Hall of Fame
The 1998 Northwest Nazarene volleyball team went farther than any other squad in program history, finishing as the NAIA National Runner-Up following a fantastic season. The Crusaders went 34-7 overall and 15-1 in Cascade Conference play to earn the CCC crown. In their third-straight national tournament appearance, they then fought their way to the championship game before falling to undefeated Columbia (Mo.).
The Crusaders were ranked 10th in the preseason poll that year, climbing as high as fifth during the season before finishing at No. 7 prior to the tournament. NNU enjoyed winning streaks of nine, eight, and seven matches during the year. An example of the dominance of the squad was their 104-31 game record, recording 22 3-0 sweeps while getting swept just three times. NNU was also 9-3 in four-game matches and 2-1 in five-game matches.
Liz Benear earned First Team All-American, All-Region, and All-Conference honors. She was joined on the All-Conference and All-Region teams by Lisa Erickson and Tabitha Shipman. Head coach Darlene Brasch was named the Cascade Conference Coach of the Year.
Other members of the team included players Jessica Ackley, Angie Westerberg, Rachel Roberts, Amber Hellberg, Erin Hellberg, Sarah Menard, Nancy York, Mindy John, and Michelle Phillips, assistant coaches Tricia Anderson and Patty Nottingham, and manager Stephanie Skeen.
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