ST. PAUL – The University of Northwestern volleyball team was well-represented on the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) postseason awards release. Sophomore Lindsey Peterson (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) and Head Coach Beth Wilmeth highlighted the accolades, as Peterson was named both the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, while Wilmeth was selected by her peers as the UMAC Coach of the Year.

Shanay Gonder (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) and Faith Vander Galien (Chanhassen, Minn./Southwest Christian) joined Peterson on the First Team of the release, while Jackie Foster (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City), Leesa Hulstrand (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie), Kaelyn Kilbo (Delano, Minn./Delano) and Lydia Palkert (Excelsior, Minn./Southwest Christian) were all named Honorable Mention All-UMAC. Senior Lizzy Jonas (Neenah, Wis./Valley Christian ) was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team, while Northwestern took home its fifth-straight UMAC Team Sportsmanship Award.

Click here to view the full UMAC release.

Peterson followed up her Freshman of the Year campaign with a monster sophomore year, as the outside hitter ranked second in the league in digs per set (4.92) and third in kills per set (4.04) in conference contests. She also surpassed 1,000 career digs in UNW's sweep of Minnesota Morris on Oct. 28.

Gonder was a dominant presence at the net, as the junior ranked first in UMAC games in total blocks with 25 stops, averaging better than a block per set. She also led the league with an eye-popping .451 hitting percentage in conference games, slamming 59 kills.

Joining Gonder at the net was Faith Vander Galien (Chanhassen, Minn./Southwest Christian), who was a force in the middle all fall. She posted a .356 hitting percentage in conference games, which ranked in the top five in the conference. She also racked up 23 blocks, tying for third-most in the UMAC.

Senior Lydia Palkert (Excelsior, Minn./Southwest Christian) had a strong showing during her senior season, as the outside hitter ranked third in the UMAC with a .388 hitting percentage in league games. She also floored 44 kills in conference games, averaging more than two kills per set.

Libero Jackie Foster (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) had an impressive fall, as the sophomore captained the defense, tallying 82 digs in conference games, averaging 3.42 digs per set. She led a back row who ranked second in the conference with an average of 16.33 digs per set in league games.   

Rounding out the honorable mention selection were setter's Kaelyn Kilbo (Delano, Minn./Delano) and Leesa Hulstrand (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie). The duo was in integral part in UNW's offensive success. The Eagles, who run a 6-2, led the UMAC with a 14.08 kills per set average thanks to Kilbo and Hulstrand. Splitting time at the position, the pair both ranked in the top-10 in the conference in assists and assists per set average in UMAC matches.

Wilmeth led the Eagles to their sixth-consecutive NCAA Tournament and fourth-straight UMAC Tournament title. Wilmeth's squad won 20 of its last 21 matches. It the fifth time in her career that Wilmeth has been honored as the league's Coach of the Year.

UNW takes on Wisconsin-Whitewater Thursday at 8 p.m. in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.