2025 NACC Women's Volleyball Major Awards & All-Conference Team

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) announced its all-conference team and major award winners on Wednesday for the 2025 women's volleyball season, and Alverno volleyball freshman Mary Needham (San Tan Valley, Ariz./Poston Butte) was named an All-NACC Honorable Mention.

Needham is just the eighth player in program history to receive all-conference honors and marks the 12^th time a player has received the honor from the program. She also joins four-time All-NACC honoree Rolin West as the only other freshman in program history to receive all-conference accolades.

The Poston Butte graduate was among the conference's strongest hitters all season and was the clear offensive centerpiece for the Inferno in 2025. Prior to action beginning in the NACC Women's Volleyball Tournament, Needham ranked 11^th in the conference in kills per set (2.70) as well as 12^th in the conference in points per set (3.05). She led Alverno this year with 253 points, as well as 224 kills, with both totals nearly doubling the next best mark. On the year she also recorded a .111 hitting percentage, adding 18 service aces and eight assists. Defensively, she was second on the team in total blocks with 20.0, totaling 18 block assists and two solo blocks. She also added 68 digs over her 83 sets of action on the season. Her season was highlighted by some fantastic swinging days, with her first big night of the year coming in the Inferno's first win, as she led the team with 15 kills on a .400 hitting percentage while also adding three service aces. She was efficient in a three-set match against Wisconsin Lutheran on Sept. 24, committing just two errors and tallying 11 kills for a .310 hitting percentage. She had four straight games with double-digit kills from Oct. 4 through Oct. 11, in which she set or matched career-highs in kills in the first three games. She set a new career-high in kills against Benedictine on Oct. 9, tallying 17 kills in just three sets. Against Marian on Oct. 23, she tallied 15 kills with only two attacking errors while hitting .295.

The NACC announced its major award winners on Wednesday as well, as Edgewood University senior outside hitter Katie Borchert was named the NACC Player of the Year, 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, led by head coach Paul Schlomer was recognized by its peers as the NACC Coaching Staff of the Year. More Than a Game, 25 Years of Strength and Spirit: Alverno College is proud to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Alverno Athletics. Since 2000, our student-athletes have embodied the spirit of competition, teamwork, and excellence both on and off the courts and fields. Join us in honoring a quarter-century of Inferno pride on the following dates as we celebrate 25 years of strength and spirit -

• Softball vs. Maranatha on March 31^st at 3 p.m.
• Softball vs. Concordia Wisconsin on April 25 at noon