Burnsville, Minn. - For the ninth consecutive season the Concordia University, St. Paul Golden Bears have been picked by the league coaches in the NSIC Preseason Volleyball Poll. After winning the past five NCAA National Championships, the Golden Bears received all 15 first place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team). The Golden Bears will return three AVCA All-Americans from a year ago, including Kayla Koenecke, the coaches’ choice for Preseason Player of the Year.

Minnesota Duluth finished in second in the coaches poll as they edge out Southwest Minnesota State by two points, 202 to 200.  However, the Mustangs received the other first place vote. Wayne State (183) and Minnesota State (166) rounded out the top five in the poll.

	2012 Preseason VB Coaches' Poll	Points
1.	Concordia-St. Paul (15)	225
2.	Minnesota Duluth	202
3.	Southwest Minnesota State (1)	200
4.	Wayne State	183
5.	Minnesota State	166
6.	Augustana	151
7.	MSU Moorhead	146
8.	Winona State	125
9.	Northern State	101
10.	Upper Iowa	95
11.	Minnesota, Crookston	81
12.	St. Cloud State	77
13.	Bemidji State	59
14.	Sioux Falls	41
15.	U-Mary	34
	Minot State	34
	first place votes in ( )

The 2012 NSIC regular season champion will be determined by the 20-game conference schedule.  The top eight teams will play in the single elimination NSIC Volleyball Tournament on November 16, 17, 18 with the high seed hosting all eight teams and seven matches.

NSIC Preseason Player of the Year
RS, 5-9,  Jr.,
Delano, Minn.
Delano HS
Concordia - St. Paul

Koenecke was named AVCA All-American First Team, NCAA All-Tournament Team, AVCA Central Region First Team, NSIC First Team, 2011 Metro/Regis All-Tournament Team, NSIC All-Academic and was the Concordia University Athlete of the Week five times. She finished sixth in the nation with a .400 attack percentage – which was the highest in school history for a single season – and 83rd with 407 kills (sixth in the NSIC and second on the team). The Delano, Minn. native averaged 3.48 kills per set, was third on the team with 314 digs and had 75 total blocks which was second most on the team.

2012 NSIC Players to Watch

Augustana College
#12  Holly Hafemeyer (MB, 6-2, Jr., Faribault, Minn. / Bethleham Academy)
Hafemeyer enters her senior season in 2012, after leading Augustana, and finishing fourth in the conference, in attack percentage at .323 while starting all 28 matches last season. The 6-foot-2 junior also led the Vikings in blocks with 99 (1.01/set); good enough for eighth in the conference. Hafemeyer recorded a career-high in kills (23) and attack percentage against Winona State on Nov. 5. Hafemeyer, an All-NSIC performer in 2011, recorded 10 or more kills in 16 matches last season.  

Bemidji State
#2 Bethany Thompson (OH,  5-11, Sr., Owatonna, Minn. / Owatonna HS)
Thompson started all 28 matches for the Beavers in 2011 as she tallied 294 kills (3.06 k/s) on 949 total attacks (.162 attack %).  She also recorded 245 digs (2.55 d/s) on the season with a .935 receive percentage. She led the team in kills, total attacks, kills/set, and pts/set (3.42). She logged a career-high 19 kills vs. University of Mary Oct. 28 and tallied 50 attempts against Minnesota, Crookston Nov. 5, a team season-high. She also notched a team-best eight double-doubles and tallied five games with 15 or more kills.

Concordia St. Paul
#2 Cassie Haag (MB, 6-0, Sr., Plymouth, Minn. / Southwest Christian HS)
Despite missing some time due to injury in 2011, Haag was one of the most feared hitters in the nation, finishing with 192 kills and a .341 attack percentage. Haag was named NSIC All-Academic. She also was third on the squad with 2.82 kills per set on the year, averaged .91 blocks per set – which was second best on the team – and had 62 total blocks with 14 solo (third most despite missing 14 matches on the season). The Plymouth, Minn. native averaged 3.38 points per set, tied a career-high with four digs against No. 2 Tampa in the NCAA Final Four, posted a season-high 20 kills at Winona State, tallied six matches with 10-plus kills, went three straight matches without an error and had a season-high seven blocks at Northern State.

