The 2019 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) volleyball all-conference team was announced today and eight Red Raider players, along with Head Coach Kyle Van Den Bosch, claimed postseason honors. 

GPAC Press Release | PDF

Anna Wedel and Lacey Wacker headline the list of all-conference recipients as they were named the GPAC Player and Setter of the Year, respectively. Wedel is second in the conference in both kills (4.2) and hitting percentage (.342) and has hit for double figures in 26 of her 28 matches played. The junior is second on the team in digs (2.6) and has posted 12 double-doubles this season. Wedel has accounted for 45 blocks and is the eighth Red Raider to earn the GPAC Player of the Year honor. The 2017 NAIA All-American is now a two-time all-conference pick. Named the league's top setter, Wacker leads the NAIA in assists and directs the top hitting offense in the nation. Now a three-time all-conference pick, Wacker has put up 40+ assists in 14 matches and has four double-doubles. The junior averages 2.1 digs per set and has 42 blocks, fourth best on the team. Wacker is also second in the GPAC with 41 ace serves. 

Joining the duo on the first team are juniors Mackenzie Fink and A.J. Kacmarynski. Fink, now a three-time all-conference pick, ranks fifth in the GPAC in hitting percentage (.319) and sixth in kills (3.1). She has hit for double figures in 19 matches and is third on the team in both aces (26) and blocks (68). Kacmarynski averages 2.5 kills per set while hitting .225 on the outside for the Red Raiders. The junior has hit for double figures in nine matches, has 25 aces along with 38 blocks. Kacmarynski takes home all-conference honors for the third time. 

Two Northwestern players, Bekah Horstman and Emily Van Ginkel, received second team accolades. Horstman ranks seventh in the GPAC with 110 blocks and is hitting a team-best .410 as one of the team's middle hitters. The sophomore averages 2.1 kills per set and has 10+ kills in nine matches this season. Horstman, the 2018 GPAC Freshman of the Year, claims second team honors for the second year. Van Ginkel is also a repeat second team selection and is the team's top blocker, ranking sixth in the GPAC with 111. Van Ginkel is hitting .287 and averages 1.8 kills per set while hitting for double figures in two matches. 

Emily Strasser and Ann Pater both received honorable mention honors. Strasser ranks seventh in the GPAC in digs, averaging a team-best 4.2 per set, while being a solid presence as the team's libero. Strasser has 32 aces, sixth most in the GPAC, and has a serve receive percentage of 94%. The sophomore has posted 23 matches with 10+ digs and earns the postseason honor for the second time. Pater averages 1.7 digs per set and is 96% in 362 serve receive attempts. The senior has three matches with 10+ digs. 

Head Coach Kyle Van Den Bosch was named the GPAC Coach of the Year after leading the Red Raiders to the conference championship with an unbeaten 16-0 record. The Red Raiders spent three weeks at No.1 in the NAIA Coaches' poll and is currently ranked second with a 28-1 record heading into the NAIA National Championship tournament. Van Den Bosch earns the postseason honor for the seventh time in his 15 seasons as the Red Raiders head coach.