'Official Volleyball of the NSIC

Lee Anderson Hired as Head Volleyball Coach at the Minnesota, Crookston

June 28, 2007

Crookston, Minn.- University of Minnesota, Athletics Director, Stephanie Helgeson announced that Lee Anderson has been hired to head the Golden Eagle Women's Volleyball program. Prior to his appointment at UMC, Anderson served as the head volleyball coach at Glenville State College in Glenville, W.V. for two seasons (2005-06). In 2005, the Pioneers had a record of 3-28. Anderson turned the 2006 season around, finishing with a record of 10-17. The team set a new school record for conference wins in a season. The team also had one player named second team All-Conference, one named Honorable Mention and three freshmen made the All-Freshmen team.

"We are excited to have Lee join the UMC athletics staff and campus community, says Athletics Director Stephanie Helgeson. "His enthusiasm and experience will be a tremendous fit for our volleyball program. We are very impressed by the passion and commitment Lee brings to our athletic program and Golden Eagle Volleyball."

A native of Renfrew (Ontario), Canada, Anderson also served as the assistant women's volleyball coach at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. During Anderson's tenure as assistant coach, the Bulldogs compiled a record of 41-21 (.661), including a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Championship in 2004 and a trip to the NCAA Regional Tournament. He served as head coach for three seasons (2000-03) at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. At Lakehead, Anderson had a 13-38 (.342) overall record in the Ontario University Athletics East Division during his three seasons at the helm, including a fifth place finish in 2002-03. He also directed volleyball sport development camps and organized department media conferences during his tenure. In addition to his coaching duties, Anderson served as a practical instructor in the school's Kinesiology Department.

Besides his collegiate coaching experience, Anderson has also coached various midget, youth and high school teams since earning a Bachelor of Science degree in human kinetics from the University of Ottawa (Ontario) in 1998. His previous head coaching positions included Henry Wisewood High School (1999) in Calgary, Ottawa's Immaculata High School (1995-98) along with both the Northwestern Ontario Under-18 (2002) and Under-17 (2001-02) development teams. In 2000, Anderson earned his masters degree in kinesiology with a specialization in the art and science of coaching from the University of Calgary.

McNamara Named AVCA DII National Freshman of the Year

November 21, 2006 | Full AVCA Release

Maggie McNamara, a 5-9 setter for Concordia University-St. Paul, is a freshman from Zumbrota, Minn. McNamara led the nation in assists per game at 15.09, dishing out 1,977 total helpers, and led her team to a .280 hitting percentage, eighth-best in NCAA Division II. The 1,977 total assists is an NCAA Division II record in the 30-point scoring format era, while the 15.09 assists per game are the Division II record in any format. McNamara is also an AVCA All-America Second Team selection.

AVCA First Team All-Americans from NSIC
Kelsey Kyro & Concordia University-St. Paul MB Sr. 5-8 Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jessica Lucia * Concordia University-St. Paul RS/Opp Sr. 5-9 Plymouth, Minnesota

AVCA Second Team All-Americans from NSIC
Erin Contons % Southwest Minnesota State University OH Jr. 5-10 Apple Valley, Minnesota
Maggie McNamara Concordia University-St. Paul S Fr. 5-9 Zumbrota, Minnesota
Emily Schroeder Wayne State College (Neb.) MB Jr. 5-11 Belden, Nebraska

AVCA Honorable Mention Team All-Americans from NSIC
Brittany Coleman (Wayne State [Neb.], S, Sr.)

* indicates 2005 AVCA First Team All-America selection
% indicates 2005 AVCA Second Team All-America selection
& indicates 2005 AVCA Third Team All-America selection

Bulldogs Defeat Bears in Four to Capture Regional Championship

November 11, 2006 | Box Score

St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center) - The second seed, #5 Minnesota Duluth (30-3) captured their second NCAA North Central Regional Championship with a four game win over the top seed and host, #3 Concordia University (36-3). The Bulldogs advance to their second NCAA Elite to face the Pacific Region winner between CSU San Bernardino/UC San Diego.

The Golden Bears took the first game in convincing fashion and appeared to be headed to their third Elite Eight in four years with a 30-22 win. But Minnesota Duluth reversed the momentum by taking the next three games 30-25, 30-25, 30-19 as they stifled the Concordia attack.

"It was a 15 player win tonight. The bench was really into the match and everyone on the team contributed to this victory" said head coach Jim Boos on the balanced team effort.

The Bulldogs had five players with at least 12 kills in the match led by Whitney Meierotto's career-high 18; she also had a double-double with 14 digs.

"We kept the team in system. Katie (Gangelhoff) did a great job keeping us in system all night. She had a great night, she proved tonight that she has matured," said Boos on having five players reach 12 kills or more.

On the other side of the net, Concordia senior Jessica Lucia had a match-high 21 kills and 18 digs to lead the Golden Bears for her 22nd double-double of the season, but it wasn't enough to overcome the balanced Bulldogs

"They came back fighting and we couldn't bring the momentum back," Lucia said when commenting on UMD taking the final three games.

