Contact: Brock Reisler, Assistant Executive Director, breisler@midwestconference.org
HILBERT, Wisconsin – The Midwest Conference (MWC) announced its Performers of the Week award recipients for games played September 14-20, 2026, on Tuesday.
MWC sports information directors nominate student-athletes for the Performer of the Week honor by sport and vote as a committee to select the winners.
For the fall season, Performers of the Week will be recognized every week on Monday (football, soccer) and Tuesday (cross country, women’s tennis, volleyball) once their seasons have been triggered (three MWC institutions competing) and will conclude the week prior to the sport-specific Conference tournament/championship.
The Performer of the Week award winners are as follows:
Women’s Tennis Performer of the Week
Margot Groundwater, Grinnell College
Groundwater posted four key victories over the weekend as the Pioneers improved to 6-0 on the season. She swept matches at the top singles and doubles spots in a 7-0 decision over Ripon College, winning 6-1, 6-2 in singles and 6-0 with Sofia Bolanos ’28 in doubles. In a 6-1 victory over Luther College, Groundwater outlasted her foe at No. 6 singles by a score of 7-5, 4-6, 10-2. She finished off her weekend by teaming with Sanne Ijpma ’30 for a 6-3 decision at No. 3 doubles in the Pioneers’ 6-1 victory over Cornell College. Grinnell has now stretched its winning streak against MWC foes to 60, dating back to the 2018-19 season.
Women’s Volleyball Offensive Performer of the Week
Kaylee Celus, Monmouth College
Kaylee Celus was the MVP of the Millikin Invite over the weekend. She totaled 62 kills in three matches while hitting .304 and adding four aces, six blocks and 45 digs. In Monmouth's 3-1 loss to host Millikin on Friday, Celus had 22 kills, 15 digs and three blocks for her second highest ever kill tally in a four-set match. In the nightcap on Friday, she had 24 kills in a 3-2 win over Ohio Northern for the second highest five-set tally of her career while adding 16 digs and two aces. On Saturday she had 16 kills in a three-set match against Franklin with two aces, two blocks and seven digs. Overall in four matches last week Celus had 68 kills, 52 digs, seven blocks and four aces while hitting .285. She ranks second in the MWC in kills, third in kills per set and eighth in digs.
Women’s Volleyball Defensive Performer of the Week
Mady Salisbury, Illinois College
Salisbury recorded 73 digs with six service aces in IC’s four matches over the week. Salisbury started the week with 11 digs and an ace in the win at Webster and then posted 21 digs and two aces in the win vs. Blackburn. On Saturday, Salisbury had 28 digs with an ace against Muskingum and closed out the week with a 13-dig, two-ace effort in the win over Capital.
Men’s Cross Country Performer of the Week
Jake Bach, Cornell College
Bach made a triumphant 2026 debut as the individual champion at Wheaton's Gil Dodds Invitational. The senior captured the title in a large field of 248 runners that featured two nationally ranked teams in No. 6 Chicago and No. 15 North Central. Bach covered the 8K course in 24:42, one second ahead of the runner-up from Chicago.
Women’s Cross Country Performer of the Week
Joley Berger, Ripon College
Berger was the top Division III finisher at this year's UWO Titan Fall Classic, recording a 21:42.9 time in the 6K for a second-place overall finish. Berger came second only to a Division II participant and helped Ripon to a third-place overall result.