NORTHWESTERN VOLLEYBALL - 2007 UMAC CHAMPIONS!
Northwestern Volleyball Tops All-Conference Selections
St. Paul, Minn., Nov. 6, 2007 – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) announced its All-conference selections following the culmination of Saturday’s UMAC Post-Season Tournament at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minn.
Northwestern, the conference’s top team in the regular season with a 13-1 conference record and an impressive 41-5 game record in conference play, topped all teams with four first team honorees and two more honorable mention selections, totaling six all-conference winners. Due to the Eagles’ success on the court, Northwestern head coach Beth Wilmeth was voted 2007 UMAC Coach of the Year.
Starting Northwestern’s list was Kathryne Engel (Wayzata, Minn./West Lutheran), a junior outside hitter. Engel averaged 3.80 kills per game in UMAC matches, averaging a .250 hitting percentage and 3.78 digs per game.
Joining Engel was fellow outside hitter Steph Koth (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing). The sophomore led the Eagles squad with an even 4.0 kills per game in 14 conference matches, amassing 184 total kills while hitting .259. Koth also led Northwestern in the Digs department, tallying 219.
Moving to the middle of the court, Northwestern boasted middle hitters Laura Bicket (Zion, Ill./Zion Benton Township) and Sarah Whitmore (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake Christian), who were also selected as first team all-conference members. Bicket averaged 1.28 blocks per game, while Whitmore was right behind her at 1.20 per game. Switching to offense, both were similar stories, as Bicket had 2.52 kills per game, while Whitmore added 2.43 per game.
The Eagles’ two setters were also recognized for their work, as Leah Kostek (West Des Moines, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) and Hillary Slagter (Prinsburg, Minn./Central Minnesota Christian) were chosen for Honorable Mention All-Conference accolades. With Northwestern running a 6-2 offense most of the season, Kostek and Slagter’s numbers were very similar, as both averaged over 6.15 assists per game in UMAC contests. Slagter was also beneficial to the team when not setting, contributing 1.83 kills per game, 3.35 digs per game and 1.04 blocks per game.
To view a complete listing of the volleyball all-conference awards, click HERE.
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