The Bears, who were out-killed 74-57 for the match, had two other players reach double-figures as senior Kelsey Kyro had 13 kills and sophomore Maria Steinhagen had 10 kills. Kyro had six blocks (two solo) and hit .367 while Steinhagen hit a match-high .600 with just one error in 15 hitting attempts.

The Concordia defense was busy with five players recording at least nine digs as the Bears held a 75-64 advantage in digs. Lucia and senior Megan Graham each had match-highs with 18 while setter Maggie McNamara had 15. The other two Bears with at least nine digs were freshman Mary Slinger and senior Ashley Olson with 10 and nine, respectively.

Ma.McNamara added another record to her breakout freshman season as she set the NCAA Division II record for assists in a single season with 1,977 and closed out the year with the single season assist average record at 15.09 per game, pending the conclusion of the other eight teams still in action.

Joining W.Meierotto in double-digit kills were Kari Wolford with 15, Vicky Braegelmann with 14, Rachel Langseth with 13 and Sarah Wyfells with 12. Wyfells hit a team-high .480 as she was error-free in 25 attempts.

Sophomore setter Katie Gangelhoff, who kept the Golden Bear blockers off balance, dished out 62 assists and added seven digs, an ace and a pair of kills.

The UMD defense featured four players in double-digit digs led by three players with 14, W.Meierotto, Wolford and Chelsea Meierotto while Crystal Hoffrogge added 10.

UMD outblocked a Golden Bear squad that totaled a season-high 20 blocks the previous night. The final block total was 10-9 in favor of the Bulldogs.

NCAA North Central Region All-Tournament Team:

Ellen Andrews, RS, Augustana College

Vicky Braegelmann, OH, Minnesota Duluth

Erin Contons, OH, Southwest Minnesota State

Katie Gangelhoff, S, Minnesota Duluth

Megan Graham, Lib., Concordia University

Kelsey Kyro, MH, Concordia University

Rachel Langseth, OH, Minnesota Duluth

Jessica Lucia, RS, Concordia University

Chelsea Meierotto, Lib., Minnesota Duluth

Emily Schroeder, OH, Wayne State

Maria Steinhagen, MH, Concordia University

Kari Wolford, OH, Minnesota Duluth

Quotes:
Minnesota Duluth:
Head Coach Jim Boos:
"It is exciting to be back in this position. I'm proud of the way the girls responded tonight."

On responding to a 30-22 game one loss to win the final three: "We started to reverse the ball, kill the ball to different directions which created some one on one opportunities. We played a little tight early."

On whether UMD was intimidated playing on the road after they lost the previous three matches at Concordia: "No, this is a great rivalry. We have proved we have the ability to win here and at home. Concordia has proved that they also have the ability to win at our place and at home. Both teams can win anywhere."

On making it out of the North Central Region and to the Elite Eight: "This region prepared you. The road we will have to the national championship is a difficult one with the Pacific Region winner. We will prepare to worry about how well we play and doing what we need to do to win games."

Kari Wolford (Jr., OH, Avon, MN):
On advancing to the Elite Eight: "We are so excited. Our goal this year was to make it to the Elite Eight. Coming out of this with a win is exciting."

Whitney Meierotto (So., OH, Washburn, WI):
On advancing to the Elite Eight: "This is an amazing feeling."

Concordia University:
Head Coach Brady Starkey:
"This was a good match. They did to us what we were able to do last night to Wayne State. They stayed in system all night which kept us from getting in system."

"They steamrolled us."

On UMD having five players with at least 12 kills: "When you're in system you can set up anyone you want."

Jessica Lucia (Sr., RS, Plymouth, MN):
"They came back fighting and we couldn't bring the momentum back."

Kelsey Kyro (Sr., OH, Minneapolis, MN):
On playing in four consecutive regional championship matches: "I think it was taken for granted. It's a great accomplishment looking back on it now, but we had a goal to win the national championship this year. So it's a little sad that we fell short."

Megan Graham (Sr., Lib, Dayton, MN):
On playing in four consecutive regional championship matches: "I have to agree with Kelsey (Kyro). But when we came in as freshman we didn't really know what to expect. It's a little different as a senior. It's pretty cool that we made it here all four years."

Steinhagen has Career Night with 14 Total Blocks; Lucia Sets Single-Season Kills Record

November 10, 2006 | Box Score

St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center) - #3 Concordia University (36-2), the top seed, used a season-high 20.0 blocks as they defeated #20 Wayne State (30-8), the fourth seed, in four games 28-30, 30-24, 30-14, 30-22 in the NCAA North Central Regional Quarterfinals at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The Golden Bears advance to the regional championship match to play #5 Minnesota Duluth, the second seed, for the fourth consecutive season.

The Bears extend their winning streak to 20 matches on the season while their home winning streak is pushed to 29 matches and their winning streak against conference opponents (includes regular and postseason matches) is at 64.

