Schwitters tabbed UMAC nominee for 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year
ST. PAUL, Minn.---Volleyball standout Sydney Schwitters of the University of Northwestern was selected as the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) nominee for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year honor, the conference announced Wednesday. She will be one of a select number of conference nominees from all divisions still eligible to be considered for the prestigious award later this fall.
Each year the NCAA recognizes outstanding female student-athletes for exceptional achievement in the areas of academics, athletics, service and leadership with the Woman of the Year award. Each conference may nominate up to two student-athletes from institutional nominations if one identifies as a woman of color or international student.
Schwitters emerged from a talented pool of four UMAC student-athletes – who were nominated by their respective institutions – and will move on to represent the conference in the next stage. The NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee will announce the top 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions and then three finalists this fall before the Committee on Women’s Athletics will select the final winner to be announced and recognized at the 2023 NCAA Convention in January.
Schwitters was two-time UMAC Volleyball Player of the Year and an integral part of Northwestern's four regular season conference championships, two UMAC tournament championships and two NCAA appearances. She majored in health sciences and biblical studies. Schwitters was a team captain, three-time All-American and two-time NCAA Division III statistical champion for assists per set. Schwitters capped off her impressive career at Northwestern earning the 2022 UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award in April for her outstanding achievements in athletics, academic, leadership and service.
More about Schwitters
The four
UMAC institutional honorees are listed below:
- Brett Burger, Martin Luther College, Softball
- Hanna Geistfeld, Bethany Lutheran College, Basketball
- Annah Schussman, University of Wisconsin-Superior, Soccer
- Sydney Schwitters, University of Northwestern, Volleyball
Sydney Schwitters, University of Northwestern
Hometown: Clara City, Minn.
Major(s): Health Sciences, Bible
Sport: Volleyball
Academic Honors and Achievement
- 2022 UMAC Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award winner
- Dean's List (every semester)
- Academic All-UMAC (every semester)
- Graduated in December 2021
- Chapter leader of Tri-Beta Honors Biological Society
- Research leader with Mayo Clinic IMPACT poster presentation
- Accepted to physician's assistant program at Northwestern College (Iowa)
Athletics Achievement and Involvement
- Volleyball team captain
- UMAC Volleyball Player of the Year (2019, 2021)
- AVCA All-America Second Team (2021), AVCA All-America Honorable Mention (2018, 2019)
- UMAC Volleyball Regular Season Champion (2018, 2019, 2020-21, 2021)
- UMAC Tournament Champion (2019, 2020-21, 2021)
- NCAA Tournament appearances (2019, 2021)
- Participated in team missions trip to Spain (August, 2019)
Campus and Community Leadership and Service
- Served as teaching assistant and tutor at Northwestern
- Volunteered with Feed My Starving Children
- Coordinated meetings as Health Care Professions of Tomorrow club leader
- Visited nursing home residents during semester breaks
- Sang with church worship team
- Coached volleyball during summer breaks
Video Interview with Sydney Schwitters for Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award