For Immediate Release
Saturday, November 18, 2017
NSIC Media Relations
NSIC Elite 18 Award

BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Makenzie Morgen of the University of Minnesota Duluth has been named the 2017 NSIC Elite 18 Award winner for volleyball. Morgen was presented the award during the pregame of the UMD at Concordia-St. Paul semifinal volleyball match at the NSIC Tournament, which is taking place at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Morgen, the third Bulldog to earn the honor this fall, joins Jason Balts (Football - 2017), Grant Pulver (Men's Cross Country - 2016 & 2017) and Valerie Hohol (Softball - 2017) as recipients of the NSIC Elite 18 Award from UMD over the past two years. 

Morgen is a junior majoring in biology and holds a 4.00 grade point average.  The Appleton, Wisconsin native sits third on the team in kills/per set with 3.22 and second in digs per set at 3.06. She is on pace at become the first Bulldog to average at least 3.00 kills per set and 3.00 digs per set since Kate Lange accomplished that feat in 2011. Morgen also leads the club in service aces with 38, the most since 2011 and has compiled 11 double-doubles on the season. She also set collegiate highs in kills (27) and digs (24) in the regular season finale at Wayne State.  She earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors this fall as well.
 
As part of the NSIC 25th Anniversary celebration, the NSIC Elite 18 Award was instituted to recognize the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the NSIC Championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The NSIC Elite 18 award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NSIC’s 18 Championships.

Selection Criteria
1. Academically the student-athlete has achieved at least sophomore status as defined by his or her own institution.

2. Athletically the student-athlete is in his or her second year of competition at his or her current institution.

3. Athletically the student-athlete is an active member on the roster and a member of the designated squad size for the sport at the championship site.

4. A student-athlete may win the award only once per academic year even if she or he participates in more than one sport.

5. Grade point average is based on the cumulative grade point average at the time of nomination as calculated by each institution. Grade point average calculations will be based on a 4.00 scale and will be reported to two decimal places.

6. In the event of a tie based on grade point average, the award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest total number of credit hours earned.

7. If a tie still exists after looking at the total number of credit hours earned, all student-athletes who are tied shall be presented with the NSIC Elite 18 Award.

For more information on the Elite 18 award winners, log on to: http://northernsun.org/Elite18