Concordia dropped the first game to the Wildcats in a close battle. Wayne State hit .275 in the game with 20 kills while Concordia hit .255 with 19 kills.

>From there on out it was all Concordia as the Bears held the Wildcats to .133, -.147 and .000 attack pct. in the final three games while hitting .273, .300 and .206 to close out the match. Concordia outhit WSC .258 to .084 in the four game match.

Aside from the dominant blocking performance, senior libero Megan Graham's match-high 27 digs contributed to the low hitting pct. for Wayne State.

In the match, senior right side hitter Jessica Lucia (right) produced 15 kills which broke her own single season kills record at Concordia of 612 set in 2005. She now has 618 kills on the season. Lucia recorded her 21st double-double this year as sh also had 16 digs. She added four blocks and two aces in the match.

Sophomore Maria Steinhagen had a career night as she single-handedly shut down the Wildcat attack with 14 blocks, six solo - both career-highs. On offense, Steinhagen hit .389 with nine kills in 18 attempts with just two errors.

Not to be overshadowed was the attack prowess of senior middle hitter Kelsey Kyro (left) who hit a match-high 20 kills to the tune of a .395 pct. (20k-5e-38ta). Kyro also delivered at the net with six blocks.

Recording her seventh double-double on the year was senior outside hitter Ashley Olson who had 11 kills and 10 digs while adding four blocks.

Freshman setter Maggie McNamara continued her consistent high powered season with 61 assists while setting the offense to a .258 pct. against one of the best blocking teams in the nation. Ma.McNamara also had eight digs and four blocks for the Bears.

The Wildcats were led by Emily Schroeder who had 15 kills, 10 digs and five blocks. Earlier in the season, Schroeder delivered a triple-double against the Golden Bears. Danielle Wessel added 13 kills, nine digs and four blocks. Senior setter Brittany Coleman had 43 assists and eight digs while libero Laura Dolezal added a team-high 19 digs.

The regional championship match between the Golden Bears and Bulldogs will be played Saturday, November 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the Gangelhoff Center. The Bears have a 2-1 record against UMD in their previous three meetings in the regional championship match.

Quotes:
Concordia University
Head Coach Brady Starkey:
"This was a fun match. They give us everything they've got every time we play them."

On Wayne State winning game one with intensity: "That's Wayne, they're really good. They play really well on their emotions."

"We've watched tape on them. They play well against other teams. They play great against us."

In response to noticing anything Wayne State did offensively as they blocked them 20 times: "We thought we were anxious in our blocks early. We started to show some patience, started waiting on blocks and got keyed in. And Maria's (Steinhagen) a freak of nature."

Maria Steinhagen (So., MH, Alexandria, MN):
In response to if Coach Starkey had any comments after the game one loss: "There aren't too many serious talks in between our games. We took it upon ourselves (to get going)."

Kelsey Kyro (Sr., MH, Minneapolis, MN):
On playing Minnesota Duluth for the fourth straight time in the regional final: "It is not much of a surprise. I think the team that is most aggressive will win."

Wayne State College
Head Coach Scott Kneifl:
"We did a lot of nice things in game one. I'm proud of our team's effort. The team followed the game plan. We shut down their top players in game one. When they (Concordia) are in system, they are awesome."

On going from a 10 win program three years ago to a 30 win team this year: "We are excited about our future and I told the girls not to let the seniors work go to waste."

Brittany Coleman (Sr., S, Beatrice, NE):
On winning 30 games this season: "We had big goals, we knew we could go places. We had visions of being a top 25 program this year."

Michelle Eckhardt (Sr., MH, Ayr, NE):
On the team's growth during her career: "We were definitely more of a team this year. It was ten times better this year than any year I've been here."

#3 Concordia-St. Paul Rolls Past Northern State, Face Wayne State in NCAA Regional Semifinals

November 9, 2006 | Box Score

St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center) - The #3 ranked and top seeded Concordia University (35-2) volleyball team cruised past No. 8 seed Northern State (17-14) in the NCAA North Central Region quarterfinals with a 30-24, 30-19, 30-14 victory Thursday evening at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The win for Concordia will pit them against the No. 4 seed, #20 Wayne State College in a rematch of the NSIC Tournament Championship that was played last Saturday evening. Concordia won that match in four games.

Concordia also extends the fourth-longest conference winning streak in NCAA Division II history to 63 matches (against all opponents). Their current win streak stands at 19 matches on the season and their home winning streak is stretched to 28 matches, dating back to the last match of 2004.

Senior Ashley Olson led the Bears attack with a match-high 13 kills. She racked up her sixth double-double of the season with 16 digs.

Olson wasn't the only Golden Bear to achieve a double-double as senior Jessica Lucia poured in 12 kills and matched Olson's 16 digs to record her 20th double-double. Lucia also became the first player in school history to record at least 1,500 career kills and 1,500 career digs and she is just nine kills shy of tying the school kill record that she set last season (612).

