MILWAUKEE, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) has announced its major awards and all-conference teams for the 2023-2024 women's basketball season.

Wisconsin Lutheran College senior forward Sam Leisemann (Fall River, Wis.) has been named the NACC Women's Basketball Player of the Year, while Edgewood College's Vivian Guerrero (Lake Mills, Wis.) was named NACC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year and fellow Eagle Jayden Nortier (Clinton, Wis.) was named NACC Women's Basketball Freshman of the Year. The Wisconsin Lutheran coaching staff, led by Klay Knueppel, was recognized by its peers as this year's NACC Women's Basketball Coaching Staff of the Year.

All awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.

NACC Player of the Year --- Sam Leisemann, Wisconsin Lutheran College
Leisemann, a senior forward, has played in all 27 of Wisconsin Lutheran's games entering the NCAA tournament, averaging 16.15 points and 9.07 rebounds per game. She currently leads all NACC players in total points (436), field goals (170), free throws (93), free throw attempts (139), and field goal percentage (61.6), ranks second in blocks (31), scoring average, and double-doubles (13), third in rebounds (245), fourth in both offensive (3.3) and defensive (5.8) rebounds per game, and fifth in overall rebounding average. Leisemann also currently ranks third in NCAA Division III in field goal percentage.

Leisemann has scored in double digits in 24 of 27 games, including registering 20-plus points on 10 occasions. She posted season-highs of 26 points and 15 rebounds in a 58-50 win over Concordia Wisconsin on Feb. 3. Leisemann has also registered 51 assists, 31 blocks, and 27 steals this season.

Leisemann is the fifth Wisconsin Lutheran student-athlete to be named NACC Women's Basketball Player of the Year, representing a total of six awards, and the first since Jen Dowden won the second of her back-to-back NACC MVP honors in 2019. This year's NACC Player of the Year honor serves as a bookend for Leisemann, who was named NACC Women's Basketball North Division Freshman of the Year during the 2020-21 season.

NACC Defensive Player of the Year --- Vivian Guerrero, Edgewood College
Guerrero, a junior forward, played in 26 of Edgewood's 27 games this season, averaging 13.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.15 blocks per game. She led all NACC players in blocks (56), rebounds (267) and defensive rebounds per game (8.8), ranked second in free-throw percentage (86.2 percent), third in rebounding average (10.3 rpg), double-doubles (12), and fourth in assists and assists per game (3.3).

Nationally, Guerrero ranks sixth in defensive rebounds per game, 16th in free throw percenrage, 28th in blocks, and 32nd in blocks per game.

Guerrero scored in double figures on 22 occasions and registered double-digits in rebounds 13 times. In consecutive games in December, she scored 15 points and pulled down a season-high 18 rebounds in a 72-57 win at Rockford, then scored a season-high 25 points with 14 boards in a game at North Central (Ill.).

Guerrero blocked at least four shots in a game on seven occasions, including a league season-high five three times - Dec. 30 against Berea, Jan. 31 against Concordia Chicago, and Feb. 23 in a NACC Tournament semifinal game at St. Norbert. She also recorded one of two triple-doubles in the NACC this season, posting 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in just 27 minutes in a win at Dominican on Jan. 24.

Guerrero joins Bria Lemirande (2020-North Division) as the only Eagles to be named NACC Defensive Player of the Year.

NACC Freshman of the Year --- Jayden Nortier, Edgewood College
Nortier, a guard, played in all 27 games for Edgewood this season, averaging 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds. She ranked 10th among NACC players in scoring, 14th in field goal percentage (.446), and 21st in 3-point field goal percentage (.292).

Nortier registered double figures in scoring 18 times, including a season-high 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting in an 83-55 win over North Central (Minn.) on Nov. 18. She also pulled down 10 rebounds that day for her lone double-double of the season.

Nortier is the third Edgewood student-athlete to be named NACC Women's Basketball Freshman of the Year following Lexi Walter (2019) and Emma Klein (2020).

NACC Coaching Staff of the Year --- Wisconsin Lutheran College (Klay Knueppel, head coach)
Under the direction of 20th-year head coach Klay Knueppel, the Warriors went 23-4 overall and 15-1 in league play to capture the NACC title for the 10th time. This past weekend, WLC also punched its ticket the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship with a 12th NACC Tournament title.

