For Immediate Release
Monday, October 23, 2023
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#8 Kenzie Foley (OH, 6-1, Sr., Sergeant Bluff, Iowa / Sergeant Bluff-Luton HS) - St. Cloud State
- Led the NSIC in kills per set (5.14) and points per set (5.71) in wins over No. 2 CSP and MSU 
- Had a double-double in both matches to extend her streak to six consecutive 
- Produced 24 digs to go with her 36 kills
- Added a .514 kill percentage on the weekend while fueling the Huskies to two key wins
- Named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season (9/11/23 & 9/25/23)

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#18 Kiya Durant (MB, 5-11, Jr., Plymouth, Minn. / Robbinsdale Armstrong) - Minnesota State
- Led the NSIC with 1.86 blocks per set
- Recorded eight blocks to lead the Mavericks in a road upset against No. 10 Minnesota Duluth 
- Recorded another six blocks against No. 13 St. Cloud State
- The win over UMD was the first on the road against the Bulldogs since 2011

NSIC Setter of the Week
#18 Emma Berran (S, 6-0, So., Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Eagan HS) - St. Cloud State
- Directed SCSU to a league-leading 14.57 kills per set in wins over No. 2 CSP and MSU
- Led SCSU to a league best .307 hitting percentage over the weekend
- Led the NSIC with 12.71 assists and seven aces 
- Had 48 assists in a 3-0 win over MSU
- Named NSIC Setter of the Week for the second time this season (9/25/23)

Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Emma Schmidt (CSP) 
- Led the team with 4.00 kills per set (28 total kills) at #13 SCSU and #10 UMD
- Added 2.43 digs per set, 0.71 blocks per set and 0.29 aces per set
- Hit .328 with a 28-7-64 line on the weekend
- Recorded her 10th double-double of the year with a team-best 15 kills and 13 digs in a win at UMD
Ellis Nehkyah (UMary)
- Averaged 3.57 kills/set, 2.57 digs/set and 0.57 aces/set in a pair of wins
- In a 3-1 non-conference win over visiting Minot State, had 15 kills, four aces and 12 digs
- Followed with 10 kills and 6 digs as UMary swept visiting Augustana 3-0
- The win over AUGIE was the first win in 22 matches between the two programs
Sophie Tietz (MSU) 
- Recorded 20 kills, 11 of which came in the road upset win against No. 10 Minnesota Duluth
- Averaged 2.86 kills per set with a hitting percentage of .318
- Had 11 blocks and led the Mavericks in scoring with 28 points
- The win was the first on the road against the Bulldogs since 2011
Hanna Thompson (NSU) 
- Led the Northern State offense against No. 1 Wayne State and Sioux Falls with 36 kills
- Averaged 4.5 kills per set with a .273 attack percentage
- Added three blocks and two digs
- Knocked down a career high 25 kills, averaging 5.0 per set, against the Wildcats
Leah Jones (SMSU) 
- Led the SMSU attackers with 39 kills over the week (3.55 per set) on .265 hitting (39-9-114)
- Contributed three service aces and 31 digs on the back line
- Recorded four total blocks against opponents
Taya Beller (WSC) 
- Averaged 4.00 kills and 1.62 blocks in road wins at Northern State and MSU Moorhead
- Hit .407 for the weekend and became 20th player in school history to reach 1,000 career kills
- Matched career-high with 21 kills with season-high eight blocks in Friday's 3-2 win at NSU
- Added 11 kills with five blocks (two solo) in Saturday's sweep at MSU Moorhead 
Sidney Paulson (WSU) 
-  Had double-digit kills in both 3-0 wins, with 13 vs. UMC and 10 vs. BSU
- Registered a .383 hitting percentage
- Averaged 3.83 kills per set
- Hit .400 vs. Bemidji State

