MILWAUKEE, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) has announced its all-conference team and major award winners for the 2026 women's volleyball season, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
League champion Aurora University secured three of the four major awards as junior setter
Trinity Nelson was named NACC Player of the Year and sophomore defensive specialist
Katie Brisk was named NACC Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, the coaching staff, led by head coach
James Seitelman, was recognized by its peers as the NACC Coaching Staff of the Year. St. Norbert College middle
Brooklyn O'Malley was named NACC Freshman of the Year.
Player of the Year - Trinity Nelson, jr., S, Aurora University
Nelson has appeared in 26 of Aurora's 30 matches through Tuesday's NACC Tournament quarterfinals, recording 949 assists, 200 digs, 56 kills, 43 blocks (three solo), and 37 service aces. She has recorded 20 or more assists in each match played this season, exceeding 40 assists on nine occasions, and surpassing 50 assists three times with a NACC season-high 54 in a five-set win over Central (Iowa) on Sept. 19. Nelson also recorded a season-best-tying 16 digs against the Dutch, two weeks after hitting the mark as part of a 49-kill effort in a five-set loss at Illinois Wesleyan to open the season. She set a season-high with six block assists in Tuesday's NACC quarterfinal win over Concordia Chicago.
Nelson currently leads all of NCAA Division III in assists at 11.03 per set and holds a top-20 rank in total assists. The Spartans lead all NCAA Division III programs in assists per set, while ranking second in kills per set and opponents hitting percentage, and fourth in hitting percentage.
This is the seventh time an Aurora student-athlete has been named NACC Player of the Year.
Sarah Campbell won the honor in the league's inaugural season of 2006, while
Katie Vondra (2016, 2018) and
Sydnei Avery (2019, 2022) both captured multiple honors and
Kaitlyn Beebe was named the Spring 2021 South Division Player of the Year.
Defensive Player of the Year - Katie Brisk, so., DS, Aurora University
Brisk has played in all 30 of Aurora's matches heading into Thursday's NACC Tournament semifinals, accumulating 462 digs, 83 assists, and 35 service aces. She has recorded double figures in digs in 27 of 30 contests, including five occasions with 20 or more. Brisk's season-high of 30 came Sept. 19 in a five-set win over Central.
Brisk ranks among the league leaders in total digs, as the top spot has shifted between herself, Concordia Wisconsin freshman
Emy Miller, and Lakeland senior
Ryan Figi regularly throughout the year. Aurora's fewer sets played has given Brisk the edge in per-set average, however, at 4.62 digs per set.
This is the third time an Aurora student-athlete has been named NACC Defensive Player of the Year (
Julia Wood, 2017 & 2019).
Freshman of the Year - Brooklyn O'Malley, MB, St. Norbert College
O'Malley competed in 23 of St. Norbert's 26 matches this season, recording 99 kills while hitting .297. She also had 66 blocks, including 18 solo stops.
O'Malley currently ranks first amongst all NACC players in blocks per set (1.03) and second in hitting percentage. She led the Green Knights in total blocks and block assists while ranking second in solo blocks and fourth in kills.
O'Malley is the second Green Knight to be named NACC Freshman of the Year (
Maleigha Kovalaske, 2024).
Coaching Staff of the Year - Aurora University (James Seitelman, head coach)
Aurora's 2026 season has been one of the best by a NACC program in recent memory, taking a 28-2 mark into Thursday's NACC Tournament semifinal against MSOE. The Spartans' win total matches the total posted by Concordia Wisconsin in 2017 (28-3) and is second in program history to the 1989 Aurora squad that finished 31-12 overall.
The Spartans also went 12-0 in league play, capturing the program's eighth NACC title and marking the third time the program has run through a league slate without a loss (2006, 2018).
While currently sporting NCAA Division III's top record, Aurora also leads all NCAA Division III programs in assists per set (12.72) and ranks second in kills per set (13.74) and opponents' hitting percenrtage (0.083), fourth in hitting percentage (0.268), and 15th in kills (1,374). The Spartans rank second among NACC programs in digs (1,741), digs per set (17.41), and total blocks (182.0), and third in blocks per set (1.82).
Seitelman, in his 14th season, is assisted by
Jami MacInnis and
Lulu Torres. He surpassed 300 career women's volleyball victories earlier this season.
This is the fifth time that Seitelman or a Seitelman-led staff has been named NACC Coaching Staff of the Year, and the first since Fall 2021 (2018, 2019, Spring 2021, Fall 2021). This is the sixth time an Aurora coach or staff has been cited as
Jerry Angle was recognized in 2006.