Lucia wasn't the only record-breaker as freshman setter Maggie McNamara nabbed her second school record. Her 49 assists in the match give her a single-season school record of 1,864. The nation's leader in assists per game is on pace to set the NCAA Division II record for assists per game, currently she averages 15.15 per game.

The Bears had three players with 16 digs as senior libero Megan Graham matched Olson and Lucia's dig total. Ma.McNamara and freshman Mary Slinger each pitched in on the defensive end with eight digs.

At the net, Concordia had one of their finest blocking performances of the season with 14 blocks compared to Northern State's 7.0. Sophomore Maria Steinhagen had a match-high seven blocks while senior Kelsey Kyro had six and junior Monica McNamara had five. Kyro also had 12 kills in the contest while Steinhagen added nine.

As a whole, the Concordia defense shut down the Wolves attack, holding them to a paltry .036 hitting pct. for the match including negative pct. in games two and three (-.071 and -.023, respectively).

Northern State was led by Odemaris Diaz who had a team-high 10 kills and three blocks (one solo). NSU setter Kellie Heier logged a double-double with 24 assists and 13 digs while libero Melanie Perez etched in 10 digs.

The Golden Bears will face the Wildcats tomorrow evening at 7:30 at the Gangelhoff Center for the fourth time this season, with Concordia taking the first three meetings.

Quotes:

Concordia University
Head Coach Brady Starkey:
"The girls played really consistent, had good ball control, played good defense and served really tough."

In response to how the match was different than last week: "You are done if you lose here (in the NCAA regional). Not to cheapen the NSIC Tournament, but the girls felt more fired up when they took the court."

In response to Jessica Lucia and Maggie McNamara's achievements: "It's awesome to have had all of the seniors for four years. They are both great achievements and testaments to the team. It shows how we've been able to rebolster the lineup and that Maggie wouldn't be able to do what she's done without the help the seniors and the rest of the team."

"I'm very excited for Wayne State tomorrow night."

"If someone beats us, they have earned it."

Jessica Lucia (Sr., RS, Plymouth, MN):
In response to her 1,500 kills/1,500 digs: "I couldn't have done any of this without my teammates and my coaches."

"I just want to win."

Ashley Olson (Sr., OH, Circle Pines, MN):
"We aren't going down without a fight."

In response to Wayne State feeling at home at the Gangelhoff Center: "This is our home."

Northern State
Head Coach Lisa Schriver:
In response to the difference between their last meeting with Concordia that was a close three game match: "I think (Kelsey) Kyro playing made a big difference. They just took it to a different level and we played overwhelmed. Concordia is more experienced at regionals and they just stepped it up to another level."

Kellie Heier (Sr., S, Aberdeen, S.D.)
In response to playing at a NCAA Regional event: "It was awesome that we made the regional. It was a little different than last week at the NSIC Tournament, but we are used to playing here, we feel like this is our home court having played here so much lately. But I am glad we made it this far, it was a great experience and I am happy to be a part of this team."

Odemaris Diaz (Sr., OH/MH, Vega Also, Puerto Rico)
Talk about the experience you have had at Northern State the past two years: "It has been a great experience. I have wanted all my life to compete in the NCAA Tournament. It has been great to be a part of this team, and it feels good to know that I was able to contribute and help the team get as far as we did the last two years."
Text Courtesy of CSP Sports Information

#20 WAYNE STATE DOWNS #22 SW MINNESOTA STATE IN 1st ROUND OF NCAA NORTH CENTRAL REGION TOURNAMENT

November 9, 2006 | Box Score

St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center) - 20th ranked Wayne State College posted their first-ever win in NCAA post-season play Thursday evening with a four-game win over #22 Southwest Minnesota State in the first round of the NCAA Division II North Central Region Tournament at St. Paul, Minnesota. The Wildcats outlasted their rival from the Northern Sun Conference 30-27, 19-30, 30-24 and 30-27. It was the fourth time the two teams met this season with WSC winning three of the four matches.

WSC trailed early in the first game that featured seven ties, but the Wildcats were able to snap a 23-23 tie and go on to the 30-27 win in the first game thanks to a service ace by Mattie Burnham to close out the first game. Junior Emily Schroeder had six kills and five blocks in the first game to pace the Wildcats. The second game saw Southwest Minnesota State record just two hitting errors while hitting .412 to win 30-19 and even the match at one game apiece.

The third game saw both teams hold leads until the Wildcats used a stretch of seven straight points to take control of the game. With WSC leading 22-21, WSC reeled off seven straight points to go in front 29-21 and win the third game 30-24. The fourth game featured more even play between the two clubs, but WSC rallied from a 19-13 deficit to come back and take a 30-27 win and capture the match in four games.

“These two teams are very evenly matched and I thought our kids did a great job of handling adversity in key situations,” said WSC head coach Scott Kneifl. “Our defense and blocking were tremendous. We knew what they were going to do and I thought we made some big plays.”

