Sydney Racky, a native of Walworth, and member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater volleyball team, was one of four Warhawks selected as 2016 All-Americans by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
Junior right side hitter Racky (Big Foot High School grad) and junior middle hitter Courtney Wagner (DeKalb, Ill.) were named to the third team. Senior setter Staci Hasler (Sheboygan Falls) and sophomore libero Brittany Robinson (Menomonee Falls) were tabbed honorable mention.
All four garnered first team All-Midwest Region accolades from the AVCA.
The Warhawks won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship and conference tournament title, and reached the third round of the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time since 2007.
UW-Whitewater finished the season with a 29-7 record, including a 5-2 mark in WIAC play, and hosted an NCAA Regional for the second straight season.
Racky, an honorable mention All-WIAC honoree, currently ranks second in the conference with a .296 hitting percentage and is 14th in kills. She also finished among team leaders with 62 blocks (0.47 per set) and totaled 58 digs.
Racky was named WIAC Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 24-30 after helping the Warhawks to a 4-0 week, including two wins over NCAA Tournament qualifiers. She tallied a .706 hitting percentage, tied for the 10th-highest in program history in one match, against then-No. 10 UW-La Crosse on Oct. 26.
Wagner led the league with a .299 hitting percentage and was first in the conference with 145 blocks (1.09 per set), which currently ranks seventh in the nation. She also finished ninth in the WIAC with 354 kills (2.66 per set) and seventh in points (450.5 / 3.39 per set).
Wagner was tabbed WIAC Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 24-30 after averaging 1.62 blocks per set in four matches. She was named first team all-conference for the first time in her career.
Now a two-time honorable mention All-American, Hasler ranked third in the conference with 1,206 assists (9.73 per set) and finished her career with 2,567 assists, good for 11th in program history. The first team All-WIAC selection also collected 153 kills (1.23 per set), 16 service aces, 256 digs (2.06 per set) and 75 blocks (0.60 per set) for the season.
Robinson, who was named honorable mention all-conference and earned a spot on the WIAC All-Defensive Team, finished second in the league in digs (650 / 4.89 per set) and third in service aces (54 / 0.41 per set). She currently ranks 23rd in the nation in total digs.
Robinson was tabbed WIAC Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 19-25 after earning All-Tournament Team honors at the UW-Whitewater Invitational and helping the team post a 4-0 record, including two wins over nationally ranked opponents.
For more than 140 years, UW-Whitewater has provided students with the education and training to begin their careers with a solid foundation behind them. The UW-Whitewater is committed to the development of the individual, the growth of personal and professional integrity and respect for diversity and global perspectives. These are met by providing academic and co-curricular programs that emphasize the pursuit of knowledge and understanding and a commitment to service within a safe and secure environment.
