Senior outside hitter Abby Freiborg garnered a number of accolades during her tenure as a UW-Eau Claire volleyball player, but she said her accomplishments aren’t just hers alone.

“My personal accomplishments come with team support,” she said.

The communications disorders major, who is graduating in May, ended her career with an astonishing 1,054 kills, earning the titles of team

Co-Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year, according to a Dec. 15 university press release. Freiborg also was selected for the All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team, the American Volleyball Coaches Association Second Team All-American and the College Sports Information Directors of American/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 5 College Division Third Team. And to top it off, she was named the WIAC Player of the Year and named Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete.

Freiborg said she never set out to win these individual awards, but the standards the girls held themselves to involved such a high level of play that it challenged Freiborg to play the best game she possibly could.

“We as a team had such high goals . that I played to the best of my ability,” she said.

Head coach Kim Wudi said adversity early in the season unified the volleyball team. This unity led the ladies to group, as well as individual, success.

“I really give a lot of credit to the seniors,” she said. “They stepped up and said ‘We don’t want to go out like this . we want to fight.'”

But it wasn’t just on the court where Freiborg said her teammates supported her. Freiborg said if not for friends getting up and working out at 5 a.m. all summer long, she would not have gotten to the level she did.

Wudi said Freiborg stood out as a team leader because she led by example both directly on the court and indirectly in her training.

“She is probably one of the hardest working athletes I’ve ever coached,” she said.

After graduation, Freiborg plans to attend graduate school, most likely at Eau Claire, she said.

Freiborg started playing the game in fifth grade and is still adjusting to not playing volleyball anymore.

“Not having volleyball in my life is definitely a huge change,” she said.

She hopes to continue playing in a competitive league. But graduation isn’t the end of Blugold women’s volleyball for Freiborg. She still is going to be an avid supporter of the team, she said.

“A lot of those girls are my best friends,” she said.

Wudi said Freiborg and the other seniors left a lasting impression on the remaining players.

“The returners learned that you don’t have to be the tallest . you don’t have to be the most talented, but if you work hard you can accomplish what you normally wouldn’t have if you let the chips fall,” she said.

Freiborg said she wanted to emphasize the love, support and unity of the volleyball team and coaches were the biggest factors in her success.

“The cohesiveness had a direct impact on individual success.”