice. Nobilio has posted 580 in 2014 bringing her career total to 2,528, currently second in the WIAC record book.

Frei orchestrates the league's top ranked offense from the setter position. In 31 matches this season, the senior has set up the Warhawks hitters for 1,194 kills. She leads the league with 12.25 assists per set against WIAC foes this season and is ranked tenth in the conference statistics with 28 service aces. Frei has posted 12 matches this season with 40 or more assists and four with over 50. Her career total of 4,173 is second in the UW-Whitewater record book for career assists. Frei was named First Team All-WIAC in 2013 and received honorable mention honors in 2012.

In the middle, Ruchti provides an aggressive style of play and vocal leadership that motivates the team. The 6-2 senior leads the Warhawks and is second in the WIAC with a .320 attack percentage. In the league she in fifth in blocks with 0.96 per set (87 total) and ninth in kills with 2.75 per set. Ruchti is ranked among the top 10 against WIAC opponents in hitting percentage, kills, blocks and points. The three-time First Team All-WIAC honoree became one of an elite group of Warhawks to win a WIAC Championship with two different programs. As a member of the 2013-14 women's basketball program, she helped UW-Whitewater to a perfect 16-0 conference record for the WIAC title last season.

Feiertag, a senior right side, leads the conference hitting .370 against WIAC foes this season. Her .299 overall attack percentage is second on the team and third in the league. At 6-3, she hammers down 2.77 kills per set, seventh in the WIAC standings, and has totaled 59 blocks in 2014. Feiertag is the team's hottest hitter heading into the WIAC tournament with has hit .414 with 53 kills.

Pfeifer, the reigning 2013 AVCA Midwest Region Rookie of the Year, leads the Warhawks with 2.95 kills per set and 3.61 points per set, both fifth best in the WIAC statistics. The sophomore outside hitter has played in every match for UW-Whitewater this season and recorded 19 matches with double figure kills, 11 with 10 or more digs and eight double-doubles.

Fellow outside hitter, Sabey, the Warhawks' representative on the All-Sportsmanship Team, leads UW-Whitewater with 3.32 kills per set against WIAC opponents. The junior has compiled the second most kills on the team with 309 this season and is third on the team with an attack percentage of .255. Sabey has played opposite of Pfeifer in 31 of 32 matches this season creating a powerful outside tandem for the Warhawks.

UW-Whitewater, co-WIAC Regular Season Champions, finished second in the conference tournament and received an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 23rd consecutive season.

The Warhawks will head to Kenosha, Wis. for NCAA Regional action hosted by Carthage College. UW-Whitewater's opening match will feature Elmhurst College Thursday at 12:30 p.m.