MADISON, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – The 2018 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) volleyball team was announced Thursday with Head Coach Kim Wudi earning Coach of the Year Honors, and senior Madelyn Pashibin (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) claiming the Offensive Player of the Year Award.
In her 12th season, Wudi has led the Blugolds to a current record of 27-3 with the Blugolds ranked 15th in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll. The Blugold alum has previously won WIAC Coach of the Year honors in 2010 and 2008. Under her leadership, UW-Eau Claire has tied for WIAC titles in 2008, 2010 and 2011.
The Blugolds currently lead the WIAC in hitting percentage (.246), kills per set (13.45), assists per set (12.62), second in opponent hitting percentage (.129) and are third in blocks per set (1.99).
Pashibin is the fourth individual in program history to receive a player of the year award from the league, joining Abby Freiborg (2008), Liz Amici (2011) and Anne Satterlee (2012). Pashibin received First Team All-WIAC honors for the second straight year and currently leads the conference with a .337 hitting percentage, while ranking second with 405 kills and 432 points. She has recorded double-digit kills in 25 of 30 matches, including a season-best 23 against University of St. Thomas (Minn.) on Oct. 27. Additionally, Pashibin tallied her 1,000th career kill on Oct. 6 and her 1,000th as a Blugold on Oct. 26th.
Madison Surprise (Sr. – Appleton, WI/Kimberly) also received First Team All-WIAC honors for the second year in a row and leads the conference in assists (10.98 per set) and ranks seventh in service aces (.32 per set).
Newcomer Arianna Barrett (Fr. – Lakeville, MN/North) earned a spot on the First Team All-WIAC and is ranked fourth in the conference with a .273 hitting percentage and is 11th in kills per set (2.4).
Krista Meyer (So. – Germantown, WI) joined Pashibin, Surprise and Barrett on the First Team All-WIAC squad, as the sophomore currently leads the conference in blocks, averaging 1.17 per set and is seventh in the WIAC for hitting percentage (.257).
Another Blugold underclassmen earned WIAC honors as Makenzie Bachmann (So. – Chaska, MN) was named to the Honorable Mention All-WIAC team and is 10th in the conference for kills per set (2.5).
In addition, defensive specialist Amber Karn (Sr. – Middleton, WI) was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.
The Blugolds look to punch their ticket to the WIAC Tournament Championship game Thursday night as they host UW-Stevens Point in a semifinal match-up. Follow the action on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app on your mobile device.