MILWAUKEE, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) has announced its major awards and all-conference teams for the 2023 women's volleyball season.
St. Norbert College seniors
Brooke Clement (Green Bay, Wis.) and
Erin Eggers (McFarland, Wis.) were named NACC Player of the Year and NACC Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, while Aurora University's
Hannah Joseph (LaPorte, Ind.) was recognized as the NACC Freshman of the Year. The Edgewood College coaching staff, led by head coach
Paul Schlomer, was selected as the NACC Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive year.
NACC Player of the Year --- Brooke Clement, sr., OH, St. Norbert College
Clement, a senior outside hitter, has seen her name pop up amongst the conference leaders in a number of statistical categories for her all-around play. She currently leads all NACC players in points (482.5) and points per set (4.68), while ranking third in kills per set (386), ninth in hitting percentage (.244), 10th in service aces per set (0.47), 19th in blocks per set (.55), and 22nd in digs per set (2.89). Clement also ranks in the top 25 in NCAA Division III in both points and points per set.
In 30 matches through the quarterfinal round of the NACC Tournament, Clement has recorded double-digit figures in kills 27 times. She has also surpassed 20 kills on three occasions, including twice on the same day (Sept. 9) when she put down 25 kills against Carroll and a further 23 against UW-Platteville. In St. Norbert's regular season finale against Concordia Wisconsin, Clement surpassed 1,000 career kills with a 22-kill, 14-dig performance. Including the CUW match, she has registered 10 or more digs in 13 matches.
Clement is the first St. Norbert student-athlete to be named NACC Player of the Year in women's volleyball.
NACC Defensive Player of the Year --- Erin Eggers, Sr., L, St. Norbert College
Eggers, a senior libero, entered the NACC Tournament leading all league players in digs (570) and digs per set (5.76) - figures that also ranked in the top 20 throughout NCAA Division III.
A four-time NACC Defensive Player of the Week, she has registered double-digit digs in 28 of 30 matches. Included in her record are three matches of 30 digs or more, led by a 38-dig performance against Bethel (Minn.) which currently ranks as the NACC season-high total.
Eggers has also contriubted 93 assists and 17 aces to the Green Knights' cause.
Eggers is the second St. Norbert student-athlete to be named NACC Women's Volleyball Defensive Player of the Year in the Green Knights' three seasons in the NACC.
Liz Maastricht received the honor in 2021.
NACC Freshman of the Year --- Hannah Joseph, S, Aurora University
Joseph has firmly established herself as one of the most prolific setters in NCAA Division III. Inserted into the rotation in Aurora's third match of the season, Joseph has piloted the Spartans to NACC bests in hitting percentage (.226) and kills per set (13.18) through Nov. 7. She also ranks amongst the leaders in NCAA Division III in assists (1,106) and finished the regular season leading the division in assists per set (currently, 11.29). Joseph has also chipped in defensively with 201 digs and 26 blocks (two solo), while posting 28 kills and 27 service aces.
She has posted at least 23 assists in each of the 27 matches she has played since being inserted into lineup, reaching the 40-assist plateau on 16 occasions. Joseph's season-best mark is 59 assists in a four-set win over Texas Lutheran on Sept. 9, a match in which she also had 10 digs, three kills, two aces, and two block assists. Joseph also recorded 50+ assists against Puget Sound (53), Wheaton (53), and Concordia Wisconsin (50). She owns six of the league's top eight assist performances this season.
Joseph is the fourth Aurora women's volleyball student-athlete overall - and the third in five years - to be named NACC Freshman of the Year.
NACC Coaching Staff of the Year --- Edgewood College (Paul Schlomer, head coach)
Under the direction of head coach Paul Schlomer, the Eagles posted a 12-1 mark in league play to capture a share of the program's fourth NACC title overall and its first since 2015.
Edgewood finds itself in the top one-quarter of the league in a number of statistical categories, leading all NACC programs in total attacks (3,943), total blocks (237.5), and blocks per set (2.07), while ranking third in hitting percentage (.179), total assists (1,198), total digs (1,759), total kills (1,288), and total aces (231), and fourth in opponents' hitting percentage (.149) and points per set (15.27)
Schlomer, in his 18th season as head coach of the Eagles, is assisted by
Tom Shay,
Kate Mikutowski, and
Kimby Shult Hughes.
