Women's Volleyball

UW-Eau Claire’s Leeke Named Women’s Volleyball Judy Kruckman Scholar Athlete

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Bailey Leeke has been named the recipient of the 2025 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Volleyball Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
A senior from Lakeville, Minn. (Lakeville North), Leeke sustains a 3.78 grade point average and is majoring in marketing with a professional sales emphasis. She secured a spot on the 2024 NCAA Division III Academic All-District® Women’s Volleyball First Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators. Leeke is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and received Academic Distinction from UW-Eau Claire every semester. She studied abroad at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia in January, 2025, and earlier this fall was a nominee for UW-Eau Claire’s College of Business Outstanding Graduate.
 
Leeke was a member of the 2024 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NCAA Division III All-America Third Team, as well as the AVCA All-Region First Team. This year, she received All-WIAC first team recognition for the second straight season. Leeke has helped UW-Eau Claire earn NCAA postseason bids in 2022 and 2024.
 
Leeke has been a member of the American Marketing Association, and UW-Eau Claire’s Ski and Board Club and Sales Ambassadors. She is currently a team captain for the UW-Eau Claire Sales Team and has served as social media chair for the Sales Ambassadors. Leeke has volunteered for Eau Claire Marathon, Blugold Athlete Day at Chippewa Valley Boys & Girls Club, and as a summer camp coach for Blugold volleyball camps and Lakeville North High School. She has been the head coach for Slam Volleyball for the last three years.
 
Also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award were: UW-La Crosse’s Paige Geiser (Sr., West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield); UW-Oshkosh’s Izzy Coon (Sr., Fond du Lac, Wis./St. Mary’s Springs Academy); UW-Platteville’s Kierney McDonald (Sr., Taylor Ridge, Ill./Rockridge); UW-River Falls’ Tiara Diamond (Sr., Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview); UW-Stevens Point’s Olivia Paukner (Sr., Prairie du Sac, Wis./Sauk Prairie); UW-Stout’s Brooke McCune (Sr., Osseo, Wis./Osseo-Fairchild); and UW-Whitewater’s Emma Bludgen (Sr., Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley).
 
The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman, who served as Assistant Commissioner for the WIAC from 1996-98. Prior to this appointment, she was Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) from October 1984 - September 1996. Kruckman was the women's athletics director at UW-Eau Claire from 1974-84, and one of the original representatives to the WWIAC when it formed in 1971.
 
In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average. In addition, she must be in her last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years. The award is based on academic achievements, athletics accomplishments and involvement in other campus activities, organizations and community service projects.
 
# # # # #