For Immediate Release
Monday, November 11, 2024
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#8 Maya Wente (MH, 6-1, Jr., Canby, Minn. / Canby HS) - Augustana
- Led the NSIC in points per set (5.69) and blocks per set (2.13)
- Was third in hitting percentage at .431 and in kills with a 4.38 per set 
- Logged career highs in kills (21), points (26.5) and total blocks (nine) vs Minot State
- Also attacked at a .529 hitting percentage vs Beavers
- Slammed down 14 kills alongside eight total blocks, including two solo against UMary

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#12 Kylie Welch (DS/OH, 5-8, Sr., Davenport, Iowa / Assumption HS) - Winona State
- Gathered a team high 36 digs in the Warriors 2-0 week
- Averaged 5.14 dig per set over the two matches, third best in the NSIC
- Collected 19 digs in the Warriors three set win against Bemidji State
- Gathered one service ace and ten assists on the week

NSIC Setter of the Week
#18 Emma Berran (S, 6-0, Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Eagan HS) - St. Cloud State
- Led the NSIC in assists per set with 12.43
- Guided the offense to 15.29 kills/set, which was the most in the NSIC 
- Recorded a game-high 43 assists in Friday’s road sweep of Minnesota State
- Tallied 44 assists in Saturday’s 3-1 road win over No. 8 CSP
- She has posted 44+ assists in seven matches this season
- Helped SCSU to its third NSIC Regular Season Championship

Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Abby Thompson (MSUM) 
- Led the NSIC in hitting percentage with a .512 clip in 21 total kills
- Held a 3 kills per set mark for the weekend
- Matched her career high with 14 kills on a .500 hitting percentage on Saturday against Sioux Falls
Morissen Samuels (NSU)
- Tallied 31 kills and hit .391 in a pair of 5-set wins over USF and #10 WSC
- Averaged 3.10 kills per set
- Added 11 digs and eight blocks
- Hit a weekend best .419 against Sioux Falls with 14 kills
Saari Kuehl (SMSU)
- Led the SMSU offense to a 2-0 week with 24 kills (3.43 per set) on a .344 hitting percentage
- Swung for nine kills with zero errors on a .409 hitting percentage in the 3-0 win over UMC
- Recorded a team-high 15 kills on .310 hitting in the 3-1 win over BSU
- Supported defensively with five blocks and a pair of digs
Ella Thompson (SCSU)
- Ranked second in the NSIC kills/set (4.57) and third in points/set (4.86)
- Sent down the most kills (22) of any player in a match and hit .317 for the weekend
- Posted a career/match-high 22 kills on .295 hitting in Saturday’s 3-1 road win over No. 8 CSP
- Tallied 10 kills on .375 hitting in Friday’s road sweep of (RV) Minnesota State
- Has recorded 10+ kills in 14 matches this season and 20+ in three
- The Huskies earned their third NSIC regular season championship in program history
- SCSU has won 19 straight matches 
Gianna Vollrath (WSU)
- Collected 18 kills in the Warriors two win this past week
- Had a team high .444 attacking percentage
- Gathered a team high 22.0 points
- Had two solo blocks and four blocks assists
- Also collected seven digs for the Warriors

DEFENSE
Abby Meister (NSU)
- Led the Northern State defense with 47 digs in wins over USF and #10 WSC
- Averaged 4.70 digs per set
- Added two aces
- Averaged 5.8 digs per set in the 5-set win over the tenth-ranked Wildcats
Kenzie Foley (SCSU)
- Ranked fifth in the NSIC in digs/set (5.00)
- Led the Huskies defense which led the NSIC in digs/set (19.71)
- Also led the league in kills/set (5.00) while ranking second in points/set (5.64)
- Recorded the most kills (18) and points (21.5) of any player in a three-set match
- Became the programs all-time leader in career double-doubles (74) tallying one in each game
- Moved into the programs top five in career digs (1,365), top five in career sets played (427) and top 10 in career matches played (121)
Maggie Brahmer (WSC)
- Averaged 1.88 blocks and 3.38 kills per set vs. MSU Moorhead and Northern State
- Recorded six blocks and 10 kills with .833 hitting percentage in 3-0 sweep over MSUM
- Had nine blocks and 17 kills in 3-2 loss to #21 Northern State Saturday 

SETTER
Lucy Bartee (AUGIE)
- Was second in NSIC this week with 11.88 assists per set (95 total) across Augustana's two wins
- Logged a 45-assist, 11-dig double-double in four-set victory over Minot State
- Added in three service aces and a block against the Beavers
- Dished 50 assists, leading Augustana to a .292 team hitting percentage against UMary
- Recorded season-high five blocks with six digs vs Marauders
Keri Walker (NSU)
- Paced Northern State to a pair of 5-set wins against USF and #10 WSC
- Tallied 112 assists, averaging 11.20 assists per set
- Was second on the team with 28 digs and added six kills, two blocks, and two aces
- Recorded 60 assists in the win over the Wildcats, averaging 12.00 per set
Sydney Thein (SMSU)
- Led SMSU to a 2-0 week and .285 team hitting percentage with 9.71 assists per set (68 total)
- Put up 31 assists (10.33 per set) with four kills while recording 12 digs for a double-double in a 3-0 win over UMC
- Set 37 assists (9.25 per set) with five kills while bumping 11 digs for another double-double in a 3-1 win over BSU
- Helped defensively with four blocks
 
NSIC Volleyball Players of the Week
9/9/24
O: #8 Kenzie Foley - St. Cloud State
D: #3 Abby Meister - Northern State 
S: #21 Keri Walker - Northern State
9/16/24
O: #8 Kenzie Foley - St. Cloud State (2)
D: #12 Emily Kern - Minnesota State
S: #5 Teagan Starkey - Concordia-St. Paul
9/23/24
O: #12 Natalia Szybinska  - Northern State
D: #14 Claudia Stahlke - Concordia-St. Paul
S: #4 Sydney Thein - SMSU
9/30/24
O:#10 Leah Jones  - SMSU
D: #7 Cassie Sieling - Concordia-St. Paul
S: #4 Sydney Thein - SMSU (2)
10/7/24
O: #8 Kenzie Foley - St. Cloud State (3)
D: #9 Ella Thompson - St. Cloud State
S: #5 Teagan Starkey - Concordia-St. Paul (2)
10/14/24
O: #8 Kenzie Foley - St. Cloud State (4)
D: #13 Taya Beller  - Wayne State
S: #5 Teagan Starkey - Concordia-St. Paul (3)
10/21/24
O: #8 Kenzie Foley - St. Cloud State (5)
D: #9 Brooke Peltz - Wayne State
S: #5 Teagan Starkey - Concordia-St. Paul (4)
10/28/24
O: #8 Kenzie Foley - St. Cloud State (6)
D: #3 Abby Meister - Northern State (2)
S: #4 Sydney Thein - SMSU (3)
11/4/24
O: #11 Samantha Paulsen - Minnesota Duluth
D: #5 Paige Decker - Minnesota Duluth
S: #5 Teagan Starkey - Concordia-St. Paul (5)
11/11/24
O: #8 Maya Wente - Augustana 
D: #12 Kylie Welch - Winona 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 27 team national championships and crowned 116 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.