Junior Emily Schroeder led Wayne State in hitting with 18 kills along with 11 blocks and eight digs. Michelle Eckhardt added 16 kills with sophomore Brittany Van Beek accounting for 12 kills. Junior libero Laura Dolezal led the Wildcats defensively with 31 digs while Meredy Dubbs added 14. Senior setter Brittany Coleman handed out 52 set assists and finished with 14 digs. Coleman said in the post-game interview that the key to the match was balanced hitting by the Wildcats. “We have so many players I can pass the ball to. It makes my job much easier knowing in adverse situations we can go to anyone on our team.”

Kneifl added that after losing in the first round of last year’s regional, he felt that experience played a role in Thursday’s win over Southwest Minnesota State . “We weren’t as tight for tonight’s match as what we were last year. The kids were a lot more relaxed and I was more relaxed as well.”

Southwest Minnesota State held a slight .203 to .185 hitting advantage over Wayne State .

Wayne State, now 30-7 on the season, will advance to the semi-finals on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and face #3 Concordia-St. Paul, who defeated Northern State in three games Thursday evening 30-24, 30-19, 30-14.

“Getting 30 wins was a big goal of ours and it’s a goal we knew was attainable,” added Kneifl. “We know we have a tough match in the semifinals but I feel our team is peaking at the right time of the season and we are playing well.”
Text Courtesy of Wayne State Sports Information

NSIC Volleyball Weekly Release No. 12

November 6, 2006 | Full PDF Release

Lucia Repeats as Daktronics North Central Region Player of the Year as All-Region Teams Released

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference had five of the six members of the Daktronics, Inc. North Central All-Region Team. The NSIC also garnered the North Central Player of the Year as Concordia-St. Paul’s Jessica Lucia won the award for the second consecutive year. Joining Lucia on the first team were teammates Kelsey Kyro and Maggie McNamara. Wayne State added Emily Schroeder and Laura Dolezal while Southwest Minnesota State’s Erin Contons rounded out the NSIC players. Minnesota-Duluth’s Vicky Braegelmann was the final member of the first team.
Concordia-St. Paul libero Megan Graham was the sole NSIC member on the second team.

Lucia, a native of Plymouth, Minn., adds another accolade to her impressive collegiate resume as she also repeated as the NSIC Player of the Year. She is on pace to break her own single season kills record, needing just 21 to tie her mark set last season of 612. She currently has 1,599 career kills and is on the verge of becoming the first player in school history to enter the 1,500 kills and digs club as she has 1,492 digs. Lucia is currently 10th in the nation with an average of 4.88 kills per game.

Kyro, a middle hitter from Minneapolis, Minn., is making her second consecutive appearance on the all-region first team along with Lucia. Kyro is among the nation’s most efficient hitters, hitting .384 which ranks 11th in NCAA DII. She averages 4.37 kills per game and 1.04 blocks per game.

McNamara, a setter from Zumbrota, Minn., wasted no time in becoming the NCAA’s top setter, leading the nation with 15.12 assists per game which is on pace to break former CU all-American Cailin Terhaar’s NCAA Division II record of 14.65 assists per game. She is also just 33 assists shy of Terhaar’s She holds the CU single match record for assists with 75, which she did on two occasions, and eclipsed the 70 assist mark for a third time in a four game match against Wayne State in the NSIC Tournament Championship. She was a first team all-NSIC selection and was named the NSIC Freshman of the Year.

Dolezal, a 5-8 junior libero from Columbus, Nebraska (Scotus HS), was a Second Team All-Region selection last year as a sophomore. She ranks second in the NSIC in digs per game (5.83) and is 16th in NCAA Division II in digs per game. Earlier this season, Dolezal became the all-time digs leader at Wayne State and has been named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Week four times this season and was recently named the NSIC Libero of the Year for the second straight season.

Schroeder, a 5-11 junior middle hitter from Belden, Nebraska (Laurel-Concord HS), leads Wayne State in kills (4.49 kpg) and blocks (1.51 bpg) to rank first in the NSIC in blocks and third in kills per game. She is also listed near the top nationally, ranking seventh in blocks and 24th in kills in NCAA Division II. Schroeder has earned the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week award twice this season and has been selected the Nebraska NCAA Division II Volleyball Player of the Week five times this season. She was named last week to the All-Northern Sun Conference First Team.

Contons, a 5-10, outside hitter from Apple Valley, Minn. has earned numerous honors this season. She was recently named to the first team All-NSIC for the third consecutive year. Contons has also earned the honor of NSIC Offensive Player of the Week three times this season. Contons has broke the school record of career kills as she now has a total of 1,895 kills, the previous record was held by Paige Karno who had a total of 1,661.
Contons leads the Mustangs with 708 kills and a 5.80 kills per game average. Contons ranks first in the school single season record book for kills as she passed the previous record holder, Beth Elliott who had 670 kills in the 1990 season. Her 5.80 kills per game average is the single-season record, breaking her old record of 5.56 from the 2005 season.

