ST. PAUL - It has been a successful fall, to say the least, so far for the Northwestern volleyball team, and its peers in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference seem to agree. In addition to four First Team All-Conference and one Second Team All-Conference selections, the Eagles also boast the UMAC Player of the Year and Coach of the Year in Lindsey Peterson (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) and Beth Wilmeth.

View the full release from the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference here.

Peterson, the reigning AVCA Division III National Player of the Year, adds this accolade to the mantle along with UMAC Player of the Year awards from 2015 and 2016, plus several other conference and national honors in both the NCAA and NCCAA. The senior has amassed 4.83 kills per set and 3.77 digs per set this season, while maintaining a .307 hitting percentage. Peterson also became the school record holder in both career kills and career digs this fall.

For Wilmeth, the award marked her fourth consecutive UMAC Coach of the Year honor. In that time, Northwestern has not lost a conference game, going an unprecedented 46-0. Wilmeth was also named AVCA Division III National Coach of the Year in 2016, as she led her team to its first NCAA Final Four appearance.

In addition to Peterson, fellow seniors Jackie Doering (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) and Leesa Malone (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie), as well as junior Mariah Halvorsen, were named to the All-UMAC First Team. The three seniors have all been a part of the 46-0 conference record the past four years under Wilmeth. Doering, known for her defense, is averaging 4.66 digs per set in her senior campaign, while Malone, the team's starting setter, has tallied 6.70 assists and 1.55 kills per set while hitting .340. Halvorsen took the UMAC by storm after transferring from Division II Wayne State and is averaging 2.85 kills per set.

The Eagles' lone representative on the All-UMAC Second Team was Kayla Tanner (Anoka, Minn./Anoka), who has taken advantage of increased playing time this season by averaging 1.85 kills and 0.87 blocks per set. Abby Neuberger (Chanhassen, Minn./Southwest Christian) was named the team's Sportsmanship Award winner, and UNW snagged team sporstmanship honors as well.

The Eagles will look to continue their successful season on Thursday night, when they take on Cornell College at 8 PM in the Ericksen Center in the first round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Northwestern will host all seven games in the eight-team pod that makes up the St. Paul regional from Thursday-Saturday. Stay tuned to unweagles.com for updates on Eagles volleyball and the St. Paul regional.