The Eagles volleyball team has been self-reporting points it shouldn't be rewarded, a practice that is catching on with opponents. The Northwestern College Eagles (
www.nwceagles.com) compete in Division III as members of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC).
The Northwestern College volleyball team and its honor call system is featured in the Sept. 7th edition of the
Minneapolis Star Tribune. Columnist Rachel Blount sat down with head coach Beth Wilmeth and players Leah Kostek and Elissa Sandstrom to take a deeper look into the honor calls and the core covenants that form the foundation of Northwestern volleyball.
Northwestern was recently named the female recipient of the NCAA Sportsmanship Award for all divisions after implementing the honor call system last season. The Eagles are seeking their fourth consecutive UMAC championship in 2010.
read online:
Roseville's Northwestern puts principles ahead of results, by Rachel Blount, Minneapolis Star Tribune (www.startribune.com)
It's easy for people to say they live by a particular set of values. It can be much more difficult to fully commit to them, which is why it took Beth Wilmeth about a year to persuade her volleyball team to begin making "honor calls."
The coach at Roseville's Northwestern College stresses integrity, and she wanted her players to demonstrate their principles on the court. Her suggestion: When an Eagles blocker touches an opponent's shot that goes out of bounds -- and game officials don't see the touch -- the Eagles should self-report it, which would cost them the point. That proved to be a tough sell, even at a Christian college.
But Wilmeth also preaches persistence. She asked her players to think, talk and pray about it last fall, and a concept that once seemed incompatible with the competitive spirit has become symbol and sign for the Eagles' program. Last month, Northwestern's commitment to honor calls earned it the 2009-10 NCAA Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Award for female athletes.
The players -- and Wilmeth, too -- still grimace when they surrender a point. But an idea that initially bewildered opponents and officials has enabled the Eagles to make a unique imprint on their school and their sport, while deepening the spirituality that guides them.
"It was a hard thing to get used to," senior setter Leah Kostek said. "I'm so competitive that the first few times it happened on crucial points, I had to tell myself, 'This is a good thing! This is a good thing!'
"I was really frustrated, but deep down, I knew it was the right thing to do. I'm proud of my teammates, and I'm proud to be an Eagle."
Middle blocker Elissa Sandstrom has had to make several honor calls on herself, and her initial opposition has morphed into unexpected joy. "Now I love doing it," she said. "It still stinks giving up a point, but it feels right. Other teams have said, 'Thank you for being honest.' And if you want to be a person of integrity, you have to have it in all areas."