Graham, a libero from Dayton, Minn., is CU’s all-time digs leader and ranks 6th all-time in NCAA Division II history with 2,153 career digs. She holds the single season digs record, set in 2004 as a sophomore. She averages 4.80 digs per game in her fourth year holding the libero position.

 

 

Don't Anger the Bears - Concordia St. Paul Three-Peats as NSIC VB Champions

November 4, 2006 | Box Score

Golden Bears Storm Back After Losing Game 1 in NSIC Championship

Concordia-St. Paul Sneaks Past Northern State in Three Games

November 3, 2006 | Box Score

WILDcats Survive Mustang Rally- Advance to NSIC Championship Game

Wayne State Setter Brittany Coleman Celebrates a Wildcat Point

November 3, 2006 | Box Score

Golden Bears Advance to Semifinals - Olson Records Season High 16 Kills

November 2, 2006 | Box Score

Wolves Advance to Semifinals - Diaz Dials up Double Double

November 2, 2006 | Box Score

Wildcats Advance to Semifinals - Eckhardt Game High 18 Kills

November 2, 2006 | Box Score

Mustangs Advance to Semifinals - Contons Game High 16 Kills

November 2, 2006 | Box Score

NSIC All-Conference Team Announced

November 1, 2006 | PDF Release

October 30, 2006 | Full AVCA Release

#9 Emily Schroeder
MH, 5-11, Jr.,
Belden, Neb.
Univ. of Nebraska / Laurel-Concord HS
Wayne State

Emily Schroeder, a junior middle hitter for then-ranked #24 Wayne State (Neb.), has been named Sports Imports/AVCA Division II National Player of the Week. Schroeder earned the award with her strong all-around play in helping lead the Wildcats to two wins against then-ranked #20 Southwest Minnesota State and Winona State. In Wayne State's win over Southwest Minnesota State, Schroeder had 29 kills in 55 attempts for a .436 hitting percentage. She also chipped in 11 digs and six total blocks. Three days later, she continued her strong play in the Wildcats' win over Winona State by putting down 20 kills in 53 attempts for a .226 hitting percentage. In addition, she had 10 digs and three total blocks in the match. All told last week, Schroeder averaged 6.12 kills per game, a hitting percentage of .333, 2.62 digs per game and 1.12 blocks per game. Schroeder is the first player from Wayne State to earn the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week honor. The Wildcats are coached by Scott Kneifl.

 

NSIC Volleyball Players of the Week

October 30, 2006 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#9 Emily Schroeder
MH, 5-11, Jr.,
Belden, Neb.
Univ. of Nebraska / Laurel-Concord HS
Wayne State

Schroeder averaged 6.12 kills, 2.62 digs and 1.12 blocks per game in two Wildcat wins during the week. She had 29 kills, 11 digs and six blocks in 3-1 win over #20 Southwest Minnesota State last Tuesday evening. Schroeder also added 20 kills with 10 digs and three blocks in 3-1 win at Winona State. For the week she hit .333 in the two matches.

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#10 Laura Dolezal
DS, 5-8, JR.,
Columbus, Neb.
Columbus Scotus HS
Wayne State

Dolezal averaged 6.25 digs per game in two WSC wins. She had 25 digs in each match in a 3-1 win over #20 SMSU and in 3-1 win at Winona State. Dolezal also added five set assists and two service aces in the wins.

NSIC Setter of the Week
#4 Brittany Coleman
S, 5-9, Sr.,
Beatrice, Neb.
Creighton/Beatrice HS
Wayne State

Coleman Averaged 15.00 assists and 3.88 digs per game as WSC went 2-0 during the week. She had 59 set assists and 21 digs in 3-1 win over #20 SMSU Tuesday evening and had 61 set assists with 10 digs in the Wildcat’s 3-1 road win at Winona State.

 

 

Streak Hits 13 as Lucia and Steinhagen Power Golden Bears Past Bulldogs

October 24, 2006 | Box Score

Oct. 24– #6 Concordia University (29-2) extended their winning streak to 13 matches with a decisive four game victory (30-21, 25-30, 30-26, 30-26) over #4 Minnesota Duluth (24-3) in front of an overflowing Gangelhoff Center with 1,219 fans in attendance on Tuesday evening. The contest pitted the top-two teams in the region as UMD was ranked first while the Bears were second.

The victory pushes Concordia's home winning streak to 24 matches and CU improves to 9-2 against teams ranked in the AVCA Top 25. It is their fourth win over a top ten opponent. Full Story

NSIC Volleyball Players of the Week

October 23, 2006 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#8 Jessica Lucia
RS, 5-9, Sr.,
Plymouth, Minn.Wayzata HS
Concordia-St. Paul

Jessica Lucia led the Golden Bears to their third straight NSIC Conference Championship title this week. Over the week she hit .313 as the Golden Bears went 3-0 and extended their conference winning streak to 57 which ties the fifth longest such streak in NCAA Division II history. Lucia was also stellar in her defensive effort tallying 42 digs for 3.50 digs per game and 7 blocks.