This is the fifth time that Schlomer or a Schlomer-led staff has been recognized by the league's coaches (2012, 2013, 2015, 2022, 2023).
All-Conference Teams Announced
Co-champions Aurora University and Edgewood College and third-place finisher each place three individuals on the 12-member All-NACC First Team, while the final spots were filled by one student-athlete each from Benedictine University, Concordia University Wisconsin, and Dominican University. Aurora and Concordia Wisconsin both placed an additional player on the six-member All-NACC Second Team. Lakeland University landed a pair of All-NACC Second Team selections, while Concordia University Chicago and Marian University had one apiece.
| 2023 All-NACC Women's Volleyball Team |
| Player of the Year - Brooke Clement, St. Norbert College |
| Defensive Player of the Year - Erin Eggers, St. Norbert College |
| Freshman of the Year - Hannah Joseph, Aurora University |
| Coaching Staff of the Year - Edgewood College (Paul Schlomer, head coach) |
|
| First Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Lulu Torres |
Aurora |
Jr. |
OH |
Munster, Ind. |
| Hannah Joseph |
Aurora |
Fr. |
S |
LaPorte, Ind. |
| Kate Poellmann |
Aurora |
Jr. |
OH |
Whitefish Bay, Wis. |
| Olivia McPherson |
Benedictine |
Sr. |
OH |
North Aurora, Ill. |
| Maycee Karpfinger |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Sr. |
MH |
Wauwatosa, Wis. |
| Cassidy Spies |
Dominican |
Sr. |
OH |
Fort Atkinson, Wis. |
| Abigail Hoffmann |
Edgewood |
Jr. |
S/RS |
Hartford, Wis. |
| Ashley Bruehlman |
Edgewood |
Gr. |
OH |
Argyle, Wis. |
| Abbey Falk |
Edgewood |
Sr. |
MH |
Milton, Wis. |
| Erin Eggers |
St. Norbert |
Sr. |
L |
McFarland, Wis. |
| Brooke Clement |
St. Norbert |
Sr. |
OH |
Green Bay, Wis. |
| Rylie Gregg |
St. Norbert |
Jr. |
OPP |
Elm Grove, Wis. |
| Second Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Celeste Cozzoni |
Aurora |
Sr. |
MB |
Aurora, Ill. |
| Grace Heywood |
Concordia Chicago |
Sr. |
OH |
Northbrook, Ill. |
| Mickenzi Benter |
Concordia Wisconsin |
So. |
S/RS |
De Pere, Wis. |
| Susana Stevens |
Lakeland |
Jr. |
OH |
Las Cruces, N.M. |
| Katie Metzler |
Lakeland |
Sr. |
MB |
Kewaunee, Wis. |
| Serina Pehowski |
Marian |
Sr. |
MB |
Wauwatosa, Wis. |
| Honorable Mention |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Rolin West |
Alverno |
Jr. |
OH |
New Orleans, La. |
| Hannah Evenson |
Aurora |
Fr. |
L |
Chicago, Ill. |
| Courtney Levy |
Benedictine |
Jr. |
L |
Round Lake, Ill. |
| Kiara McPherson |
Benedictine |
Sr. |
S |
North Aurora, Ill. |
| Isabelle Vernengo |
Concordia Chicago |
Sr. |
S |
Plainfield, Ind. |
| Stella Zarling |
Concordia Wisconsin |
So. |
OH |
West Bend, Wis. |
| Abby Proefrock |
Concordia Wisconsin |
So. |
DS/L |
Grafton, Wis. |
| Jennacy Wille |
Edgewood |
Fr. |
L |
Grafton, Wis. |
| Karla Trautmann Mendez |
Illinois Tech |
Fr. |
MB/MH |
Utuado, Puerto Rico |
| Briar Moore |
Illinois Tech |
Sr. |
OH |
Parker, Colo. |
| Kaitlyn Merrill |
Marian |
Sr. |
OH |
Livonia, Mich. |
| Emma Schattschneider |
MSOE |
Fr. |
OH |
Caledonia, Wis. |
| Brynn Atwell |
Rockford |
Sr. |
DS |
Galesburg, Ill. |