Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Northwestern College Athletics

Northwestern College
HOME OF NORTHWESTERN RED RAIDERS ATHLETICS
HONORING CHRIST THROUGH EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
Nike
wbb-all-conference-2023

Women's Basketball NWC Athletic Communications

Four Red Raiders Garner All-League Honors

Maddie Jones highlights All-GPAC team with First Team honors

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – A quartet of Northwestern College women's basketball players landed on the 2023 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) All-Conference honors, highlighted by Maddie Jones on the First Team. Emilee Danner and Molly Schany land as Second Team performers and Honorable Mention honors for Taylor VanderVelde.
 
The Red Raiders enter the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national tournament selection show with a record of 19-10 (14-8 GPAC), after finishing in fifth in the GPAC regular season race.

Maddie Jones – First Team
For the first time in her career, Jones (Sr., Twin Lakes, Iowa) adds First Team All-Conference performer to her name. Entering the national tournament, she leads the team in both minutes (30.4), scoring (14.5), and free throw percentage (83.9%). Additionally, she paces the team in both steals (63) and assists (136). She notched her first-career double-double back on February 11, in the Senior Day win over Mount Marty, with 17 points and 10 rebounds.  
"Maddie has had a tremendous season for us and made a big impact in the league," noted head coach Kristin Rotert. "Her ability to score from all three levels has separated her as an elite guard in the GPAC."
 
The senior was electric all season long, notching new career-highs in scoring (25), assists (9), and rebounds (10) all this season alone. Doing so made her a formidable opponent to guard and an elite guard in the GPAC this season. She was the most recent Red Raider to notch 1,000 career-points, with her career-high 25 points, in the Quarterfinals of the GPAC tournament at Dakota Wesleyan.
 
In the GPAC, her steals and steals per game (4.7) sat second, while ranking fifth in steals per game (2.2). Her team-leading 83.9% free throw percentage and 14.5 points per game also sat top-10 in the league at third and sixth, respectively. Additionally, Jones was a scrappy guard who also sat top-5 with her 63 steals, which ranks fifth entering the national tournament.
 
It marks the second time in her career that she has been tabbed an All-Conference performer, following up on her Second Team honors for the 2022-23 season.
 
Emilee Danner – Second Team
After earning a spot in the starting rotation, the last couple weeks of the season, senior Danner (Westside, Iowa) made a name for herself whether she was in the starting five or off the bench. Playing in all 29 games, and starting 10 of those contests, she was the third Red Raider to average double digits this season (10.3).  
The Westside, Iowa native exploded in the month of January, recording four of her five double-doubles in the month. All five of her career double-doubles have come this season. She sits along with Schany, averaging north of six rebounds per contest (6.4). She also paced the team with her 39 blocks on the season, while sitting second on the team with her 39 steals to her name.
 
"Emilee has made a great impact for us on the court this season," said Rotert. "She can affect the game on both ends of the floor and has made many big plays when we need them."
 
In the conference rankings, her blocks total and blocks per game (1.3) both sat second in the GPAC. She was one of 23 GPAC athletes to average double digits.
 
Danner is earning her first-career All-Conference honor of any kind this season, having a break out true senior season for the Red Raiders.
 
Molly Schany – Second Team
Near the top of the team in scoring all season long, Schany (Jr., Emmetsburg, Iowa) lands Second Team honors. She joins Jones in scoring north of 14 points per game (14.2), while leading the team in rebounding with 6.9 per game. On the season, the junior forward has recorded four double-doubles, most recently in the home win over No. 4 Dordt when she recorded 19 points to go along with 12 rebounds.  
"Molly has been a force inside for us this year and has established herself as a top post player in the league," noted Rotert. "She is an incredibly hard worker and continues to grow her game on the offensive end of the floor."
 
Back on December 10 in the first meeting with Morningside, the junior became the second Raider to score 1,000 career points this season as she continues to climb the program's all-time scoring list, sitting 24th in program history with 1,235 points entering the national tournament.
 
Her 14.2 points per game sits eighth in the league, while her rebounding mark sits in a two-way tie for fifth. Furthermore, her 75 offensive rebounds on the season sat one shy of the league-lead.
 
Schany is earning her third-career All-Conference honor in a Red Raider uniform, garnering First Team honors the last two seasons.
 
Taylor VanderVelde – Honorable Mention
Returning for her fifth-year, VanderVelde (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) concludes her career as a three-time Honorable Mention All-Conference performer, earning it for the third-straight season. She sat second on the team in minutes played per game (29.7), while averaging 8.0 points per game and grabbing 4.5 rebounds per game.  
"Taylor has been a steady presence for us all season and makes a big impact on the game," said Rotert. "She is a great leader and team player and brings a lot of toughness to our team."
 
The senior leader was the first Red Raider of the season to notch her 1,000th career point, doing so back in November during the Pizza Ranch Classic. Entering the national tournament, the senior leader sits top-20 in program history in career rebounds and assists, while just being outside the top-20 in scoring and steals.
 
For head coach Kristin Rotert, in her two seasons leading the Red Raider program, she has now five athletes who have landed on All-Conference teams (first or second teams), and nine total including honorable mention performers.
 
Up Next: The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national tournament bracket will be revealed tomorrow, Thursday, March 2 at 6:00 p.m. on the NAIA YouTube page as the Red Raiders await their national tournament fate.

Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Emilee Danner

#12 Emilee Danner

G
5' 10"
Senior
Maddie Jones

#4 Maddie Jones

G
5' 5"
Senior
Molly Schany

#34 Molly Schany

F
6' 1"
Junior
Taylor VanderVelde

#15 Taylor VanderVelde

G
5' 8"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Emilee Danner

#12 Emilee Danner

5' 10"
Senior
G
Maddie Jones

#4 Maddie Jones

5' 5"
Senior
G
Molly Schany

#34 Molly Schany

6' 1"
Junior
F
Taylor VanderVelde

#15 Taylor VanderVelde

5' 8"
Senior
G