By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University senior outside hitter Sarah Fincher (Reno, NV/Bishop Manogue HS/Southwest Baptist Univ.) has been named Northwest Conference Volleyball Player of the Year in voting by the NWC head coaches. In addition, Fincher and Lindsey Compton (Sr., OH/S, Portola, CA/Portola HS/Univ. of Hartford) were chosen First Team All-NWC, while Alexa Dowdell (Jr., MH/OPP, Mililani, HI/Maryknoll HS) received Honorable Mention All-NWC recognition.
The 2015 All-NWC Volleyball Team honored six players on the First Team, six players on the Second Team and nine players with Honorable Mention. The First Team included Fincher and Compton from Willamette, Maddye Dinsmore (Sr., S) and Nicole Leonard (Sr., OH) from Whitworth University, Lucy Capron (Sr., OH) from Pacific Lutheran University, and Alexe Navarro (Jr., DS/L) from Lewis & Clark College.
Willamette ended the season with a 15-9 overall record. The Bearcats took third place in the Northwest Conference at 11-5. It is Willamette's best season since 2004, when the Bearcats were 19-6 overall, 13-3 in the NWC.
First Team All-Northwest Conference
Sarah Fincher (Sr., OH) earned First Team All-Northwest Conference honors for the second time. She also was named First Team All-NWC in 2013 before receiving Second Team All-NWC status in 2014.
This season, Fincher added the NWC Volleyball Player of the Year Award after recording 333 kills and a .239 hitting percentage. She averaged 3.54 kills per set and contributed 10 or more kills in 19 of 24 matches, including the final nine matches of the year. Fincher earned 0.64 blocks per set for the Bearcats and also averaged 1.03 digs per set.
She led the NWC in kills, was second in kills per set and ranked fifth in hitting percentage. She registered a season-high 21 kills in Willamette's 3-2 win against NWC champion Whitworth on Nov. 6.
Earlier this fall, Fincher was named NWC Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Week on Oct. 5.
"This is an unbelievable honor for Sarah," said Willamette Head Volleyball Coach Tom Shoji. "It shows you how much she meant to our program and how much respect she had around the conference. To be named as the Player of the Year also shows you how difficult it was for her to be successful in our conference. Everyone tried to keep her under control or tried to stop her."
Fincher played the 2012 season at Southwest Baptist University (Mo.) before transferring to Willamette. In her four-year career, she pounded out 1,041 kills. During three seasons with the Bearcats, she accumulated 952 kills with a .209 hitting percentage.
At Willamette, Fincher competed in 74 matches (69 starts) and 277 sets. She recorded 503 career digs to go along with 137 career blocks. She earned a career-high 25 kills against Pacific University on Oct. 4, 2013.
Lindsey Compton (Sr., OH/S) received First Team All-NWC recognition for the first time. She started all 24 matches this season and played in all 94 sets. She provided Willamette with 203 kills for an average of 2.16 kills per set. As one of two setters for the Bearcats, she recorded 406 assists (4.32 avg.) and earned 325 digs (3.46 avg.). She averaged 0.52 blocks per set.
During the year, Compton achieved five triple-doubles with 10 or more kills, assists and digs in the same match. She was credited with 10 or more digs in 19 matches. She was chosen NWC Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Week on Sept. 21.
"This is another great honor for us," Shoji said. "Lindsey sacrificed a lot for the success of our team by becoming a setter/hitter this fall. She had to change a lot in her game and did a great job in helping us have a great year. Without her sacrifice, we would not have been as good."
Compton, who played one season at University of Hartford, completed her career with 1,118 assists, including 1,095 assists at Willamette. She also registered 807 digs, 410 kills, 108 total blocks and 48 service aces in three years with the Bearcats.
She produced a career-high 19 kills against George Fox University on Sept. 19, 2015. She earned a career-high 47 assists versus George Fox on Sept. 27, 2014 and against University of Puget Sound on Oct. 24, 2014.
Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference
Alexa Dowdell (Jr., MH/OPP) was named Honorable Mention All-NWC for the first time. This year, she played in all 24 matches with 23 starts. She also competed in all 94 sets. She recorded 216 kills and 2.30 kills per set, while leading the team and ranking fourth in the NWC with a .251 hitting percentage.
Dowdell contributed eight or more kills in 14 matches, including nine matches with 10 or more kills. She ended the year with 197 digs (2.10 avg.) and 73 total blocks (0.78 avg.).
She registered a career-high 19 kills against Whitman College in the season finale on Nov. 7, 2015. She earned a carer-high 19 digs versus Puget Sound on Oct. 24, 2014.
"This award is an indication of what she is capable of doing every match," Shoji said. "She will be one of our players who will counted on heavily for our success next fall."
In three seasons at Willamette, Dowdell has achieved solid career number with 454 kills, a .192 hitting percentage, 462 digs, 104 total blocks and 35 service aces. She has averaged 2.14 kills, 2.22 digs and 0.50 blocks per set.
