Teams from eight ACM colleges took the court September 7-9 at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, for the fifth ACM Volleyball Tournament. Players and coaches also gathered for ACM dinners on Friday and Saturday evening during the tournament and heard an inspiring talk from former Lawrence University volleyball player Stephanie Kliethermes, who is now research director for the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine.
Beloit vs Macalester
photos courtesy Paul Wilke, Lawrence University
To Christyn Abaray, Director of Athletics at Lawrence University, the opportunity for intercollegiate athletes to meet their opponents in a social setting while in the midst of competition is what makes all ACM tournaments special.
“There aren’t very many settings, athletically, where student-athletes are able to get together in fellowship and just get to know each other in a non-competitive environment,” Abaray said. “While on the court, yes, you’re foes, and yes, you’re competing against each other.” But having time to connect a deeper level than competition is invaluable, she said.
Lake Forest
Jackie Slaats, Director of Athletics at Lake Forest College and Chair of the ACM Athletic Directors, lauded ACM Chief of Staff Betsy Hutula and her work with the association’s athletic directors in organizing out-of-competition events. The ACM and the host institutions have done a wonderful job of finding different ways to do them, she said.
Such events also help the student-athletes understand that their colleges, as a group of liberal arts schools that share similar missions, are members of the ACM in addition to their respective athletic conferences.
Macalester
“It helps give exposure to the other opportunities the ACM offers,” Slaats said.
The ACM congratulates Luther and St. Olaf, which posted 4-0 records in the tournament. Congratulations also go to the All Tournament Team, the players deemed to have performed the best during the three days of play:
Beloit – Eva Laun-Smith, sophomore, Beloit, WI
Carleton – Celeste Chen, junior, Yorba Linda, CA
Lake Forest – Isabel Donnelly, sophomore, Spring Lake, MI
Lawrence – Sophia Galassini, first year, Park Ridge, IL
Luther – Emma Veum, senior, Eagan, MN; and Karissa Kime, junior, Stewartville, MN
Macalester – Abrielle Dillon, sophomore, Brown Deer, WI
Ripon – Olivia Heck, senior, Waukesha, WI
St. Olaf – Lexi Wall, sophomore, Chanhassen, MN; and Lauren Rewers, junior, Sierra Madre, CA
View the results and team standings on the Lawrence website.