The Warriors currently average 65.5 points per game - second amongst NACC schools - while leading the league in both scoring defense (47.9 ppg), scoring margin (+17.6), and turnover margin (+4.74). WLC also ranks second in the NACC in field goal percentage (.424), rebounding margin (+7.5), and 3-point percentage defense (.266), third in total scoring (1,768), and blocks per game (2.9). Nationally, the Warriors rank second in NCAA Division III in fewest turnovers per game (11.7), eighth in scoring defense, and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28).

Knueppel is assisted by Julie Langebartels, Brook Smith, and Mikayla Dogs.

This is the seventh time that Knueppel or a Knueppel-led staff has been recognized by the league's head coaches.

All-Conference Team Announced
Edgewood and Wisconsin Lutheran each had three players selected among the 15-member All-NACC Women's Basketball Teams, with all three Eagles - Guerrero, Nortier, and senior forward Kallie Norby - landing on the 10-player first team. Wisconsin Lutheran is represented on the first team by Leisemann and freshman forward Margie Stevens, while senior guard Meggie Scott was selected to the second team. St. Norbert was the only other program with multiple all-conference selections with sophomore forward Taylor Thiry and junior guard Emma Morrisey both being named to the first team. The remainder of the first team consists of Aurora senior forward Elle Wolff, Cocnordia Wisconsin junior forward Aubrey DeBauch, and Marian sophomore forward Kiara Williams.

Dominican sophomore guard Kameron Goodman, Illinois Tech junior guard Julia Bucci, Lakeland sophomore guard A.T. Bartlett, and MSOE sophomore guard Mahina Chokshi join WLC's Scott on the second team.

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2023-2024 All-NACC Women's Basketball Team
Player of the Year - Sam Leisemann, Wisconsin Lutheran College
Defensive Player of the Year - Vivian Guerrero, Edgewood College
Freshman of the Year - Jayden Nortier, Edgewood College
Coaching Staff of the Year - Wisconsin Lutheran College (Klay Knueppel, head coach)
First Team	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown
Gabrielle Wolff	Aurora	Sr.	F	Greenfield, Wis.
Aubrey DeBauch	Concordia Wisconsin	Jr.	F	Gillett, Wis.
Kallie Norby	Edgewood	Sr.	F	Hales Corners, Wis.
Jayden Nortier	Edgewood	Fr.	G	Clinton, Wis.
Vivian Guerrero	Edgewood	Jr.	F	Lake Mills, Wis.
Kiara Williams	Marian	So.	F	Warren, Mich.
Taylor Thiry	St. Norbert	So.	F	Casco, Wis.
Emma Morrisey	St. Norbert	Jr.	G	Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Margie Stevens	Wisconsin Lutheran	Fr.	F	Oneida, Wis.
Sam Leisemann	Wisconsin Lutheran	Sr.	F	Fall River, Wis.
Second Team	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown
Kameron Goodman	Dominican	So.	G	Arlington, Texas
Julia Bucci	Illinois Tech	Jr.	G	Greenville, S.C.
A.T. Bartlett	Lakeland	So.	G	Farmington Hills, Mich.
Mahima Chokshi	MSOE	So.	G	Park Ridge, Ill.
Meggie Scott	Wisconsin Lutheran	Sr.	G	Yorkville, Ill.
Honorable Mention	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown
Macy Kocen	Aurora	Jr.	G	Beach Park, Ill.
Jordan Carlquist	Benedictine	Sr.	G	Arlington Heights, Ill.
Autumn Rucker	Benedictine	Fr.	G	Indianapolis, Ind.
Alisyn MacGregor	Concordia Chicago	Jr.	F	Loves Park, Ill.
Erin Viergutz	Concordia Wisconsin	Sr.	F	Clintonville, Wis.
Kenzie Senffner	Edgewood	Jr.	G	Yorkville, Ill.
Chelsea King	Marian	So.	G	Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
Dani Mendez	MSOE	Fr.	F	Noblesville, Ind.
Halena Hill	MSOE	Fr.	G	Chandler, Ariz.
Audrina Terhune	Rockford	Sr.	G	Chicago, Ill.
Grace Vyborny	Rockford	Fr.	F	Rockford, Ill.