By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University setter Emma Porter (Grad., S, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) and libero Shyla Sato (Sr., LIB, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) received Second Team All-Northwest Conference honors for the second consecutive year in voting by the NWC head coaches. It was Sato's third time on the All-NWC team, as she was named Honorable Mention All-NWC in 2021. In addition, Olivia Cadien (Jr., OH, Mesa, AZ/Chandler Preparatory Academy) of Willamette was named Honorable Mention All-NWC.

The NWC recognized 24 student-athletes on the 2023 All-NWC Volleyball Team. Six players were chosen to the First Team, six players were included on the Second Team, and eight players earned Honorable Mention.

George Fox University senior outside hitter Kassandra Mendenhall was named NWC Player of the Year. Halle Hetzler, a senior from Pacific Lutheran University, was selected NWC Libero of the Year for the third year in a row. Emily Blagg, a first-year middle blocker from George Fox, was chosen NWC Rookie of the Year. Pacific Lutheran Head Coach was voted NWC Coach of the Year for the 11th time.

Willamette concluded the season with a 14-10 overall record, including 9-7 (4th place) in the NWC. The Bearcats qualified for the inaugural NWC Volleyball Tournament and fell to eventual champion Pacific Lutheran University in the semifinals. The Bearcats registered a 5-0 record in matches that went five sets.

Porter and Sato each played five seasons with the Bearcats, including the 2020 season that was moved to the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19 and featured just eight matches. Cadien has played three seasons at Willamette.

Second Team All-Northwest Conference

Emma Porter (Grad., S) finished her career with 100 matches played and 367 sets played. She accumulated 3,171 assists (8.64 per set), just 17 assists away from the school record of 3,187 achieved by Emily Compton from 2010-13.

Porter also earned career totals of 1,034 digs (2.82 avg.), 278 kills, 1,099 attacks, 97 service aces, and 92 total blocks. This year, Porter was credited with 669 assists (7.87 avg.), 216 digs (2.54 avg.), 40 kills, 26 service aces, and 17 blocks. On March 19, 2021, she provided a career-high 64 assists against George Fox. She contributed a career-high season total of 852 assists as a first-year player in 2019.

"Emma is a baller. On game day she is ready to compete," Willamette Head Volleyball Coach Lily Hallock said. "In her five years as a starting setter, she has not only led our offense, but also really improved other areas of her game, including defense. Her ability to fake out opposing blockers will be missed."

Shyla Sato (Sr., LIB) was a defensive leader throughout her career at Willamette, while competing in 100 matches and 368 sets, as she registered 2,016 career digs (5.48 per set.). She also provided the Bearcats with 107 service aces and ended her career with 335 assists.

This year, Sato achieved 486 digs to set her career-high for a single season. She ranked second in the NWC with 5.72 digs per set. Her previous high was 479 digs in 2022.

On Oct. 29, 2022, she supplied Willamette with a career-high 41 digs against Pacific Lutheran. It was the second-highest total by a Bearcats since 2006. Sato was chosen NWC Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week seven times, including twice this season on Oct. 23 and Nov. 6.

"Shyla has been the anchor of the Willamette defense as the starting libero for five seasons," Hallock noted. "She leads by example, always making time in her schedule for extra reps and film study. I hope that her teammates continue her example of hard work for years to come."

Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference

Olivia Cadien (Jr., OH) was named Honorable Mention All-NWC for the first time. This season, she led Willamette with 297 kills and was third in the NWC with 3.49 kills per set. She also topped the WU roster with 38 service aces (0.45 avg.) on the season.

In her career, Cadien has seen action in 67 matches and 246 sets. She has pounded 800 kills (3.25 avg.) to go with 431 digs (1.75 avg.), 97 service aces (0.39 avg.), and 82 total blocks (0.33 avg.). She has scored an impressive 944.5 points. She produced a career-high 22 kills against Hamline University (Minn.) on Sept. 2, 2023 and against Linfield University on Sept. 16, 2022.

"Olivia was selected by her teammates as a captain this season, but she really stepped into the role a year ago at the end of the 2022 season," Willamette Head Volleyball Coach Lily Hallock said. "While she leads us in kills on the court, she also does lots of behind the scenes action to lead this team off the court. We're looking forward to her leadership on and off the court for one more season."