ST. PAUL, Minn. – Following Wednesday's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament Semifinal matches, the conference announced its 2025 Volleyball Awards. Headlining the honorees was the University of Northwestern's Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy), who was named UMAC Player of the Year. Aune, who led Northwestern to a perfect, 12-0 conference record this season, is joined by six teammates on the All-Conference list, the most of any team in the conference.
 
The full UMAC press release can be accessed here.
 
Aune's UMAC Player of the Year honor is well-deserved for the four-year star, as she was dominant on both sides of the net all season long. As of this posting, she is second in NCAA Division III in total blocks (135) and 10^th in blocks per set (1.30) this season, and leads the UMAC in both categories (48, 1.23) by wide margins as well. The senior, who was also named to the All-Conference First Team this year for the second-consecutive season, is also the Division III active leader in career total blocks by a wide margin with 529. But she is far from a one trick pony, as her .327 hitting percentage in conference matches ranks second in the league, trailing only her running mate at middle blocker, Miranda Wyatt (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan Christian). Aune, who earned UMAC Defensive Player of the Week status three times in 2025, also ranks second in points per set in conference play, fifth in both kills (110) and kills per set (2.82), and 10^th in aces per set (0.36).
 
Aune was one of five Eagles to make the All-Conference First Team, including outside hitter Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian). The sophomore, who leads the team in kills this season with 277, turned it on toward the back half of the season, finishing seventh in conference hitting percentage (.279), 11^th in kills per set (2.37), and 12^th in points per set (2.71). This is the first all-conference honor of the October 7^th UMAC Offensive Player of the Week's career. UNW's other outside hitter, Anja Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne), also makes her debut as a First Team All-Conference selection. The sophomore has had a breakout campaign in 2025 after missing last season due to injury, finishing fourth in UMAC play in kills (122) and kills per set (3.30), and fifth in hitting percentage (.291) and points per set (3.50). On the season, the October 21^st UMAC Offensive Player of the Week is tied with Aune for second on the team in kills with 275.
 
Outside of Aune, perhaps the most predictable Eagle on the First Team All-Conference list was Addeson Jenniges (Walnut Grove, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove), who closed out the season winning six-straight UMAC Setter of the Week awards, giving her eight for the season. The sophomore sensation, who is a newcomer to the all-conference awards, ranks seventh in Division III in assists per set (10.49) and 10^th in total assists (1,070), and finished as the leader in conference play in both statistics as well (11.00, 407). The final Eagle on the All-Conference First Team is another sophomore, Miranda Wyatt (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan Christian), who is now a two-time recipient. Last season's UMAC Rookie of the Year was the most efficient offensive player in the conference this season, hitting at a .418 clip. Her 2.50 kills per set in league play ranked seventh, her 95 kills eighth, and her 2.96 points per set ninth. She was also a force on the defensive side of the net, finishing fifth in the conference in both total blocks (28) and blocks per set (0.74).
 
With five players on the First Team, only one Northwestern student-athlete received All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition. Anna Olsen (Randolph, Minn./Randolph), making her all-conference debut, was sixth in the conference in hitting percentage (.280), and put up 62 kills and 1.82 kills per set in league matches as well. Ella Bourne (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY), who is one of three seniors on the roster, was named UNW's representative on the All-Sportsmanship Team.
 
Northwestern will play in its 18^th-consecutive UMAC Tournament Championship game Saturday night at home against UW-Superior, looking to win its seventh-in-a-row. First serve in the Ericksen Center is scheduled for 7:00 PM.