MILWAUKEE, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) has announced its major awards and all-conference team for the 2025 women's volleyball season.
Edgewood University senior outside hitter
Katie Borchert was named the NACC Player of the Year, while Concordia University Wisconsin senior defensive specialist/libero
Brianna Lundt was named NACC Defensive Player of the Year and Lakeland University outside hitter
Samya Hughes was picked as the NACC Freshman of the Year. Additionally, the Edgewood coaching staff was recognized by its peers as the NACC Coaching Staff of the Year.
The 2025 All-NACC Women's Volleyball Team and major awards were selected by a vote of the league's 14 head coaches.
Player of the Year - Katie Borchert, sr., OH, Edgewood University
Borchert, a senior outside hitter, has played in all 29 of Edgewood's matches headed into Thursday's NACC Tournament semifinal against Concordia Wisconsin. She had 336 kills on 990 total attacks, posting a .248 attack percentage. Borchert also has 265 digs, 55 blocks (nine solo), 26 service aces, and 12 assists.
Borchert has amassed double-figures in kills 18 times, recording a season-best 21 in the regular-season match-up against the Falcons on Oct. 4. In that match, she also had 13 digs and six block assists. Borchert also posted 20 kills, 15 digs, a season-high seven blocks (two solos), and three service aces in a five-set win over Aurora on Nov. 1. Overall, she also had 13 matches with double-digits in digs and had 10 double-doubles.
Despite the Eagles having numerous offensive options, Borchert still ranks in the top three among NACC players in a number of offensive categories. She ranks second behind Lakeland's
Samya Hughes in total attacks, attacks per set (10.20), and kills per set (3.46), and third behind Hughes and Wisconsin Lutheran's
Lydia Biggin in total kills, points (395.5), and points per set (4.08).
Borchert is the fourth Edgewood women's volleyball student-athlete to be named NACC Player of the Year, and the second in as many years, following Mallory Palmer (2012), Jordan Winkler (2015), and Abigail Hoffmann (2024).
Defensive Player of the Year - Brianna Lundt, sr., DS/L, Concordia University Wisconsin
Lundt, a senior defensive specialist/libero, has played in all 28 of Concordia Wisconsin's matches headed into Thursday's NACC Tournament semifinal game against Edgewood. She has recorded 517 digs and 126 assists, leading all NACC players in digs and digs per set (5.02).
Lundt posted double-digit figures in digs in 27 matches, exceeding 20 digs on 13 separate occasions. She posted a season-best 27 digs a total of four times - Sept. 6 against Pacific Lutheran, Sept. 20 against Washington-St. Louis, Oct. 9 at Aurora, and Oct. 25 against Lakeland. Lundt also recorded at least seven assists seven times with a season-best 11 against Ohio Northern in the season opener.
Lundt is the second Concordia Wisconsin women's volleyball student-athlete to be named NACC Defensive Player of the Year, accounting for three total honots. Erin Kiesow was recognized as the league's top defensive player in both 2006 and 2007.
Freshman of the Year - Samya Hughes, OH, Lakeland University
Hughes, an outside hitter, played in all 30 of Lakeland's matches this season, totaling 436 kills on 1,183 total attacks - both NACC-leading figures that ranked 11th and 16th nationally, respectively. She also recorded 254 digs, 32 total blocks (eight solo), 21 service aces, and 10 assists.
Hughes posted double-digits in kills in 27 of 30 matches, posting a NACC season-best 27 kills in a five-set win at Concordia Wisconsin on Oct. 25. She had five matches with 20+ kills, seven matches with 10+ digs, and finished with six double-doubles. Hughes topped 20 digs four times, registering a career-high 24 in just her second collegiate match - a five-setter against St. Scholastica on Aug. 29.
In additional to leading all NACC players in kills and attacks, Hughes also posted league-leading marks and ranked in the top-35 nationally in points (26th, 463.0), kills per set (28th, 4.07), attacks per set (29th, 10.92), and points per set (34th, 4.45).
Hughes is the first Lakeland women's volleyball player to be named NACC Freshman of the Year.
Coaching Staff of the Year - Edgewood University (Paul Schlomer, head coach)
Edgewood, led by head coach
Paul Schlomer, completed an unbeaten run through the NACC this season, posting a 13-0 mark en route to the program's third consecutive NACC title and sixth crown overall. The Eagles take a 23-6 overall record into Thursday's NACC Tournament semifinal match against Concordia Wisconsin.
Through Nov. 11, Edgewood leads all NACC programs in total blocks (251.5) and blocks per game (2.49) - averaging nearly one-half block per set more than the conference's second-ranked team (Concordia Wisconsin, 2.07). The Eagles also currently rank second in opponent hitting percentage (.123), fourth in hitting percentage (.188), fifth in assists per set (10.86) and kills per set (11.83), and seventh in digs per set (15.83).
