RIPON, Wis. -- After another dominant run through league play, the Midwest Conference announced its 2026 Women's Basketball All-Conference honors Tuesday, with Ripon College once again placing multiple players among the league's best.
Junior guard Laney Havlovitz (Wild Rose, Wis., Wild Rose HS) was named the MWC Defensive Player of the Year while also earning First Team All-Conference honors. She is joined on the first team by senior guard Natalie Rauwolf (Madison, Wis., Madison Memorial HS), while junior forward Sophie Schlieve (Antigo, Wis., Antigo HS) and sophomore guard Halle Van Horn (Fredonia, Wis., Random Lake HS) were selected to the Second Team. In addition, Ripon's coaching staff, led by head coach Lauren Busalacchi, has been named the MWC Coaching Staff of the Year for the seventh consecutive season.
The seven straight coaching honors further cement Ripon's position as the league's gold standard. This season, the Red Hawks led the MWC in scoring offense (75.4 points per game), scoring margin (23.2), rebounding (43.2 per game), offensive rebounds (17.5 per game), rebound margin (15.8), turnover margin (6.2) and steals (14.8 per game), while ranking second in scoring defense (52.2 per game) and assists. The balance on both ends of the floor was reflected in four all-conference selections.
Havlovitz adds Defensive Player of the Year to an already decorated career. The junior leads the MWC in steals and ranks fourth in assists and third in assist-to-turnover ratio, showcasing her impact on both ends of the floor. She also sits sixth in the conference in scoring at 14 points per game while shooting a career-best 47.3 percent from the field. A three-year starter with 80 career starts, Havlovitz has anchored a defense that finished second in the league in points allowed while consistently disrupting opposing backcourts.
Rauwolf earns First Team honors following one of the most efficient offensive seasons in the conference. She ranks third in the MWC in three-pointers made per game and 12th in scoring at 11.2 points per contest. Shooting 46.1 percent from the field and ranking third in the MWC in three-pointers made per game, Rauwolf developed into one of the league's most dangerous perimeter threats.
Schlieve's breakout campaign lands her on the Second Team after a major leap into a starting role. The junior ranks third in the conference in rebounding at 7.4 boards per game and fourth in blocked shots, while also averaging 10 points per contest to rank among the league's top 15 scorers. Her physical presence inside played a major role in Ripon leading the conference in both total rebounds and rebound margin.
Van Horn secures her second straight all-conference recognition after another strong all-around season. Averaging 10 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, she ranks 14th in scoring and 12th in rebounding in the MWC while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. Her consistency on the glass and ability to finish inside helped fuel Ripon's conference-best rebounding numbers.
With four all-conference selections, a Defensive Player of the Year and a seventh straight Coaching Staff of the Year honor, Ripon's 2025-26 campaign once again reflects the sustained excellence that has defined the program's recent run.
Ripon, the tournament's No. 1 seed, will host the Midwest Conference Tournament on Friday and Saturday, Feb 27-28. The Red Hawks open play against No. 4 seed Cornell College at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. No. 2 seed Lawrence University will face No. 3 seed Knox College in the second semifinal at 7:00 p.m. The winners of the two contests will meet in the championship game on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
The full all-conference list is below.
MWC Player of the Year: Bria Medina, Knox - Junior
MWC Defensive Player of the Year: Laney Havlovitz, Ripon - Junior
MWC Newcomer of the Year: Ava Wu, Grinnell - Freshman
MWC Coaching Staff of the Year: Ripon College - Head Coach: Lauren Busalacchi
First Team All-Conference
Erin Knowles, Cornell - Sophomore
Jayln Patterson, Illinois College - Senior
Bria Medina, Knox - Junior
Kate Adams, Lawrence - Junior
Laney Havlovitz, Ripon - Junior
Natalie Rauwolf, Ripon - Senior
Second Team All-Conference
Kylee Callahan, Knox - Senior
Nayeli Nidez Acuna, Knox - Sophomore
Charlotte Brennan, Lawrence - Junior
Sophie Morey, Lawrence - Senior
Sophie Schlieve, Ripon - Junior
Halle Van Horn, Ripon - Sophomore
