Payton Ahrenstorff named UNI's fall recipient of State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award

ST. LOUIS --- UNI volleyball defensive specialist Payton Ahrenstorff has been selected as one of 12 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) recipients of the State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award for the 2022 fall sports season, as announced by the league on Wednesday afternoon.

In order to be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be in good academic standing, must demonstrate good citizenship through good sportsmanship and significant community service, and must participate in a sport during the season of recognition. The MVC recognizes 12 student-athletes three times annually (fall, winter, spring), for a total of 36 honorees. Institutions select their State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award honorees.

Ahrenstorff, a senior from Spirit Lake, Iowa, is currently studying social work at UNI, maintaining a 3.93 grade-point average (4.0 scale). A 2022 MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention, she has been selected to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll and has been named to the Dean's List every semester she has been enrolled at UNI.

Payton currently serves on UNI's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as an executive board member, as well as the Women's Athlete Leadership Committee and UNI's Athletic Hall of Fame selection committee. An active member of the community, Ahrenstorff has represented Panther volleyball during UNI's Dance Marathon, a volunteer with Prairie Lakes Church's Kidventure program, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Special Olympics, the Pack the Dome Backpack program, the Cedar Valley Nonprofit Luncheon and Walk To School Day with the Cedar Falls Community School District.

Ahrenstorff has played in all 33 of UNI's matches this fall, helping the Panthers secure the MVC's regular season and tournament championships and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The fourth-year defender has recorded 218 total digs, 59 assists and a career-high 33 service aces for UNI this season.

Fall sport honorees of the State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award include…

JP Armbruster, Men's Soccer - Belmont
Roy Alvarez, Men's Cross Country – Bradley
Tessa Laska, Women's Cross Country – Drake
Emilee Schuemann, Volleyball – Evansville
Dani Grgas, Women's Soccer – Illinois State
Aylssa Buchhiet, Women's Soccer – Missouri State
Bailey DeMier, Volleyball – Murray State
Payton Ahrenstorff, Volleyball – UNI
Bailey Neuberger, Volleyball – Southern Illinois
Luke Malone, Men's Cross Country – UIC
Natalie Graf, Women's Soccer - Valparaiso

Ahrenstorff is the daughter of Stacey and Scott Ahrenstorff of Spirit Lake, and sister of Dawson and Carlie Jo.

UNI returns to action on Friday afternoon in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against Florida State. First serve is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT in Minneapolis.

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