In conference play, Edgewood averaged a league-best 2.71 blocks per set, while ranking second in both hitting percentage (.217) and opponent hitting percentage (.088), and fourth in assist per game (11.43) and kills per game (12.38). The Eagles also recorded 105 of their 182 service aces in NACC play, ranking second (2.23) behind Wisconsin Lutheran (2.49) in aces per set - up from 1.80 aces per set in all contests.
Schlomer, in his 20th season at the helm of the Edgewood program, is assisted by
Tom Shay,
Kate Mikutowski, 2012 NACC Player of the Year
Mallory Palmer, and
Abby Knoop.
This is the seventh time Schlomer or a Schlomer-led staff has been recognized by the league's head coaches, including each of the last four years (2012-13, 2015, 2022-25).
All-Conference Team Announced
Nine of 14 NACC programs had at least one player selected to one of the two 12-member all-conference teams. Aurora and Edgewood both had five all-league picks with three first-teamers apiece. Concordia Wisconsin, Lakeland, and St. Norbert each had three players named with the Falcons and Green Knights both receiving two first-team picks, while Lakeland had one. Wisconsin Lutheran had one player named to each of the two all-conference teams, while Benedictine, Illinois Tech, and Marian each all had one second-team pick.
| 2025 All-NACC Women's Volleyball Team |
| Player of the Year - Katie Borchert, sr., OH, Edgewood University |
| Defensive Player of the Year - Brianna Lundt, sr., DS/L, Concordia University Wisconsin |
| Freshman of the Year - Samya Hughes, OH, Lakeland University |
| Coaching Staff of the Year - Edgewood University (Paul Schlomer, head coach) |
|
| First Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Izabella Kowalczyk |
Aurora |
Fr. |
PIN |
Lemont, Ill. |
| Trinity Nelson |
Aurora |
So. |
S |
West Chicago, Ill. |
| Katelyn Ruse |
Aurora |
Jr. |
PIN |
Dyer, Ind. |
| Brianna Lundt |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Sr. |
DS/L |
Rosendale, Wis. |
| Paige Stickney |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Sr. |
MB |
Menomonee Falls, Wis. |
| Katie Borchert |
Edgewood |
Sr. |
OH |
Lake Mills, Wis. |
| Mia Hinkamper |
Edgewood |
Sr. |
DS |
St. Louis, Mo. |
| Payton Millin |
Edgewood |
Jr. |
MH |
Bloomington, Wis. |
| Samya Hughes |
Lakeland |
Fr. |
OH |
Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. |
| Heidi Colburn |
St. Norbert |
Sr. |
S |
Oshkosh, Wis. |
| Mari Szews |
St. Norbert |
Sr. |
MB |
Rhinelander, Wis. |
| Lydia Biggin |
Wisconsin Lutheran |
Sr. |
OPP |
Burlington, Wis. |
| Second Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Katie Brisk |
Aurora |
Fr. |
DS |
Oconomowoc, Wis. |
| Riley Moreno |
Aurora |
Sr. |
MB |
Elburn, Ill. |
| Sophia Sommesi |
Benedictine |
So. |
OH |
Lombard, Ill. |
| Abby Proefrock |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Sr. |
DS/L |
Grafton, Wis. |
| Abbey Eivins |
Edgewood |
Jr. |
S |
Denver, Colo. |
| Nida Zukauskaite |
Edgewood |
So. |
OH |
Sturgeon Bay, Wis. |
| Karla Trautmann Mendez |
Illinois Tech |
Jr. |
MB/RS |
Utuado, Puerto Rico |
| Sydney Gay |
Lakeland |
So. |
S |
Rice Lake, Wis. |
| Maleigha Kovaleske |
Lakeland |
So. |
OH |
Ripon, Wis. |
| Harley Bartels |
Marian |
Sr. |
MB |
Holmen, Wis. |
| Casey Vaughn |
St. Norbert |
So. |
OH |
Iola, Wis. |
| Kayla Wigley |
Wisconsin Lutheran |
Sr. |
OH |
Milwaukee, Wis. |
| Honorable Mention |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Mary Needham |
Alverno |
Fr. |
OH |
San Tan Valley, Ariz. |
| Jordan Vanarsdale |
Benedictine |
Sr. |
MB/RS |
Park Forest, Ill. |
| Lili Hunt |
Concordia Chicago |
Sr. |
OPP |
Greenfield, Ind. |
| Ashley Habermehl |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Sr. |
OH |
Brookfield, Wis. |
| McKenna Oetzman |
Concordia Wisconsin |
So. |
S |
Reedsburg, Wis. |
| Victoria Aspurez |
Illinois Tech |
Jr. |
MB |
Lakewood, Calif. |
| London Francis |
Illinois Tech |
Sr. |
MB/RS |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
| Faith Baker |
Lakeland |
So. |
MB |
Verona, Ill. |
| Alyssa Rusch |
MSOE |
Fr. |
MB/RS |
Menasha, Wis. |
| Mickenzi Benter |
St. Norbert |
Sr. |
PIN/S |
De Pere, Wis. |