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week

#10 Melanie Perez
Libero/OH, 5-8, So.
Rio Piedras. PR
WNCC
Northern State

Perez averaged 9.00 digs per game as the Wolves went 2-0 for the week, defeating Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. Perez had 30 digs against Bemidji State in the three game match. This marks the fourth time this season and the second week in a row Perez has been named defensive player of the week.

NSIC Setter of the Week
#12 Maggie McNamara
S, 5-9, Fr.,
Zumbrota, Minn.
Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS
Concordia-St. Paul

McNamara averaged 15.33 assists per game for the Golden Bears as they clinch the conference regular season championship. Against SW Minnesota State she piled up 65 assists and just missed a double-double with nine digs. She led the Bears to a .408 hitting pct. in the fourth game to seal the win. Against Wayne State she tied her school record with 75 assists. This marks the fifth time this season McNamara has been named setter of the week.

Concordia-St. Paul Clinches NSIC Championship with Win Over Mustangs

October 21, 2006

#7 Concordia University (28-2, 16-0 NSIC) clinched their fourth consecutive Northern Sun regular season championship as they defeated #21 SW Minnesota State (25-6, 13-3 NSIC) in four games, 33-31, 30-27, 25-30, 30-26, on Saturday evening at the Gangelhoff Center. The regular season title means the Bears will host the NSIC Tournament for the third-straight year. They won the NSIC Tournament each of the last two years.

Senior Jessica Lucia (left) led five Bears in double-digit kills with 18 as she posted a double-double, recording 17 digs. She also added four assists and a pair of blocks.

 

Lucia, Ma.McNamara Lead Bears in Five Game Thriller Over Wildcats

October 21, 2006

#7 Concordia University (27-2, 15-0 NSIC) used a dominant game five to edge #24 Wayne State (23-6, 12-3 NSIC) 30-27, 25-30, 30-23, 27-30, 15-12 on Friday evening in a critical Northern Sun match between two of the top three teams in the league.

Freshman setter Maggie McNamara continued her outstanding first collegiate season by equaling her own school record with 75 assists in the match. The nation's assist leader also pitched in 13 digs, giving her a double-double for the match as she led CU to a .243 hitting pct. including a .360 effort in the fifth game as CU had 11 kills with just two errors in 25 attacks. Read More...

 

NSIC Volleyball Players of the Week

October 16, 2006 | PDF Release

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
Erin Contons
OH, 5-9, Jr.,
Apple Valley, Minn.
Apple Valley HS
SW Minnesota State

Erin Contons hit .347 over the week as the Mustangs went 3-0 and extended their winning streak to ten matches. Contons had 55 kills in the nine games for an average of 6.11 kills per game. She also added 37 digs, six blocks, and two aces during the week. This marks the second consecutive week and third time this season Contons has been offensive player of the week.

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#10 Melanie Perez
Libero/OH, 5-8, So.
Rio Piedras, PR
Western Nebraska CC
Northern State

Perez averaged 7.83 digs per game as the Wolves went 2-0 for the week, defeating the University of Mary and MSU Moorhead, each in three game matches. Perez had 20 digs against Mary and 27 against MSU Moorhead as the Wolves improved to 13-11 overall and 7-7 in the NSIC. This marks the third time this season Perez has been named defensive player of the week.

NSIC Setter of the Week
#8 Monica Ashburn
S, 5-7, Jr.
Hector, Minn.
SW Minnesota State

Ashburn averaged 14.00 assists per game for the Mustangs as they extended their win streak to ten matches. The Mustangs hit .284 for the week behind Ashburn, who also added 13 digs, six blocks and two aces. This marks the first time this season Ashburn has been named setter of the week.

Northern State Sweeps Mary in 3-0 NSIC Win

October 10, 2006

ABERDEEN, S.D. – A season high attack percentage propelled the Northern State volleyball team (12-11, 6-7 NSIC) past the University of Mary (7-15, 4-9 NSIC) Tuesday night at Wachs Arena. The Wolves hit .257 as they knocked off the Marauders in three straight games, 30-23, 30-18, 30-26. Full Story

 

 

NSIC Volleyball Players of the Week

October 9, 2006 | PDF Release

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
Erin Contons
OH, 5-9, Jr.,
Apple Valley, Minn.
Apple Valley HS
SW Minnesota State

Erin Contons had a total of 92 kills on the week with a hitting percentage of .245. She broke the SMSU school record for career kills as she now has 1,689. She was only one kill away from tying the SMSU single game record for kills in a match as she had 37 kills against Northern State.

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
Laura Dolezal
Libero/OH, 5-8, Jr.,
Columbus, Neb.
Wayne State

Laura Dolezal averaged 6.44 digs per game to help WSC go 3-0 at the NSIC Crossover in Moorhead, Minnesota. She had a weekend-high 26 digs in the Warrior 3-1 win over Northern State. She also added 21 digs in the 3-0 win over Mary and 11 digs in 3-0 win over MSU Moorhead.

