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Six Eagles selected to UMAC All-Conference teams; Koth is Player of the Year

ST. PAUL (Nov. 11, 2008) – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) released its 2008 volleyball all-conference announcement on Monday. Northwestern College had six players earn all-conference status, including junior Steph Koth (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing) (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing), who was selected as the league's Player of the Year. Teammates Laura Bicket (Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township) (Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton) and Kathryne Engel (Wayzata, Minn./West Lutheran) (Wayzata, Minn./West Lutheran) were named to the all-conference first team, while Leah Kostek (West Des Moines, Iowa/Des Moines Christian ) (West Des Moines, Iowa/Des Moines Christian), Danielle Rhodes (Iowa City, Iowa/City) (Iowa City, Iowa/City) and Sarah Whitmore (Prior Lake, MN/Prior Lake Christian) (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake Christian) were awarded second team all-conference honors.

Koth, who plays all of the rotations on the court, was second on the team in kills per set with 3.1 while averaging 4.9 digs per set in 14 conference matches. The junior combined for a .954 reception percentage while averaging 0.4 blocks per set. Koth has been selected as an all-conference member in each of her three years in a NWC uniform, with the last two being first team accolades.

Bicket and Engel, the team's two seniors, closed their careers at Northwestern with a great season. Bicket averaged 2.04 kills per set while leading the team's blocking efforts, combining for 1.13 per set in UMAC matches. Engel led the conference in kills per set and individual attacking percentage with 4.51 and .347. Both Bicket and Engel will depart Northwestern with over 1,000 kills in their collegiate career. This is the third all-conference award for both players. Bicket is a two-time first team all-conference award winner, while Engel has earned first-team honors every season since 2006.

Kostek, a sophomore, shared the team's setting duties with Hillary Slagter (Prinsburg, Minn./Central Minnesota Christian) (Prinsburg, Minn./Central Minnesota Christian) in Head Coach Beth Wilmeth's 6-2 offense. Kostek totaled 300 assists and averaged 6.38 assists per set in 47 sets, setting up an offense that had a .268 attacking percentage as a team in UMAC matches. This is the second straight honorable mention all conference award for Kostek.

Rhodes took over the team's libero duties after splitting time in the back row during her freshman campaign. The sophomore was fifth in the league in digs per set with 4.07 while maintaining a .944 receiving percentage en route to her first all-conference honor.

Whitmore started alongside Bicket in the middle of the court, providing both a high-powered offensive attack while creating problems for opponents on defense with her blocking abilities. The junior averaged 1.78 kills per set and a .288 attacking percentage while tallying an average of 1.0 blocks per set. 2008 is the second year that Whitmore has earned all-conference accolades.
 
As a team, Northwestern won all of its conference contests in 2008, sweeping the entire 14-match schedule to win its second straight UMAC championship. In the past two years, the Eagles have lost only one conference affair, producing a league record of 27-1 since 2007.

To view the full listing of the UMAC Volleyball All-Conference awards, click here.
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