University of Mary
#14 Valerie Lesu (DS, 5-4, Sr., Waipahu, Hawaii / W.R. Farrington HS / Northwest College)
In her first year on campus after arriving from Northwest (Wyo.) College last fall, Valerie Lesu quickly became the Marauders defensive leader in the back row. The U-Mary libero averaged a team-high 4.33 digs per set, the seventh-best figure in the NSIC. The senior from Waipahu, Hawaii, led the Marauders in digs 26 times in 30 games and posted double digit digs 27 times. Her season-high was 24 in a three set game. Lesu tied for the team lead in aces with 19 and was third in assists (53).

Minnesota, Crookston
#8 Brittany Looker (OH, 5-10, So., Rochester, Minn. / Mayo HS)
Brittany Looker, an NSIC All-Conference Honorable Selection pick as a freshman will lead the Golden Eagles on the outside as she returns for her sophomore season. In her first season at UMC, she led the team with 375 kills (3.41 kills/game) while boasting a .189 hitting percentage. Looker was second on the team with 29 service aces, as well as in digs with 255 (2.32 digs/game). She also amassed 44 blocks (7 solo/37 assists).  

Minnesota Duluth
#7 Kate Lange (OH, 6-1, Jr., Hibbing, Minn. / Hibbing HS)
As a sophomore, Lange took on added responsibility as one of three Bulldogs to see action in all 110 sets and start each of UMD’s 32 matches en route to claiming a laundry list of post-season awards. She earned a second spot on the All-NSIC team in as many years and was recognized as an All-Central Region first team performer by Daktronics and the AVCA. She landed All-America acclaim from Daktronics (second team) and the AVCA (first team) as she racked up a team-leading 529 kills, the highest total reached by a Bulldog attacker since Vicky Braegelmann clubbed 560 as a junior in 2006.  She led the  NSIC in points with 625.5 (5.69 per frame) and ranked second nationally in that category as one of the most dynamic offensive players in the country. She reached double figures in the kill department in all 32 Bulldog matches, recording 22 double-doubles. She took home NSIC Offensive Player of the Week honors on two occasions (Sept. 12 and Sept. 19) and was named to the Central Region All-Tournament team after compiling 26 kills, 28 digs and two double-doubles in as many NCAA postseason outings.

Minnesota State
#1 Chelsea Fogarty (OH, 5-10, Sr., Belle Plaine, Minn. / Belle Plaine HS)
Fogarty earned AVCA All-Central Region Honorable Mention honors after leading the Mavericks in 2011 with 448 kills (4.00 per set).  Fogarty moved into eighth on the school’s all-time kills list with 1,147 for her career as she became the ninth Maverick to join the MSU 1,000 kill club.  She has averaged 382 throughout her first three years as a Maverick.  Finishing third on the team with 362 digs (3.23 per set), Fogarty has recorded 852 in her career remaining 148 away from becoming the ninth Maverick to join the school’s 1,000 digs club.

MSU Moorhead
#7 Heidi Lensing (OH, 5-11, Sr.,  Belgrade, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa)
Lensing is a 2011 All-NSIC Honorable Mention selection as well as a NSIC Honor Student-Athlete Award winner.  She has started all but five matches during her three-year career at MSUM.  Lensing has totaled 977 kills, 680 digs, 145 blocks and 50 serve aces.  Her total of 29 serve aces in 2011 was 9th in the NSIC.  She totaled double-digit kills in 11 games with a season-high of 19 against Minnesota, Crookston on Sept. 13. Lensing is 10th on the Dragons all-time kills list. The Dragons have totaled a 50-38 record in Lensing’s three season.

Minot State
#4 Jen Dixon (OH, 5-9, Jr., Brandon, Manitoba / Vincent Massey High School)
Dixon appeared in all 34 matches at outside hitter for Minot State last season. She had a career high and team leading 519 kills (4.25 kills per set). She had a career high 27 kills against Jamestown College and led the team with 409 digs throughout the season.

Northern State
#10 Ella Campbell (Libero, 5-4, Sr., Aberdeen, S.D. / Aberdeen Central HS)
One of just two players to play in all 102 sets of the season, Campbell started all 27 matches of the season at libero for the Wolves, averaging 4.27 digs per set and finishing the season ranked ninth in the league in that category.  She totaled a team-best 436 digs, while taking in 676 serve receptions.  She also had 21 aces at the line, second most for the Wolves, who finished 13-14 overall.

