For Immediate Release
Monday, October 9, 2023
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#18 Maggie Brahmer (MH, 6-0, Jr., Pierce, Neb. / Pierce HS) - Wayne State
- Averaged 5.60 kills with .634 hitting percentage in three Wildcat wins
- Had career-high 25 kills with no errors and .694 hitting percentage in a 3-1 win over WSU
- Posted 16 kills with .714 hitting percentage in Saturday’s 3-0 sweep over Minnesota Crookston
- Recorded 15 kills on 25 attacks and .480 percentage in a 3-0 win over Bemidji State
- Had 56 kills, 4 errors on 82 attacks for the week for .634 hitting percentage
- Named a NSIC Player of the Week for the third week in a row (Off: 10/2 & Def: 9/25)

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#8 Emma VanHeel (MB, 6-0, Jr., Otsego, Minn. / St. Michael-Albertville) - SMSU
- Tallied a NSIC best 15 total blocks in SMSU’s three wins over the week
- Had a season-high 8.0 blocks in a win over No. 11 Minnesota Duluth
- Helped SMSU hold opponents to a .157 hitting percentage
- Supported the Mustangs offense with three service aces, while adding eight digs on the back line
- Contributed 2.50 kills per set (30 total kills) on a .250 hitting percentage
- Added 13 kills and a .522 hitting percentage in the four-set win over No. 6 St. Cloud State
- Sported nine kills along with the eight total blocks in the win over No. 11 UMD

NSIC Setter of the Week
#5 Teagan Starkey (S, 5-8, Jr., Lakeville, Minn. / South HS) - Concordia-St. Paul
- Tallied 14.50 assists per set (116 total assists) in CSP’s three wins on the week
- Chipped in 1.63 digs per set, 0.88 blocks per set and 0.38 aces per set
- Guided the offense to a massive 16.10 kills per set and a NSIC best .342 hitting percentage
- Put up 57 assists, eight digs, three aces and two blocks in the win over USF
- Leads the nation with 13.32 assists per set and 826 total assists while propelling the offense to the second best mark at .299
- Named NSIC Setter of the Week for the fourth time this season

Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Sophia Andersen (CSP) 
- Led the team with 5.14 kills per set and 36 total kills in CSP's three wins on the week
- Hit .378 with just eight errors on her 74 attempts
- Added 0.86 blocks per set (two solo and four assists) on the week
- Reached the 20-kill threshold for the second time this season with 20 against USF
- Ranks second in the NSIC in 32nd in the nation with 3.89 kills per set
Cianna Selbitschka (UMD)
- Recorded 37 kills (3.36 k/s), .258 hitting pct., 3.18 d/s, 3.82 points/set
- Recorded a double-double in two of the three matches
- Had at least 11 kills in all three matches
- Had 12 kills and only two hitting errors vs. Sioux Falls
Natalia Szybinska (NSU)
- Recorded 34 kills, averaging 4.25 kills per set against UMary and Minnesota State
- Hit .293 in the two matches, including a week high .400 against the Marauders
- Added three blocks and one assist
Kenzie Foley (SCSU)
- Recorded 4.75 kills per set on .292 hitting and a .475 kill percentage
- Added four aces and eight blocks for 5.54 points per set
- Added 2.92 digs per set and received a .964 as one of SCSU's top passers

DEFENSE
Erika Bute (AUGIE)
- Tied for the NSIC lead with 55 digs, good for a 5.00 kills per set average, in three games last week
- Collected 22 digs against No. 8 SMSU on Tuesday and 17 digs against UMC on Friday
- Became the third member of the program's 2,000 digs club with 16 against BSU
Katie Mattson (CSP) 
- Paced the squad with 1.50 blocks per set (one solo and 11 assists) on the week
- Helped the Golden Bears hold opponents to just .149 hitting over the three wins
- Added 2.88 kills per set and a .396 hitting percentage in the three matches
- Ranks 18th in the NSIC in total blocks with 44
Grace Daak (UMD)
- Was third in the NSIC last week with 1.36 blocks per set (9 solo)
- Tied for the league high in blocks, and led in solo blocks
- Recorded five total blocks in all three matches
- Registered eight kills and zero hitting errors vs. Bemidji State
Emily Kern (MSU)
- Had nine total blocks (1 solo, 8 assists), averaging 1.50 blocks per set 
- Also had 11 kills over the two matches (1.83 kills per set) and had a hitting percentage of .474
Jordan McCormick (WSC)
- Averaged 5.50 digs per set in three WSC home wins
- Had career-best 26 digs Tuesday in 3-1 win over Winona State
- Posted 16 digs in Saturday's 3-0 sweep over Minnesota Crookston
- Had 13 digs in a 3-0 sweep over Bemidji State
Rylee Vaughn (WSU) 
- Racked up 49 total digs across three matches
- Averaged 4.90 digs per set, fourth best in the NSIC this week
- Led the team in service aces on the week with six
- Also dished out 10 assists

SETTER
Lucy Bartee (AUGIE) 
- Finished second in the NSIC with 127 assists, good for 11.55 per game
- Tallied 41 assists and 15 digs against No. 8 SMSU on Tuesday
- Added 45 assists and 10 digs against UMC on Friday and 41 assists against BSU on Saturday
Walker Rachel (WSC)
- Averaged 12.30 assists and 2.30 digs per set in three Wildcat wins
- Had double-double with 51 assists and 12 digs in 3-1 win over Winona State Tuesday
- Recorded 40 assists with six digs in Saturday's 3-0 sweep over UMC
- Had two service aces with 32 assists in Friday 3-0 win over Bemidji State
Jaci Winchell (WSU) 
- Averaged 12.29 assists per set, across three matches, including a road trip to No. 1 Wayne State
- Had 86 assists overall
- Also had 20 digs on the week, good for a 2.86 dig/set average
 
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)

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.