SPOKANE, Wash. – Four Whitworth University players have earned recognition on the 2025 All-Northwest Conference volleyball team, which was released today by the conference office.
Amblessed Okemgbo and Lauren Kremer were named to the first team, Alyssa Baird claimed second team recognition and was chosen as the NWC's Rookie of the Year, and Lindsey Short is a third team honoree. That quartet led the Pirates to record of 20-6 overall and 14-2 in the NWC. The Bucs won a share of the 2025 Northwest Conference tile and the right to host this week's conference tournament.
Selections are based on statistics from the 16 NWC matches.
Okemgbo, a senior OH from Medical Lake, leads Whitworth in points per set and kills per set as the Pirate's first offensive option this season. She ranks among NWC leaders in kills per set and was the league's Offensive Player of the Week on September 15th.
Kremer, a junior MB from Snoqualmie, Washington, leads the team in hitting percentage and blocks. In conference-only stats, she is second in the NWC with a .378 hitting percentage, is fourth in blocks (0.85 per set) and seventh in points per set (3.75). She was the NWC's Defensive Player of the Week on September 22nd.
Baird, from Troutdale, Oregon, had an impactful freshman season. In stats taken from the 16 NWC matches, she is eighth in the NWC in kills per set (2.86) and eighth in points per set. Baird became a six-rotation fixture, and she served 15 aces and also was fourth on the team in digs.
Short, a junior RS from Republic, Wash., was a strong offensive option for the Pirates. In conference play she averaged 2.47 kills per set while hitting .253, which ranks fourth in the league.
The four Pirates lead the team into this weekend's NWC tournament as the top-seeded team. Whitworth will take on fourth-seeded Willamette in Friday's second semifinal. The winner of that match will play the winner of the other semifinal between #2 Puget Sound and #3 Pacific Lutheran in the championship on Saturday at 6:00 pm.
