ST. PAUL – The No. 22 University of Northwestern volleyball team will be making its seventh-straight NCAA Tournament appearance after the Eagles swept Minnesota Morris Saturday night to capture the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament title. The Eagles improve to 30-4 on the season and will wait until Monday to find out their NCAA Tournament fate. The 30 victories are tied for the most in program history.

After controlling the first two sets, Northwestern had to rally to earn the sweep in set three, as the Eagles won by scores of 25-18, 25-22 and 25-21.

Shanay Gonder (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) had a monster night for the Eagles and was recognized for her efforts, as the senior was named the UMAC Tournament's Most Valuable Player. Gonder finished the championship contest with a match-high 17 kills on 30 attempts. She hit an impressive .467 on the night while also posting five blocks in the middle. Fellow senior Toria Gillson (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Christian) also tallied five blocks, while Jackie Doering (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) and Abby Vander Galien (Chanhassen, Minn./Southwest Christian) added 16 and 14 digs, respectively, to aid the defensive effort.

Lindsey Peterson (Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork) once again turned in a strong effort, notching a double-double with her 19 digs and 13 kills. Leesa Hulstrand (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) recorded 20 assists to help Northwestern floor 45 kills.  

The NCAA selection show will be held on Monday at 11:30 a.m. Fans can find updates at www.unweagles.com or by following @unwvb on Twitter.