All hail the linemen: Area All-Americans dominating in the trenches
All hail the linemen …
Division III All-Americans
Last Tuesday, the American Football Coaches Association named its Division III All-America teams. On the first team were University of Wisconsin-Whitewater senior defensive lineman Matt Burba (Huntley High School) and North Central College offensive lineman Sam Pryor (Kaneland).
A 5-foot-11, 295-pound defensive tackle, Burba made 28 tackles, including 10.5 for loss with 4.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 2024 defensive player of the year and a repeat first-team all-WIAC pick, Burba keyed a defensive unit that led the WIAC in scoring defense, total defense and rush defense.
Pryor, a 6-foot, 270-pound offensive right guard, is a three-time first-team College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin pick and the CCIW 2024 offensive lineman of the year. A 2023 D3football.com second-team All-America pick, Pryor helped the Cardinals lead the nation in scoring offense, rank second in total offense and third in rushing offense entering Saturday’s third-round Division III playoff game against Hope College.
Digs, sets and aces
Speaking of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the Warhawks’ women’s volleyball team (31-4) finished the season as the NCAA Division III runner-up. On Saturday in Salem, Va., Juniata College (Pennsylvania) topped Whitewater in five games. Whitewater 6-foot-2 sophomore setter Aubrie Krzus (Wheaton Warrenville South) had 38 assists and 8 blocks in the match.
An American Volleyball Coaches Association first-team All-America selection this season and the WIAC newcomer of the year in 2023, Krzus finished 12th in Division III with 1,177 assists and was the division’s top blocking setter with 112. The Warhawks’ squad also featured junior setter Emma Bludgen (Metea Valley) and senior outside hitter Ally Warburton (St. Charles North).
Ava Falduto (IC Catholic Prep), a freshman defensive specialist for Penn State women’s volleyball, ranked behind only Pittsburgh in Division I, has played in all 117 sets leading into this Friday’s quarterfinals against Marquette. Penn State’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree, Falduto has recorded 30 aces and averages 2.3 digs per set with a season high of 24 digs in a four-set win over Northwestern on Nov. 8.
Rachel Kaczorowski (Jacobs), a sophomore setter with Lewis University, improved as the season went along and was an increasingly constant presence in Flyers box scores. She led Lewis with 42 service aces and was second on the team with 606 assists.
Southern Illinois University senior setter Anna Jaworski (Naperville North), who played in every match of her four seasons, finished No. 2 all-time in assists for the Salukis with 3,698. She also finished second in sets played and eighth in matches played.
Backbone of the defense
Last Friday, Calvin University junior defender Lucy Iverson (Naperville North) was named a Division III first-team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches.
A third-team pick by D3soccer.com in 2022, Iverson this season led the Knights’ defensive effort that allowed only 11 goals, finished 15-3-2 and won the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular-season and tournament titles. She also scored 4 goals with 2 assists and was named to the MIAA first team, her third all-conference honor.
On the dot
In a 1-1 hockey tie with Alaska Anchorage, Wisconsin graduate student Owen Lindmark (Naperville Central), a forward, won 22 of 27 faceoffs, a success rate of 81.5%.
Hello, readers
If you know of a local student-athlete doing good things in college, on or off the field, submit their name for consideration by email at doberhelman@dailyherald.com.