2026 All-NACC Women's Volleyball Team Announced
Aurora and Edgewood combined to account for 11 of this year's 24 all-conference selections, with the Spartans securing five first-team picks and a second-teamer. The Eagles had three first-team selections and a pair of second-team picks. Concordia Wisconsin, Lakeland, and MSOE all received three all-NACC honorees with two Muskies and one Raider landing on the first team. All three of CUW's all-league picks were second-team selections. Illinois Tech's two league honorees were split between the first and second teams, while St. Norbert and Wisconsin Lutheran each had one second-team pick.
| 2026 All-NACC Women's Volleyball Team |
| Player of the Year - Trinity Nelson, jr., S, Aurora University |
| Defensive Player of the Year - Katie Brisk, so., DS, Aurora University |
| Freshman of the Year - Brooklyn O'Malley, MB, St. Norbert College |
| Coaching Staff of the Year - Aurora University (James Seitelman, head coach) |
|
| First Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Katie Brisk |
Aurora |
So. |
DS |
Oconomowoc, Wis. |
| Rosie Karl |
Aurora |
Jr. |
OH |
Elburn, Ill. |
| Izabella Kowalczyk |
Aurora |
So. |
PIN |
Lemont, Ill. |
| Trinity Nelson |
Aurora |
Jr. |
S |
West Chicago, Ill. |
| Katelyn Ruse |
Aurora |
Sr. |
PIN |
Dyer, Ind. |
| Payton Millin |
Edgewood |
Sr. |
MH |
Bloomington, Wis. |
| Natalie Murphy |
Edgewood |
Sr. |
OH |
Englewood, Colo. |
| Nida Zukauskaite |
Edgewood |
Jr. |
OH |
Sturgeon Bay, Wis. |
| Karla Trautmann Mendez |
Illinois Tech |
Sr. |
OH/RS |
Utuado, P.R. |
| Emily R Hansen |
Lakeland |
Jr. |
RS |
Mayville, Wis. |
| Maleigha Kovalaske |
Lakeland |
Jr. |
OH |
Ripon, Wis. |
| Emma Schattschneider |
MSOE |
Jr. |
OH |
Caledonia, Wis. |
| Second Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Peyton Darguzis |
Aurora |
Jr. |
MB |
Joliet, Ill. |
| Emily Dickmann |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Sr. |
S |
Grafton, Wis. |
| Kirsten Krause |
Concordia Wisconsin |
So. |
OH/RS |
Pocatello, Idaho |
| Emy Miller |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Fr. |
L |
West Bend, Wis. |
| Abbey Eivins |
Edgewood |
Sr. |
S |
Denver, Colo. |
| Shannon Rusch |
Edgewood |
Sr. |
OH |
Edgerton, Wis. |
| Payton Smith |
Illinois Tech |
Jr. |
OH/RS |
Aiea, Hawai'i |
| Samya Hughes |
Lakeland |
So. |
OH |
Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. |
| Natalie Martinez |
MSOE |
So. |
L/DS |
Lemont, Ill. |
| Ella Notheisen |
MSOE |
Fr. |
PIN |
Aurora, Colo. |
| Brooklyn O'Malley |
St. Norbert |
Fr. |
MB |
Montello, Wis. |
| Elexa Varden |
Wisconsin Lutheran |
Jr. |
MH |
Dixon, Ill. |
| Honorable Mention |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Sophie Knazur |
Aurora |
Jr. |
MB |
Sugar Grove, Ill. |
| Keira Clark |
Benedictine |
So. |
MB |
Chicago, Ill. |
| Rosemary Brenner |
Concordia Chicago |
So. |
L/DS |
Frankenmuth, Mich. |
| Indiah Day |
Concordia Chicago |
So. |
OH |
Merrillville, Ind. |
| Ava Quevedo |
Concordia Chicago |
So. |
MB |
Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| Molly Amendt |
Edgewood |
Jr. |
MH |
Eleroy, Ill. |
| Laila Rasmussen |
Edgewood |
Fr. |
S |
Mount Horeb, Wis. |
| Reagan Siebler |
Edgewood |
Fr. |
OH |
Omaha, Neb. |
| Victoria Aspurez |
Illinois Tech |
Sr. |
MB |
Lakewood, Calif. |
| Lilia Donaldson |
Illinois Tech |
Sr. |
MB |
Boulder, Colo. |
| Faith Baker |
Lakeland |
Jr. |
MB |
Verona, Ill. |
| Kylie Krueger |
Marian |
Sr. |
OH |
Campbellsport, Wis. |
| Khloe Walling |
Marian |
Fr. |
MB |
Hartford, Wis. |
| Kirsten Klatt |
St. Norbert |
So. |
MB |
Oshkosh, Wis. |
| Elizabeth Ehlke |
Wisconsin Lutheran |
Fr. |
OH/OPP |
Cedarburg, Wis. |
| Ireland Zyzo |
Wisconsin Lutheran |
Fr. |
OH/OPP |
Waukesha, Wis. |