Carlson, McDonald Named To All-WIAC Team

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Senior Emma Carlson and junior Kierney McDonald of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville volleyball team were named to the 2024 All-WIAC Team the league announced on Friday afternoon. Junior Bri Gartner earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team, while junior Jaelyn Stadler picked up All-Sportsmanship honors.

Carlson was named All-WIAC for the third consecutive season after finishing second in the conference with ­­4.46 kills per set. The senior surpassed the 400-kill plateau for the third straight year, and her 473 kills on the season are the fourth-most in a single season for the Pioneers. The Dixon, Illinois native continued to climb the UW-Platteville record books throughout the season, as her 1,633 career kills are now the second-most in program history, trailing only Dana Alf (1,821). Carlson was also an important piece of the Pioneers defense, finishing second on the team and ninth in the WIAC with 3.55 digs per set. She added 56 service aces, second-most in the conference, and posted double-digit kills in all but four matches, with her season-high 28 kills coming in a five-set win over Cornell on October 11.

McDonald earns WIAC postseason recognition for the third time in her career after collecting All-WIAC in 2022 and Honorable Mention in 2023. The junior finished second on the Pioneers in kills per set at 3.33 while posting a team-high .294 hitting percentage, which ranked fourth in the conference. McDonald was also the Pioneers top defensive player at the net, finishing with a team-high 98 total blocks, including 21 solo blocks, which was tied for second-most in the WIAC. The Taylor Ridge, Illinois native reached double-digit kills 23 times on the season, and she matches her career-high of 19 in the WIAC Semifinal against UW-Oshkosh.

Gartner collected All-Defensive Team honors after pacing the WIAC with 5.06 digs per set. The junior's 547 total digs are currently 42 more than the next closest player in the conference. Gartner reached double-digit digs in all but two matches on the season, and she posted her career-high of 38 twice on the season, both in wins against Texas Lutheran and Augustana (Ill.).

Stadler played in two early season matches for the Pioneers, both sweeps against Simpson and Concordia Moorhead. The junior finished with one dig across her three sets played.