ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. – The University of Northwestern volleyball team won at least a share of its 17th Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season championship on Saturday with a rather easy 3-0 win over Crown College. A win over Martin Luther College or Bethany Lutheran College next weekend would give the Eagles their 11th outright league title.

17 Northwestern players saw court time as UNW defeated the Storm in 25-12, 25-11, 25-16 fashion. The Eagles hit at least .333 in each of the three sets, matching a set-high 18 kills from Friday night in the first round against Crown. Northwestern's 48 kills doubled Crown's 23-kill effort.

Lydia Palkert (Excelsior, Minn./Southwest Christian) led all players with 11 kills on the afternoon as the junior needed just 14 attacks to reach that mark, settling on a .786 attacking rate. Lizzy Jonas (Neenah, Wis./Valley Christian ) and Leesa Hulstrand (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) were responsible for 37 of the team's 44 assists, with Lindsey Peterson (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) and Lizzy Potratz (Oshkosh, Wis./Valley Christian ) each adding three assists in the win. Defensively, Northwestern held Crown to a .073 hitting percentage as both Peterson and Shanay Gonder (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) had four assisted blocks.

The win bumps UNW to 19-10 overall with the Eagles remaining undefeated in UMAC play at 12-0. Next Friday and Saturday's matches on the road will wrap up Northwestern's regular season schedule. Martin Luther will host the Eagles at 7 p.m. on Friday night in New Ulm, Minn. before Bethany Lutheran will welcome UNW to Mankato, Minn. on Saturday for a 1 p.m. first serve.