Sioux Falls
#6 Chanda Goedken (OH, 6-0, Sr., Farley, Iowa / Kirkwood CC)
Goedken made a big splash in her first year wearing a Cougars jersey, appearing in every match (152 sets) and finishing the season as the team leader in digs (460) and stood second on the team in kills (417) and service aces (30). She averaged 2.74 kills per set and 0.2 service aces per set and also tallied 58 blocks and 27 set assists; her 417 kills is the seventh-highest single season total in school history and 460 digs put her 12th on the single-season charts. She recorded double-digit kills in 21 outings, double-digit digs in 24 matches and double-doubles on 17 occasions,  including five double-doubles in a seven match/two week stretch. Goedken posted a career-high in points (24.0) and kills (23) in Cougars’ five-set loss to Graceland (10/22), and made a season-best 24 digs in four-set season ending victory over William Jewell (11/12). She recorded a .400 or better attack percentage three times; .500 vs. Culver (9/17), .444 vs. Mount Marty (10/10) and .448 vs. William Jewell (11/10). Goedken was named to the Locos Grill All-Tournament Team and also received the 2011-12 USF student-athlete all academic award.

SMSU
#12 Devin Diedrich (MB 6-0 Sr. Braham, Minn. / Braham HS)
Diedrich received a medical redshirt for the 2011 season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee during a spring tournament in Marshall, Minn. 2010 was a standout year for the Braham, Minn. native. In her junior season, Diedrich became the eighth member of SMSU’s 1,000 kill club and currently ranks fourth all-time in SMSU history with 1,339. In 2010, Diedrich was awarded NSIC All-Conference first team, NSIC Offensive Player of the Year, AVCA All-Central Region first team, and Daktronics All-Central Region team. On Oct. 26, 2010, Diedrich became only the third Mustang in history to be named AVCA Division II National Player of the week. Heading into her senior season, Diedrich is only 322 kills away from moving into second place on SMSU’s all-time kills list.

St. Cloud State
#19 Ellie Dietzen (MB, 6-2, Jr., Black Creek, Wis /  Seymour Community HS)
Dietzen, a starting middle hitter for the Husky volleyball squad has displayed her talents for two years. She led the Huskies in kills (214) and blocks (87) last season. Dietzen ended her 2011 stretch with a season high 14 kills against Northern State on Nov. 12th. She further proved her offensive dominance by garnering 16 service aces while maintaining a .947 serving percentage. After starting and playing in all 28 matches last fall, the experience she will bring to the young Husky team is essential. The Husky volleyball team kicks off the 2012 season on Aug. 31st against the South Dakota School of Mines at the Upper Iowa tournament.  

Upper Iowa
#10 Skylar Lesan (S, 5-10, Sr., Solon, IA / Solon HS / Bradley University)
Skylar Lesan heads into her senior season with the Peacocks after being tabbed a NSIC All-Conference Honorable Selection a season ago.  The Solon, Iowa native completed her second season in Peacock blue and white as the team’s setter.  Last season, she played in 25 matches after rebounding from a preseason injury.  She tallied 931 assists this season for a 9.70/set average with ranks 10th in the NSIC and 77th in the nation.  The setter from Solon, Iowa has 1,887 assists in her two years which is third most on the all-time list at UIU.  In 2011, Lesan also recorded 185 digs, 79 kills, 48 blocks and 9 aces to her stat sheet.  In her 54 matches in Peacock blue, she has registered 406 digs, 191 kills, 93 blocks and 30 aces while directing the Upper Iowa attack.

Wayne State
#5 Melanie Placke (RS, 6-0, Sr., St. Libory, Neb. / St. Paul HS)
Placke averaged 2.18 kills and 0.65 blocks last season for the Wildcats starting 23 matches.  She ranked eighth in the NSIC with a .298 hitting percentage and is a two-time NSIC All-Academic selection, helping WSC to a 23-8 record and a seventh straight trip to the NCAA Tournament last season.

Winona State
#14 Kathy Lohff (MB, 5-11, Sr., Shawano, Wis. HS)
An All-NSIC selection during the 2011 season, Lohff led the Warriors with 84 blocks and was second on the squad with 287 kills. Lohff averaged 2.71 kills per game while collecting 53 digs and 11 aces. She recorded 16 double-digit kill games with a season high of 19 in a win over ranked Rollins. She had 18 kills and four blocks against Mary while hitting .441 on the match. She had 12 kills against Augustana and 11 against MSU Moorhead, hitting over .400 in both games.