For Immediate Release
Monday, October 5, 2026
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#13 Ava Athman (OPP, 5-10, Sr., Sauk Rapids, Minn. / Sauk Rapids HS) - Bemidji State
- Led the NSIC in kills per set (4.83) and points per set (5.42) as BSU went 2-1
- Hit .639 with 23 kills and no errors in a 3-1 win at WSU
- Added 16 kills and 11 digs in a five-set loss at No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul
- Totaled 58 kills while hitting .495 (third best in the NSIC this week)
- Added 25 digs, 8 assisted blocks, 3 service aces, and 2 assists
- Moved into fifth place in school history for kills in a three-set match with 19 against UMC

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#4 Chloe Hanel (MH, 6-0, Jr., Clarkson, Neb. / Clarkson-Leigh HS) - Wayne State
- Had 1.60 blocks per set during three NSIC road wins
- Recorded 9 blocks, including 5 solo blocks, and 9 kills against Jamestown
- Posted 17 kills and 3 blocks against Northern State
- Added 4 blocks in a sweep of Southwest Minnesota State
- Hit .351 for the week and averaged 3.00 kills per set
- Helped hold opponents to an NSIC low .130 hitting percentage

NSIC Setter of the Week
#14 Braya LaPlant (S, 6-0, Jr., Grand Rapids, Minn. / Grand Rapids HS) - St. Cloud State
- Led the NSIC with 11.91 assists per set
- Helped guide the Huskies to 14.73 kills per set and a .299 hitting percentage
- Averaged 2.27 digs, 0.45 aces, and 0.36 blocks per set
- Recorded a 50-assist, 11-dig double-double with 3 aces against Winona State
- Posted a season-high 50 assists, the most by a Husky this season
- Tallied 47 assists and 9 digs against MSU Moorhead
- Recorded 34 assists and 2 aces against Minnesota Crookston

Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Maya Wente (Augustana)
- Totaled 39 kills while hitting .299 and recorded 46.0 points in a three-match road week
- Added 14 total blocks while averaging 3.00 kills and 1.08 blocks per set
- Recorded 11 kills and 5 blocks in a reverse-sweep win over Sioux Falls
- Posted a season-high 20 kills, hit .300, and added 6 blocks against Jamestown
- Finished the week with 8 kills, 3 blocks, and 2 assists against Northern State
Makenna Nold (Concordia-St. Paul)
- Led the Golden Bears with 4.19 points and 3.62 kills per set
- Recorded a career-high 31 points, including 24 kills and 2 aces, in a win over Bemidji State
- Hit .321 against the Beavers
- Added 16 kills against Minnesota Duluth
- Recorded 7 kills in a sweep of Minnesota State
- Posted back-to-back double-doubles on Friday and Saturday
Madeline Guetzkow (Minnesota Duluth)
- Helped the Bulldogs to wins over No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul and Winona State
- Averaged 4.81 points and 3.75 kills per set
- Led the NSIC with 6 service aces
- Averaged 2.63 digs and 0.63 blocks per set
- Recorded a double-double with 19 kills and 15 digs against Concordia-St. Paul
- Added 3 service aces, 2 block assists, and 2 assists against the Golden Bears
- Finished with 11 kills, 6 digs, 3 aces, and 3 block assists in a sweep of Winona State
Avery Klein (Minnesota State)
- Led the team with 45 kills
- Ranked among the NSIC leaders with 4.09 kills per set
- Led the team with a .402 hitting percentage
- Recorded 20 kills in a win over Minnesota Crookston
- Added 19 kills in a win over MSU Moorhead
Linnea Nesheim (Northern State)
- Led the Wolves to a 2-1 week with wins over Minot State and Augustana
- Totaled 49 points and 44 kills
- Recorded 10 kills while hitting .563 against Minot State
- Added 7 digs and 3 aces against the Beavers
- Posted a double-double with 17 kills and 12 digs against Wayne State
- Recorded 17 kills and 18 points against Augustana
- Helped Northern State hit above Wayne State’s typical defensive average
Ella Walker (Sioux Falls)
- Led the Cougars with 26 kills across two victories
- Averaged 4.33 kills per set
- Hit .468 on the weekend with only 4 attacking errors
- Recorded 16 kills against Minot State while hitting .448
- Opened the weekend with 10 kills and a .500 hitting percentage against UMary
- Added 9 total blocks, including 6 against UMary
- Finished the week with 31.5 total points
Mollie Rupp (Southwest Minnesota State)
- Led SMSU with 24 kills over three matches
- Recorded 8 kills in each match
- Hit .298 for the week
- Posted a .583 hitting percentage against UMary
- Added 5 digs against Wayne State
Delaney Miller (Wayne State)
- Averaged a team-high 3.80 kills per set in three NSIC road victories
- Recorded 16 kills in a win at Northern State
- Posted 11 kills and 3 blocks in a sweep of Southwest Minnesota State
- Added 11 kills in a sweep of Jamestown
Abby Ongna (Winona State)
- Totaled 46 kills across three matches
- Finished the week with a .226 hitting percentage
- Added 5 assists and 2 service aces
- Recorded 18 kills against St. Cloud State
- Posted a season-high 19 kills against Bemidji State
- Hit .240 while recording her season-high kill total against the Beavers

