SPOKANE, Wash. -- After leading Whitworth College to the Northwest Conference title this fall, Natalie Danielson (Sr., MB, Kennewick, Wash. - Kennewick/CC of Spokane) was selected by conference coaches as the 2005 NWC Player of the Year. Danielson headlines a list of four Whitworth players named to the All-NWC team. Rebekah Hornor (Sr., S, Spokane, Wash. - Mead) joined Danielson on the All-NWC First Team. Julie Marsh (Sr., OH, Cheney, Wash. - Cheney/WWU) was named to the Second Team. Carey Guhlke (Sr., MB, Davenport, Wash. - Heritage Christian) was an Honorable Mention selection.
The quartet led the Pirates to a 20-3 overall record this season and a 15-1 mark in the NWC. Whitworth won the conference title by three games over Puget Sound and Linfield. As a reward, Whitworth is hosting the West Regional of the 2005 NCAA Division III Volleyball championships on November 10-12. Danielson led the conference in hitting percentage (.337) this season. She is ranked second in the conference in kills per game (4.09) and is tied for fifth in blocks (1.00). Danielson was named Northwest Conference Player of the Week three times this year. Hornor dished an average of 11.12 assists per game, ranking second in the NWC. However, she leads all conference setters in kills per game (1.62) and was second in blocks per game (0.53). Marsh was ranked second on Whitworth's team in kills per game (3.03) and total kills (221). She was named Northwest Conference Player of the Week on October 17. Guhlke had her best year ever as a Pirate. She averaged 2.04 kills per game and 0.74 blocks per game, which ranks among the NWC leaders. Click here for the entire All-Northwest Conference volleyball team. Whitworth's season continues on Thursday night when the Pirates host Colorado College in the opening round of the NCAA West Regional at 8:30 pm. |
