Paige Neuenfeldt

Classroom

Paige Neuenfeldt is a student in UNC’s prestigious Kenan-Flagler Business School and has earned a spot on both the ACC Honor Roll and the All-ACC Academic Team for volleyball in each of her first three years at North Carolina. In addition to being a top student, Neuenfeldt is also the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), which helps to promote communication between administration, coaches and students-athletes. She recently represented UNC at the ACC SAAC meeting. Additionally, Neuenfeldt was selected as a CoSIDA Academic All-District performer for the 2014 season.

Character

Neuenfeldt has been an outstanding example of what it means to be a student-athlete at the Division I level. She personifies the dedication to her academics and athletics, and she demonstrates a commitment to give back to the community. The entire athletic department is so proud of what she represents: what is good in college athletics both on and off the court. As an athlete, she is motivated and plays with energy that is contagious to her teammates and the fans who support our team. She has performed at the highest level and been an impact player since her freshman year. As a student, she strives to be exceptional in the classroom and her record has demonstrated that effort as one of the top students at UNC. In addition to all her work, she is always one of the first players to volunteer her time with our outreach and clinics, as well as taking time to visiting people in the community. She has a personality that people love being around. Neuenfeldt represents Carolina in a first class manner, and we are so proud of her nomination and feel she will be an outstanding representative for the Senior CLASS Award.

Community

Neuenfeldt is active in the Chapel Hill and surrounding communities both with the UNC volleyball team and as the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. She has spent time in local elementary schools and during the 2013-14 school year where she worked with the Tar Heel Navigators program that met monthly with local fifth-graders to provide leadership lessons and mentoring. During the 2014-15 school year, Neuenfeldt has been volunteering in a bilingual pre-k classroom every week, since January, 2015. In addition, she participates in UNC Reading Days, where student-athletes go to local elementary schools and read to children.

Competition

Neuenfeldt is the first volleyball player in UNC history to earn honorable-mention All-America recognition three times. She was named to the AVCA East Coast Division I All-Region Team for the second time in her career, following the 2014 season in which she led Carolina to a 29-3 record and the program’s first appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals. Neuenfeldt earned All-ACC First Team honors and ranked third in the ACC and 11th overall in Division I with 1.44 blocks/set. She ranked fifth in the ACC in hitting percentage at a .369 clip, notched seven or more kills in 18 matches and posted five or more blocks in 16 matches.

For the 2015 season, Neuenfeldt leads the Tar Heels with 148 kills. She currently holds the Carolina all-time record for career hitting percentage at .352 and career blocks per set (1.26). Neuenfeldt also ranks second all time in career block assists (424) and is on pace to break the record this season. She was named Preseason All-ACC and ACC Player of the Week on Oct. 5, 2015, after hitting .727 without an attack error on the week including a program-record .846 in a sweep of rival Duke. Currently she is hitting .461 and averaging 1.63 blocks per set during ACC play, which leads all players from other ACC teams.