For Immediate Release
Monday, October 24, 2022
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#5 Sydney Lanoue (OH/DS, 5-9, 5th, Tracy, Minn. / Tracy-Milroy-Balaton HS) - Minnesota Duluth
- Was fourth in the NSIC in hitting percentage and sixth in kills per set last week
- Hit .526 with 23 kills on 38 swings for 3.83 kills per set
- Recorded double-digit kills in both matches
- Added 15 digs in the wins over UMC and BSU

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#12 Phebie Rossi (MB, 6-2, Sr., Rapid City, S.D. / Stevens HS) - St. Cloud State
- Led the NSIC with 2.00 blocks per set
- Anchored the top-blocking team in the league as SCSU posted 3.67 blocks per set
- Helped the Huskies hold UMC and BSU to hit just .102
- Named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season (10/10/22)

NSIC Setter of the Week
#5 Teagan Starkey (S, 5-8, So., Lakeville, Minn. / South HS) - Concordia-St. Paul
- Averaged 14.14 assists per set (99 total assists) in CSP’s two wins on the weekend 
- Added 1.00 digs per set and 0.57 blocks per set 
- Helped the offense to a .322 hitting percentage with 15.14 kills per set 
- Reached 50+ assists for the sixth time this season with 55 against UIU 
- Leads the nation with 12.86 assists per set on the season
- Named NSIC Setter of the Week for the sixth time this season

Other Top Performances
OFFENSE
#3 Maddy Guetter (AUGIE) helped AU to a win over No. 5 SMSU this past week. Guetter led the team in total kills with 27 this past weekend averaging 3.86 a set. She tallied 30.5 points against USF and SMSU. Guetter currently leads the NSIC in total aces with 43 and aces per set with .54.
#9 Katie Mattson (CSP) hit a team-best .514 with 3.29 kills per set in CSP’s two wins on the weekend. She added 1.14 blocks per set. She collected at least nine kills and hit .478 or better in both matches. She ranks fifth in the NSIC in hitting (.351) and 10th in blocks (0.96).
#2 Nehkyah Ellis (UMary) averaged 2.86 kills and 3.21 points per set in two matches last week. She had 8 kills against Northern State and followed with 12 kills at MSUM.
#12 Abby Thompson (MSUM) hit .417 with 15 kills, two block assists and two solo blocks in two matches this week. She had two block solos and hit .333 in MSUM’s 3-0 win over UMary. She had seven kills and hit .467 in MSUM’s 3-0 win of Minot State.
#19 Sally Gaul (NSU) tallied 29 kills with a .418 attack percentage in the Wolves two wins. She averaged 4.14 kills per set with just six hitting errors. She added 21 digs, averaging 3.00 per set, three aces, and three blocks. She hit a single match career high .778 against Minot State, averaging 5.00 kills per set. 
#9 Meg Schmidt (SMSU) recorded an NSIC best 36 kills on the weekend. She posted 27 kills, hitting .333 in a five set victory over previously undefeated Wayne State. She hit .400 for the weekend and recorded a pair of blocks and added nine digs. 
#9 Maggie Streightiff (UIU) knocked down 23 kills in UIU’s six sets as the Peacocks went 1-1 last week. Streightiff had 15 kills at No. 3 Concordia-St. Paul and then added eight in a balanced attack in UIU’s home sweep of Minnesota State. The Peacock graduate student averaged 3.29 kills per set and hit .367 with only five attack errors.
#1 Sam Zimmerman (SCSU) led the NSIC by hitting .609 with 16 kills on 23 swings, committing just two errors. She added 1.50 blocks/set, good for fifth in the league. She helped SCSU go 2-0 against Crookston and Bemidji State.
#13 Taya Beller (WSC) averaged 3.78 kills and 1.44 blocks per set vs. Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. She had 15 kills in 3-1 win over Sioux Falls Thursday. She posted double-double with 19 kills and career-high 10 blocks in 3-2 loss Saturday at #5 SMSU.
#21 Sidney Paulson (WSU) was a major part of the Winona State offense during a 1-1 NSIC week for the Warriors. She racked up 13 kills in a 3-1 at Minnesota State. She also had three service aces vs. the Mavericks, tied for the team lead. She added 14 digs to the Warrior effort in a balanced performance. She had six kills in a 3-0 loss to CSP, tied for 2nd best on the team. 

DEFENSE
#2 Erika Bute (AUGIE) helped the Vikings to a win over No. 5 SMSU this past week while also surpassing 1500 career digs. She leads the NSIC in digs per set with 5.19 and total digs with 410. She had 39 total digs this week in matches against USF and SMSU while averaging 5.57 a set.
#6 Ellie Sieling (CSP) led the team with 5.14 digs per set (36 total digs) on the weekend. She fell one dig shy of her career-best in both matches as she collected 18 in each. She helped the defense hold opponents to .142 hitting in the two wins. She ranks seventh in the NSIC in aces per set and 11th in digs per set.
#22 Kaia Sueker (UMary) averaged an impressive 6.44 digs per set last week and .71 aces. She made 44 total digs and 5 aces in two matches covering seven sets. She had 21 digs and 3 aces against Northern State. She followed up with 23 digs and two aces at MSU Moorhead. She ranks second in the NSIC this season at 4.75 digs/set.
#2 Kaylyn Madison (UMD) was fifth in the NSIC in digs per set this past week with 4.67. Her 21-dig effort on Thursday was the sixth time this year she’s had 20+ digs in a match.
#3 Kendal Braun (MINOT) turned in a career-high in digs with a team-high 14 Thursday, then led the way again Saturday with 10 more digs for the Beavers.
#3 Casey Volkmann (WSU) was a major part of the Warrior defensive effort in a 1-1 NSIC week that included a road win at Minnesota State. She registered 13 digs vs. Minnesota State in a 3-1 victory. She added three service aces to the WSU effort vs. the Mavericks. She recorded eight digs vs. nationally-ranked Concordia St. Paul. 

SETTER
#9 Avery Thorson (AUGIE) helped AUGIE to win over No. 5 SMSU this past week. Thorson surpassed 4000 total career assist this weekend. She had 75 total assist this past week averaging 10.71 a set.
#7 Madison Gordon (UMD) was third in the NSIC in assists per set this past weekend with 12. She’s sixth in the country in average assists per set at 11.33. Gordon leads an offense that is third in the country in assists per set as a team at 13.49. Gordon’s 44 assists on Saturday marked the 11th time she’s had 40+ assists in a match.
#9 Lucia Mercolini (MINOT) led the way Thursday for the Beavers with 16 assists, then followed that up with 9 assists on the road Saturday.
#20 Keri Walker (NSU) averaged 12.71 assists per set and paced the Northern State offense to a .358 attack percentage. She totaled 89 assists on the week. She added 20 digs, averaging 2.86 per set, five kills, and two blocks. Four Northern State starters hit above .400. 
#6 Alisa Bengen (SMSU) picked up 93 assists on the weekend, second best in NSIC. She also averaged 2.44 digs per set, 0.89 kills per set, and 0.44 blocks per set. She had a career-high 62 assists, adding seven kills and a pair of blocks in a five-set victory over No. 1-ranked Wayne State. 
#18 Emma Berran (SCSU) posted the fourth-most assists per set with 11.33 as SCSU went 2-0 on the weekend. She directed the Huskies to hit .341 with 13.67 kills/set.
#2 Jaci Winchell (WSU) helped guide the Winona State offense to a 1-1 week in NSIC play, including a road win at Minnesota State. She dished out 39 assists vs. Minnesota State. She also had 11 digs vs. the Mavericks and 25 assists vs. Concordia St. Paul. She added 10 digs to the Warrior effort vs. CSP. 

 
NSIC Volleyball Players of the Week
8/29/22
O: #8 Jasmine Mulvihill - Concordia-St. Paul
D: #5 Keely Kurschner - St. Cloud State
S: #5 Teagan Starkey - Concordia-St. Paul

9/6/22
O: #18 Maggie Brahmer - Wayne State
D: #2 Erika Bute - Augustana
S: #5 Teagan Starkey - Concordia-St. Paul (2)

9/12/22
O: #8 Kenzie Foley - St. Cloud State 
D: #10 Macie Wieman - MSU Moorhead
S: #18 Emma Berran - St. Cloud State

9/19/22
O: #8 Jasmine Mulvihill - Concordia-St. Paul (2)
D: #9 Katie Mattson - Concordia-St. Paul
S: #13 Halle Bemmels - Concordia-St. Paul

9/26/22
O: #13 Taya Beller - Wayne State
D: #18 Maggie Brahmer - Wayne State
S: #5 Teagan Starkey - Concordia-St. Paul (3)

10/3/22
O: #8 Jasmine Mulvihill - Concordia-St. Paul (3) 
D: #2 Erika Bute - Augustana (2)
S: #5 Teagan Starkey - Concordia-St. Paul (4)

10/10/22
O: #13 Taya Beller - Wayne State (2)
D: #12 Phebie Rossi - St. Cloud State
S: #5 Teagan Starkey - Concordia-St. Paul (5)

10/17/22
O: #11 Kelsie Cada - Wayne State
D: #2 Erika Bute - Augustana (3)
S: #14 Rachel Walker - Wayne State

10/24/22
O: #5 Sydney Lanoue - Minnesota Duluth
D: #12 Phebie Rossi - St. Cloud State (2) 
S: #5 Teagan Starkey - Concordia-St. Paul (6)

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a 16-team union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 25 team national championships and crowned 96 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.