ST. PAUL, Minn. - After clinching a spot in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship match last night, the University of Northwestern was rightfully well-represented in Thursday's UMAC Volleyball Awards. The Eagles, who finished the UMAC slate with a perfect, 12-0 record, had four players named First Team All-Conference and two earn Honorable Mention recognition, in addition to boasting the Offensive Player of the Year, Co-Coach of the Year and Team Sportsmanship Award.

Click here to see the full UMAC release.

After a breakout junior season, Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian) was voted Player of the Year, the 11th time in 13 seasons an Eagle has won the award. The Rapid City native, who was also a First Team All-Conference selection for the second-consecutive season, finished the conference season first in kills per set (4.00) and points per set (4.43), and fourth in hitting percentage (.304), and her season-long kills per set average of 4.29 ranks 11th in NCAA Division III. The outside hitter also averaged 1.71 digs per set in league matches and added eight service aces, playing in both the front and back rows. Egge won a staggering eight UMAC Offensive Player of the Week awards out of 10 weeks this season, and two NCCAA Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week honors. She achieved her season-high of 21 kills three times this season, and logged four double-doubles.

After yet another undefeated conference season, Beth Wilmeth was named UMAC Co-Coach of the Year, the 11th time in 23 seasons she has been awarded the honor by her peers. She shared the award with Crown's Celia Blattner, who led the Polars to their first-ever UMAC Tournament berth this season. Wilmeth's Eagles, who won their 20th regular season conference championship in the Wilmeth era this season, were ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll for two weeks, and spent every other week of the season receiving votes in the poll, often just outside of the top 25. UNW ranks second in Division III in hitting percentage (.282) this season and seventh in blocks per set (2.44), while leading the UMAC in points per set (18.05), hitting percentage (.304), opponent hitting percentage (.076), assists per set (12.08), opponent assists per set (7.79), kills per set (13.37), opponent kills per set (8.58), blocks per set (2.16), aces per set (2.53), and opponent digs per set (12.11) in conference play. Northwestern has one top-25 win to its credit this season, a sweep of now-No. 9 Juniata, as well as sweeps over Bethel and St. Olaf, who are currently receiving votes. The culture she has instilled, which is lauded nationally, also earned UNW the conference's Team Sportsmanship Award for this season.

Egge was joined by three teammates on the All-Conference First Team, including setter Addeson Jenniges (Walnut Grove, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove), who finished the conference slate second in assists per set with 6.55. A UMAC First-Teamer and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention from a year ago, Jenniges shared setting duties this season, but was still able to be an important piece to UNW's offense. Her season high of 32 assists came last month at Martin Luther, in a match where she also recorded the 2,000th assist of her career. A two-time UMAC Setter of the Week recipient in 2026, the junior was also seventh in UMAC play in aces per set (0.45), and is averaging 1.72 digs per set overall this season.

Anna Olsen (Randolph, Minn./Randolph), the lone senior representative for the Eagles in this year's awards, makes her debut on the All-Conference First Team after earning Honorable Mention recognition a year ago. Olsen ranked 11th in league play in both hitting percentage (.238) and blocks per set (0.53), and finished fourth on the team in kills per set (1.59), with a total of 138 kills on the season. She was also selected as the team's representative on the All-Sportsmanship Team. Miranda Wyatt (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan Christian) lands on the First Team for the third time in as many years on campus after another strong year in the middle that saw her win two UMAC Defensive Player of the Week awards, and one NCCAA Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week nod. The junior reached double-digit kills five times throughout the season, and at least eight blocks four times, including in Wednesday's UMAC Semifinal against Crown, in which she recorded her 300th-career block. In conference play, the Montana native finished second in hitting percentage (.355) and blocks per set (1.03), seventh in points per set (3.03) and eighth in kills per set (2.40).

A pair of young Eagles also earned Honorable Mention recognition for the first time. Alana Costello (Mead, Colo./Mead) assumed libero duties from day one of her freshman season and was rock-solid on Northwestern's back line, averaging 3.55 digs per set in UMAC play. The rookie also tallied 0.34 service aces per set, good for 15th in the conference, with her best defensive day coming at St. Catherine, where she logged 23 digs. UNW's other Honorable Mention selection was Norah Jaeb (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong), who burst onto the scene in year two of her collegiate career to lead the UMAC in hitting percentage (.393). The sophomore also was ninth in league play in kills per set (2.34), 11th in points per set (2.59), and is third on the team for the entire season in blocks per set (0.76), and second in total blocks (66).

The Eagles will host UW-Superior in the UMAC Championship at 6:00 PM on Saturday, November 14th. They will be vying for a 19th conference tournament championship in program history, as well as a 15th NCAA Division III National Tournament berth.

2026 UMAC Volleyball Awards
Player of the Year: Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian), Northwestern
Defensive Player of the Year: Savanna Hering, UW-Superior
Rookie of the Year: Lauren Burnett (Crown) and Sella Fleming (Minnesota Morris)
Coach of the Year: Celia Blattner (Crown) and Beth Wilmeth (Northwestern)
Team Sportsmanship: Northwestern

First-Team All-Conference:
Avery Carlson - Bethany Lutheran
Delaney Boone - Crown
Sella Fleming - Minnesota Morris
Ella Johnson - Minnesota Morris
Natalie Wahl - Minnesota Morris
Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian) - Northwestern
Addeson Jenniges (Walnut Grove, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove) - Northwestern
Anna Olsen (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) - Northwestern
Miranda Wyatt (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan Christian) - Northwestern
Savanna Hering - UW-Superior
Makenna Hohbein - UW-Superior
Sydney Smith - UW-Superior

All-Conference Honorable Mention:
Taylor Helgemoe - Bethany Lutheran
Lauren Burnett - Crown
Lily Duquaine - Crown
Anna Kieselhorst - Martin Luther
Tori Scheler - Minnesota Morris
Alana Costello (Mead, Colo./Mead) - Northwestern
Norah Jaeb (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) - Northwestern
Melissa Hoff - UW-Superior
Kyndra Peterson - UW-Superior

All-Sportsmanship:
Kennedy Halper - Bethany Lutheran
Molly Bixby - Martin Luther
Rachel Bopp - Minnesota Morris
Tatum Olson - North Central
Anna Olsen (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) - Northwestern
Kate Jamtgaard - UW-Superior