NSIC Setter of the Week
Lisa Dobie
S, 5-10, Jr.,
Glenn Ellyn, Ill.
Winona State

In the Warrior’s four win this week Dobie had 194 assists, averaging 12.93 assists per game. Dobie also had 7 service aces and 53 digs allowing her to tally an incredible double-double in assists and digs in all four matches.

NSIC Volleyball Players of the Week

October 2, 2006 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#8 Jessica Lucia
RS, 5-9, Sr.,
Plymouth, Minn.Wayzata HS
Concordia-St. Paul
Lucia, the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year, has been named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. Lucia had 6.00 kills per game and a hitting percentage of .458 in the Golden Bears three matches. She had 35 digs, nine blocks and three aces on the week.

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week

#10 Melanie Perez
Libero/OH, 5-8, So.
Rio Piedras. PR
WNCC
Northern State

Perez helped lead Northern State to a mark of 2-1 on the week. The 5-8 transfer posted at least 21 digs in all three matches, tallying 68 total digs. In an appearance as an outside hitter, Perez came up with eight digs.

NSIC Setter of the Week
#12 Maggie McNamara
S, 5-9, Fr.,
Zumbrota, Minn.
Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS
Concordia-St. Paul

McNamara averaged 15.30 assists per game in the three matches Concordia-St. Paul played last week. McNamara also had 31 digs, three blocks and two kills on the week. This marks the fourth time McNamara has been named setter of the week and second week in a row.

#22 SMSU Defeats #24 Wayne State in Key NSIC Battle

September 26, 2006 | Box Score

Marshall, Minn.: The 24th-ranked Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team earned a hard-fought Northern Sun Conference match on Tuesday night defeating 22nd-ranked Wayne State 30-28, 30-26, 26-30, 30-19.

The Mustangs now move to 15-5 overall and 6-2 in the NSIC. Wayne State now has an overall record of 16-4 and will be tied with SMSU for second in the conference with a 6-2 NSIC record.

Junior Kasey Loeslie had an outstanding night at the net as she compiled 14 kills with zero errors on 32 attempts for a team high .438 hitting percentage. Loeslie also led the team in blocks as she had eight.

Senior Megan Wendorff stepped up in the fourth game as she pounded down four kills in a row for the Mustangs. She had 13 total kills on the night and was second in blocks with seven. Read More

Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week

September 25, 2006 | Full Release

Jessica Lucia, a senior right side for third-ranked Concordia-St. Paul, has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division II National Player of the Week. Lucia led her team to two wins over CSTV/AVCA Top 25 teams this past week. In a sweep of #24 Southwest Minnesota State, Lucia planted 23 kills and added nine digs, hitting an incredible .767. Later in the week, against #25 Wayne State (Neb.), Lucia recorded a double-double, as she registered 21 more kills coupled with 11 digs, while hitting .400. For the week, the Golden Bear senior averaged an amazing 7.33 kills per game, while hitting a very impressive .557. She also added 3.33 digs per game and 1.17 blocks per game. Lucia is the second Golden Bear to win the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week; she won the award in November of 2005. Joy Wubben also won the Award twice in 2004. The Concordia-St. Paul Head Coach is Brady Starkey. AVCA Release

Lucia is the second NSIC player this season to be named Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week. Megan Wendoff of SW Minnesota State was named it back out August 28th.

NSIC Volleyball Players of the Week

September 25, 2006 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#8 Jessica Lucia
RS, 5-9, Sr.,
Plymouth, Minn.
Wayzata HS
Concordia-St. Paul

Lucia, the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year, hit a blazing .767 in leading the #3 Golden Bears to a 3-0 road win at #24 SW Minnesota State. Lucia had 23 kills, with no errors in 30 attempts. Lucia backed that up with a 21 kill .400 hitting performance against #25 Wayne State. For the week Lucia hit .557 (44K-5E-70TA) with 20 digs and seven blocks.

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#5 Ashley Maas
RS, 5-8, JR.,
Rapid City, S.D.
Central High School
University of Mary (ND)

Maas averaged 5.88 digs per game as the University of Mary picked up a pair of NSIC wins over Bemidji State and Minnesota, Crookston. She had only one receiving error in the eight games and four service aces. Offensively she had 25 kills on the week, hitting .202.

NSIC Co-Setter of the Week
#12 Maggie McNamara
S, 5-9, Fr.,
Zumbrota, Minn.
Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS
Concordia-St. Paul
McNamara averaged 15.17 assists per game in the two matches Concordia-St. Paul played this week. The Golden Bears hit .352 in the two games as they swept both #24 SW Minnesota State and #25 Wayne State. McNamara also had 29 digs, four blocks and two kills on the week. This marks the third time McNamara has been named setter of the week.

Full Volleyball Release No. 5:
http://www.northernsun.org/Sports/Volleyball-Womens/Releases/06_09_25_VB_ReleaseNo5.pdf