Viterbo Athletics Announces Wall of Fame Class of 2024
LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Viterbo University Athletics Department has officially announced the 2024 Viterbo Athletics Wall of Fame class, featuring four former student-athletes whose athletic accomplishments will be enshrined in a ceremony on September 21, 2024. Prior to the ceremony Viterbo Volleyball will be hosting Indiana University-South Bend at 1 PM in the Varsity Athletics Center.
The inductees are Aubrey Aspen (Women's Volleyball - 2015-19, Women's Track and Field - 2015-17), Katie Bares (Women's Soccer - 2013-17), Brianna Brinkman (Women's Volleyball – 2011-15), and Samantha Reilly (Women's Track and Field - 2014-18).
Aubrey Aspen was one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the V-Hawks. With 423 career blocks, the fourth most all-time, Aspen also recorded a Viterbo-record 12 blocks in a match – twice. One more time, she had 11 blocks in a three-set match, another V-Hawk record. She played a total of 408 sets, and recorded 924 kills. A part of four consecutive NSAA Championship and Conference Tournament Championship teams, she also played in three NAIA Final Fours and made it to the Round of 16 once. Aspen was named Second-Team NAIA All-American as a Senior, and All-American Honorable Mention as a Junior. She was First-Team All-Region once, First-Team All-Conference twice, and Second-Team All-Conference once. One the track, Aspen was All-NSAA in both Indoor and Outdoor, and once an Outdoor Honorable Mention. She still holds some of the top marks in both Javelin and High Jump for Viterbo.
Katie Bares was a two-time NAIA All-American Honorable Mention and one-time NSAA Offensive Player of the Year who also recorded the fourth most career assists by a V-Hawk with 23. She was the leader of the NSAA Regular Season and Conference Tournament Championship team in 2015, which was the V-Hawks most recent appearance in the NAIA National Tournament. She followed two All-Conference Honorable Mention nods with a pair of First-Team All-Conference accolades. Bares won a total of 49 matches across four years, one of the winningest tenures in V-Hawk history.
Brianna Brinkman is one of the most prolific setters to ever don a V-Hawk uniform, owning the single season assists record with 1,722, as well as the fifth highest mark with 1,285. She also has the third most career assists with 3,677. Her individual match marks are equally impressive, including posting matches with 61 assists (3rd in VU history), 58 assists (T-4), 49 in a three-set match (T-1), 57 in a four-setter 54 in a four-setter (T-3), and 53 in a four-setter (T-5) twice. Additionally, she has tied the single-match aces record with six, and once hit .800 in a match (T-5, min. 10 attempts). Brinkman's talents earned her NAIA All-American Honorable Mention and MCC Setter of the Year in 2014, and First-Team All-Conference in 2013.
Samantha Reilly scattered her name across the record books, not only at Viterbo, but at the conference level as well. The dominant thrower competed at the NAIA National Championship Meet four times for Indoor, and three times for Outdoor, being named an All-American in the Indoor Weight Throw as a Senior. She holds the NSAA Records in the Outdoor Hammer Throw (51.22m (168'0")), and the Indoor Weight Throw (17.23m (56'6.50")). Reilly's Indoor and Outdoor Shot Put marks (13.37m, 43' 10.5") still sit atop the VU Honor Roll, as well as her Outdoor Hammer Throw (52.49m, 172' 2") and Indoor Weight Throw (17.36m, 56' 11.5"). She collected a total of two indoor conference titles, three outdoor titles and 10 All-Conference nods.
The Wall of Fame Ceremony will take place in the FSPA Lobby of the Viterbo Performing Arts Center on September 21, social hour too begain at 3:30 PM, with ceremony starting at 4. The event is free and open to the public.