DEFENSE
Erika Bute (AUGIE) 
- Tied the NSIC lead with 6.17 digs per set after matches against UMary and Minot State
- Racked up 19 digs in three sets against UMary on Friday
- Added 18 digs in three sets against Minot State on Saturday
Lauren Justesen (BSU) 
- Had 37 digs, averaging 6.17 per set in the six sets
- Posted 26 digs against nationally-ranked Southwest Minnesota State
- Added nine assists
Alexandria Harper  (UMary) 
- Averaged 1.71 blocks/set, 2.57 kills/set, 3.43 points/set and hit .395 
- Posted 6 assisted blocks in a 3-1 non-conference win over Minot State 
- Finished the week with 6 assisted blocks and 10 kills with a .348 hitting percentage 
Abby Meister (NSU)
- Led the Wolves defense against the No. 1 Wildcats and Cougars with 44 digs
- Averaged 5.5 digs per set
- Added two service aces and one assist
- Tallied 35 digs against the Wildcats, averaging 7.0 per set

SETTER
Teagan Starkey (CSP) 
- Averaged 12.00 assists per set (84 total assists) at #13 SCSU and #10 UMD
- Chipped in 13 digs (1.86 per set) and two aces (0.29 per set) on the weekend
- Cleared 40 assists for the 16th time of the season at SCSU, finishing with 47 and six digs
- Added 37 assists and seven digs at UMD
- Leads the nation with 13.25 assists per set
Selvig Kameron (UMary)
- Led the Marauders to a sweep of their two matches last week
- Averaged 11.29 assists/set and 2.71 digs/set 
- Directed the Marauders to a .263 attack percentage for the week
- Posted 48 assists, 3 kills, 2 aces and 6 digs against the Beavers
- Added 31 assists and 13 digs in the win over the Vikings
Keri Walker (NSU) 
- Paced the Northern State offense with 92 total assists, averaging 11.50 assist per set
- Added 28 digs, 11 blocks, and six aces
- Recorded 54 assists against No. 1 Wayne State and 38 against Sioux Falls
- Surpassed the 3000 career milestone versus the Cougars
Alisa Bengen (SMSU) 
- Dished out 119 assists in SMSU's undefeated week against three opponents
- Averaged 10.82 per set, including a week-high 46 in the win over UMC
- Recorded three service aces and nabbed 35 digs, 3.19 per set 
- Posted seven total blocks (.64 per set) and hit 17 kills with a .364 attacking percentage
Rachel Walker (WSC) 
- Averaged 11.50 assists and 2.62 digs per set in NSIC road wins at NSU and MSUM
- Had career-high 55 assists with 15 digs in Friday's 3-2 win at Northern State
- Credited with 37 assists, six digs and one ace in Saturday's 3-0 win at MSU Moorhead
 
NSIC Volleyball Players of the Week
9/5/23
O: #13 Taya Beller - Wayne State
D: #2 Kaylyn Madison - Minnesota Duluth
S: #5 Teagan Starkey – Concordia-St. Paul
9/11/23
O: #8 Kenzie Foley - St. Cloud State
D: #3 Abby Meister - Northern State
S: #5 Teagan Starkey – Concordia-St. Paul (2)
9/18/23
O: #13 Taya Beller - Wayne State (2)
D: #2 Kaylyn Madison - Minnesota Duluth (2)
S: #5 Teagan Starkey – Concordia-St. Paul (3)
9/25/23
O: #8 Kenzie Foley - St. Cloud State(2)
D: #18 Maggie Brahmer - Wayne State
S: #18 Emma Berran - St. Cloud State
10/2/23
O: #18 Maggie Brahmer - Wayne State
D: #14 Claudia Stahlke - Concordia-St. Paul
S: #14 Rachel Walker - Wayne State
10/9/23
O: #18 Maggie Brahmer - Wayne State (2)
D: #8 Emma VanHeel  - SMSU
S: #5 Teagan Starkey – Concordia-St. Paul (4)
10/16/23
O: #21 Jordan Kuper - Sioux Falls
D: #12 Grace Daak - Minnesota Duluth
S: #5 Teagan Starkey – Concordia-St. Paul (5)
10/23/23
O: #8 Kenzie Foley - St. Cloud State (3)
D: #18 Kiya Durant - Minnesota State
S: #18 Emma Berran - St. Cloud State

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 15-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in 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 union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 25 team national championships and crowned 110 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.