ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference announced its weekly recipients of its UMAC Athlete of the Week awards, and the University of Northwestern had so many selections, we had to use a different thumbnail format just to fit them all. A staggering nine Eagles were recognized out of 14 possible awards, including sweeps in volleyball and women's soccer. UNW was the only UMAC school to have more than two student-athletes recognized this week.

Click here to see the full UMAC press release.

Natalie Van De Riet (Albertville, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) was recognized as the UMAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week for the third time this season after another impressive race at Saturday's Running of the Cows. In what doubled as a pre-nationals meet, hosted at the course the Division III National Championships will be run at, the senior placed 29th out of 388 competitors and was the top UMAC finisher with a 6k time of 23:29.2. Another repeat winner was Elijah Alexander (Minneapolis, Minn./Andover), who claimed his second UMAC Football Offensive Player of the Week honor for the second time this year. The senior signal caller engineered a game-winning drive late in Saturday's win at Martin Luther, running for three first downs and eventually the game-winning touchdown with 1:39 remaining. Alexander finished the day with 242 passing yards, 63 rushing yards and three rushing TDs. He is tied for the UMAC lead in rushing touchdowns (5) in 2026, and ranks third in passing yards (817). Alexander's teammate, Braeden Little (Ladysmith, Wis./Ladysmith), was recognized as the conference's Football Special Teams Player of the Week after his return ability set Northwestern up in great field position all afternoon in Saturday's win at Martin Luther. The 2025 All-Conference returner averaged 10.3 yards per punt return with a long of 22, and 30.7 yards per kick return. He also produced 84 scrimmage yards on seven touches, offensively. This is Little's first-career Athlete of the Week award of any kind.

Someone who is no stranger to Athlete of the Week honors is this week's UMAC Women's Golf Player of the Week, Morgan Philyaw (Jordan, Minn./Jordan). The senior won the Sword and Shield Invitational by five strokes and led the Eagles to a staggering 99-stroke team win over the weekend. Philyaw made a pair of birdies on Friday to turn in an 80 (+9), and followed it up with a 79 (+7) on Saturday to clinch her second win of the season and UNW's fourth as a team. She will look to lead UNW to a fourth-consecutive UMAC Championship this weekend in Becker, where she has been medalist twice in three years. After a dominant week on the pitch, it was only fitting that Northwestern swept this week's women's soccer awards. Marie Kendall (Dakar, Senegal/Dakar Academy) was named UMAC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time this season, and the third time in her career, after scoring five goals through the Eagles' two, 5-0 wins last week. She played 147 minutes and finished with 11 shots on target. Kendall's hat trick on Saturday included two incredible free kicks from nearly 30 and 40 yards out, respectively, and another goal from well outside the box. She is now leading the UMAC in goals, points, shots, and shots on goal. Kendall's teammate and roommate, Britta Holter (Hudson, Wis./Hudson), got the nod as UMAC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season after holding down UNW's defense all week and making an impact on the scoreboard. The sophomore scored the opening goal against Morris off a corner kick, her fourth score of the year. Defensively, over both games, Northwestern allowed four total shots, with only one reaching the keeper. Against Morris, Northwestern limited the Cougars to 33% possession with just 2% possession in the box. Against Crown, Holter and the defense held the Polars to 30% possession with 9% in the final quarter of the field.

The Eagles' other sweep came on the volleyball court--fitting given the team earned a pair of sweeps on Saturday over conference foes. Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian) earned her fourth UMAC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week recognition in five weeks this year after tallying 45 kills (4.5 per set), 18 digs and an ace, leading UNW to a 2-1 record. At No. 3 UW-Eau Claire on Wednesday night, the junior produced 18 kills to tie for the match high. Her 4.8 kills per set this season rank third in NCAA Division III, and her 5.19 points per set are fourth. On the other side of the net, Miranda Wyatt (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan Christian) was named UMAC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in 2026. Wyatt was a brick wall at the net all week, totaling 23 blocks (2.3 per set) in Northwestern's three matches. The junior gave No. 3 UW-Eau Claire problems all night with 9 blocks in a four-set loss, and equaled that total again in Saturday's sweep of Crown. She also had 5 blocks in a sweep of Minnesota Morris, and produced 26 kills (2.6 per set) on the week as well. She doubled up this week, as she was also named NCCAA DI Women's Volleyball Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week. Rounding out the Eagles' gaggle of awards was Addeson Jenniges (Walnut Grove, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove), who took home UMAC Volleyball Setter of the Week honors for the first time in 2026, and the ninth time in her career. Jenniges had her most prolific week yet this season, dishing out 61 assists (6.1 per set), including a season-high 27 in a sweep of Minnesota Morris. The junior also logged 3 aces and 27 digs, including a career-high 16 in the four-set loss at No. 3 UW-Eau Claire.

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Northwestern's 2026-27 UMAC Athlete of the Week Honors (24)

Football Offensive Player of the Week (2)
9/9: Elijah Alexander (Minneapolis, Minn./Andover)
10/6: Elijah Alexander (Minneapolis, Minn./Andover)

Football Special Teams Player of the Week (2)
9/9: Gideon Cruver (Fayetteville, Ga./Landmark Christian)
10/6: Braeden Little (Ladysmith, Wis./Ladysmith)

Women's Golf Player of the Week (4)
9/9: Morgan Philyaw (Jordan, Minn./Jordan)
9/15: Bri Brandt (Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy)
9/29: Morgan Philyaw (Jordan, Minn./Jordan)
10/6: Morgan Philyaw (Jordan, Minn./Jordan)

Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week (3)
9/9: Sam Hansen (Cottage Grove, Minn./New Life Academy)
9/15: Britta Holter (Hudson, Wis./Hudson)
10/6: Britta Holter (Hudson, Wis./Hudson)

Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week (4)
9/9: Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian)
9/15: Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian)
9/22: Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian)
10/6: Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian)

Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week (2)
9/9: Miranda Wyatt (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan Christian)
10/6: Miranda Wyatt (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan Christian)

Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week (3)
9/15: Natalie Van De Riet (Albertville, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville)
9/22: Natalie Van De Riet (Albertville, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville)
10/6: Natalie Van De Riet (Albertville, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville)

Football Defensive Player of the Week (1)
9/15: Jaquan Ellington (Richland, Ga./Chattahoochee County)

Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week (2)
9/29: Naomi Meehan (Waconia, Minn./Homeschool)
10/6: Marie Kendall (Dakar, Senegal/Dakar Academy)

Volleyball Setter of the Week (1)
10/6: Addeson Jenniges (Walnut Grove, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove)