For Immediate Release
Monday, August 29, 2022
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#8 Jasmine Mulvihill (OH/RS, 5-11, Jr., Lakeville, Minn. / South HS) - Concordia-St. Paul
- Named to the CSP/SCSU All-Tournament Team after hitting .329 (71K-20E-155TA)
- Led the NSIC with 5.07 kills per set in four wins
- Added 2.21 digs per set, 0.57 blocks per set and 0.29 aces per set
- Had at least 16 kills in all four matches, hitting .368 or better in three of four
- Picked up double-doubles against Seattle Pacific and Drury
- Became the 22nd player in program history to reach 1,000 kills in her career in Saturday's win over Oklahoma Baptist

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#5 Keely Kurschner (Lib, 5-4, So., Maplewood, Minn. / Hill-Murray HS) - St. Cloud State
- Led the NSIC with 5.31 digs per set at the SCSU/CSP Invite
- Part of a defensive unit that allowed an NSIC-low seven aces (0.54 per set)
- Set a career-high with 23 digs against Drury

NSIC Setter of the Week
#5 Teagan Starkey (S, 5-8, So., Lakeville, Minn. / South HS) - Concordia-St. Paul
- Led the NSIC with 13.43 assists per set (188 total assists) last week
- Chipped in 2.07 digs per set, 0.29 blocks per set and 0.21 aces per set
- Surpassed her career best in assists in each of the final three matches of the weekend
- Had at least 37 assists and six digs in each match 
- Set a career-high with 59 assists to go along with eight digs and two blocks against Drury
- Was named to the CSP/SCSU All-Tournament Team

Other Top Performances
OFFENSE
#7 Piper Asche (AUGIE) was named to the Dr. Steve “Iceman” Aicinena All-Tournament team as she led Augustana with a .289 attack percentage over the four games. She totaled 31 kills to averaged 2.73 points per set and helped Au-gustana to its first 4-0 record since 2016.
#24 Hallie Mertz (BSU) paced the Beavers with 37 kills and a 2.18 kills per set average over four matches this past weekend. She totaled 37 kills and contributed 33 digs defensively to tie for second on the team.
#15 Bridget Witzmann (MSUM) led the Dragons in hitting at the Yellowjacket Classic, helping the team to 2-2 record. She had 62 kills in four matches, averaging 3.44 kills per set. She hit .269 for the weekend and also had three solo and seven assisted blocks. 
#9 Hope Schjenken (UMD) registered 38 kills across the St. Cloud State/Concordia St. Paul Tournament on a .367 hitting percentage. She earned All-Tournament Team honors.
#5 Alexandra Koontz (MINOT) led the way at Nebraska-Kearney tournament with a team-high 24 kills on the weekend, adding in 4 blocks and 21 digs.
#19 Sally Gaul (NSU) led the Wolves with 42 kills and a .231 attack percentage from the Oredigger Classic. She averaged 3.5 kills per set and added a 8.0 blocks and 17 digs. She was named to the Oredigger Classic All-Tournament Team. 
#9 CourtneyHolsteen (USF) had 45 kills, six digs an ace while hitting .212 for the week. 
Emma VanHeel (SMSU) collected 48 kills on a .263 hitting percentage, leading to a 4-0 finish at the Oredigger Classic in Golden, Colorado. She topped her previous career-high of 12 kills twice, first with a 14 kill match against Colorado Mesa on Saturday morning before a 14 kill effort against No. 11-ranked Colorado School of Mines. She recorded 20 blocks on the week-end, third most in the NSIC. She was the only player in the NSIC to rank in the top 10 in both blocks (3rd) and kills (7th). 
#8 Kenzie Foley (SCSU) led the Huskies to a 4-0 weekend at the SCSU/CSP Invite. She led the Northern Sun with 5.88 points per set, totaling 76.5 thanks to 61 kills, 10 aces and 10 blocks. She posted 61 kills and finished second in the NSIC with 4.69 per set. She hit .295 on the week-end, recorded 10 aces including a career-high five against RV Ashland on Saturday, finishing fourth in the NSIC with 0.77 a set. Her 19 kills in the season opener were the most in a Huskies’ three-set match since 2019. For her efforts she was named to the All-Tournament Team.
#17 Zoe Semelroth (UIU) led the Peacocks to a 3-1 record in their opening weekend. The sophomore middle hit .440 with a team-high 40 kills for a per set average of 2.94. She also led the team in blocks with nine including seven solo stops.
#13 Taya Beller  (WSC) averaged 4.50 kills per set with .628 hitting percentage helping #17 WSC to 4-0 record in New York. She had 16 kills with a .652 hitting percentage in 3-0 season-opening sweep at Adelphi (NY). She posted 14 kills on 15 attacks (.933) in Friday’s 3-0 win over Nyack College and had 17 kills with just one error and a .593 hitting percentage in Fri-day’s 3-0 sweep over Molloy College. She also averaged 0.67 blocks per set.
#16 Madison Larson (WSU) led the Warriors to a 2-2 record to at the CSP Invitational to open the 2022 campaign, including a win over nationally-ranked Oklahoma Baptist. She had 51 total kills over the four matches. She collected six blocks on the weekend while averaging 3.40 kills-per-set. She led team with 145 total attacks.

DEFENSE
#22 Kaia Sueker  (UMary) averaged 4.93 digs per set in an impressive opening weekend for the Marauders. She posted 20 digs against both Chadron State and South Dakota Mines and added 19 against MSU-Billings. 
#12 Grace Daak (UMD) racked up 17 total blocks throughout the St. Cloud State/Concordia St. Paul Tournament. She earned All-Tournament Team honors for her efforts.
#19 Brooke Walthall (MSUM) had 92 digs in four matches at the Yellowjacket Invitational, helping MSUM to 2-2 record. She averaged 5.11 digs per set and had a career-high 30 digs in a five-set loss to MSU-Billings. She had at least 18 digs in all four matches. 
#1 Viktoria Sedova (MINOT) led the defense in her collegiate debut, making 25 digs on the weekend at the Nebraska-Kearney tournament, including a career-high 12 in a 5-set match vs Midwestern State.
#3 Sadie Voss (USF) had 43 digs, 33 kills, four blocks and an ace in four games played against Midwestern State, Central Washington, Nebraska-Kearney and Washburn.
#3 Casey Volkmann (WSU) was a key component of the Winona State 2-2 weekend at the CSP Tournament to open the 2022 season. She had 64 total digs to lead the team with 4.27 digs-per-set. She had a .913 receiving percentage and collected six assists and three service aces. 

SETTER
#9 Avery Thorson (AUGIE) opened the season with 129 assists, 2 service aces and 19 points to help the Vikings to a 4-0 start. 
#11 Emily Skalicky (MSUM) had 96 assists in four matches as part of 6-2 attack. She averaged 5.3 assists per set  and added 34 digs. She had at least 23 assists in all four matches. 
#2 Jaina Macaulay (MINOT) led the way for the Beavers in her collegiate debut, dishing out 63 assists in four matches at the Nebraska-Kearney Tournament, including a career-high 34 assists against Midwestern State. She also added 10 digs and 5 kills in that 5-set match.
#18 EliseGillen (USF) had 80 assists with 50 digs and seven aces in four games played. 
#6 Alisa Bengen (SMSU) recorded 165 assists over the weekend, aiding a Mustang attack that recorded 80 kills and hit .265 in 15 sets. She was named to the Oredigger Classic All-Tournament Team. She collected a career-high 57 assists in a five-set win over (RV) Colorado Mesa on Saturday and followed it up with a career-high 10 kills on an .833 hitting percentage while adding 47 assists against No. 11-ranked Colorado School of Mines Saturday afternoon.
#18 Emma Berran (SCSU) enjoyed a breakout collegiate debut weekend as she directed No. 9 SCSU to a 4-0 start at the SCSU/CSP Invite. She averaged 11.46 assists/set with 149 in 13 sets played and added two aces and seven blocks. She guided the Huskies offense to 14.23 kills a set on .268 hitting, both ranking fourth in the NSIC. Her 35 assists on Opening Night were the most in a Huskies debut since the 2013 season. She closed out the weekend with a career-high 51 as-sists in a four-set win over Ashland. 
#10 Nicole Pozorski (UIU) paced the Peacock offense with 134 assists in four matches for an average of 7.88 assists per set. The sophomore added 48 digs, 12 kills, six blocks and three aces.
#14 Rachel Walker (WSC) averaged 12.33 assists and 2.17 digs per set in four Wildcat wins in New York. She had double-double with 34 assists and 13 digs in Thursday’s 3-0 sweep vs. Bridgeport. She handed out weekend best 42 assists in 3-0 sweep over Nyack College Friday.
#2 Jaci Winchell (WSU), playing in her first collegiate action, was an important part of the Winona State 2-2 showing at the CSP Invite to open up the 2022 season. She dished out 92 as-sists in ten sets played to average 9.2 assists per set. She collected a pair of service aces, 23 digs & two blocks.

 

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