DEFENSE
Reagan Jansen (Augustana)
- Totaled 46 digs and 5 blocks during a three-match week
- Recorded a double-double with 13 kills and 28 digs against Jamestown
- Added 12 kills, 9 digs, and 4 blocks in a reverse-sweep win over Sioux Falls
- Nearly posted another double-double against Northern State with 14 kills and 9 digs
- Finished the week with 48.0 points while averaging 3.00 kills, 3.54 digs, and 3.69 points per set
Isabella Vander Velden (Bemidji State)
- Led the Beavers with 11 total blocks, including 5 solo blocks
- Totaled 21 points during a 2-1 weekend
- Added 12 kills and 3 assists
- Recorded 1 service ace and contributed 5 digs
Mehlayna Straub (Concordia-St. Paul)
- Led the Golden Bears with 1.00 blocks per set over three matches
- Recorded 5 total blocks against Bemidji State
- Added 5 total blocks against Minnesota Duluth
- Tallied 3 blocks, including 1 solo block, in a sweep of Minnesota State
- Averaged 2.62 kills per set
Ashley Yost (Northern State)
- Anchored the defense during a 2-1 week with 48 digs
- Recorded a career-high 27 digs against No. 2 Wayne State
- Helped hold Minot State to a season-low hitting percentage
- Helped force 17, 18, and 15 attacking errors in the week’s three matches
- Helped limit Wayne State to a hitting percentage below its season average
Maci Lerseth (Sioux Falls)
- Recorded 57 digs over the week
- Averaged 5.18 digs per set
- Collected 21 digs in a three-set match against Minot State 
- Added 15 digs in a sweep of UMary
- Finished the weekend without a reception error
Laurin Hamann (St. Cloud State)
- Ranked tied for second in the NSIC with 5.00 digs per set
- Posted a perfect reception percentage on 57 serve receive attempts
- Added 9 assists and 3 service aces during the week
- Recorded a season-high 28 digs against Winona State
- Added 14 digs, 6 assists, and 3 aces against MSU Moorhead
- Recorded 13 digs against Minnesota Crookston
- Helped St. Cloud State to a 3-0 week

SETTER
Kiylah Franke (Augustana)
- Tallied 138 assists while averaging 10.62 assists per set across a three-match road week
- Recorded 47 assists and 14 digs in a reverse-sweep win over Sioux Falls
- Helped guide Augustana to 63 kills and a .231 team hitting percentage against the Cougars
- Tied her career high with 60 assists against Jamestown
- Added 20 digs, 4 total blocks, and 2 kills against the Jimmies
- Closed the weekend with 31 assists against Northern State
Madison Tripp (Bemidji State)
- Recorded 137 assists while averaging 11.42 assists per set
- Added 4 service aces and 7 kills
- Collected 42 digs, averaging 3.50 digs per set
- Contributed 5 blocks, including 2 solo blocks
- Finished the three-match week with 14.5 points
Ava Jones (Minnesota Duluth)
- Helped the Bulldogs to wins over No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul and Winona State
- Averaged 10.63 assists per set
- Averaged 2.00 digs and 0.63 blocks per set
- Recorded a double-double with a season-high 51 assists and 13 digs against Concordia-St. Paul
- Added 3 block assists and 2 service aces against the Golden Bears
- Tallied 34 assists in a sweep of Winona State
Jadyn Lester (Minnesota State)
- Accumulated 104 assists during a 2-1 week
- Recorded back-to-back matches with 40-plus assists
- Added 7 service aces, including 4 against No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul
- Leads the NSIC in assists per set
Ava Nilsson (Northern State)
- Recorded 117 of the team’s 128 assists across three matches
- Averaged 11.7 assists per set
- Posted double-doubles against Bemidji State and No. 2 Wayne State
- Recorded 35 assists and 10 digs against the Beavers
- Added 43 assists and 14 digs against Wayne State
- Matched a season high with 3 aces twice during the week
- Helped Northern State hit .206 against Wayne State, above the average allowed by the Wildcats
- Added 12 points, 4 total blocks, and 4 kills for the week
Hollie Peterson (Sioux Falls)
- Recorded 67 assists over two victories, averaging 11.17 assists per set
- Distributed 36 assists in a sweep of UMary, helping Sioux Falls hit .385 as a team
- Added 31 assists against Minot State
- Helped direct the offense to a .385 hitting percentage versus UMary and .228 against Minot State
- Contributed 17 digs, 4 total blocks, and 1 service ace
- Recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 11 digs against Minot State
Sydney Thein (Southwest Minnesota State)
- Totaled 53 assists while averaging 5.9 assists per set
- Recorded 24 assists as SMSU hit .491 against UMary
- Added 17 digs during the week
- Recorded 7 digs against Wayne State
- Added 6 digs against Minot State
Molly Romano (Wayne State)
- Averaged 11.70 assists per set while helping Wayne State to three NSIC road victories
- Recorded 48 assists and 10 digs in a win at Northern State
- Posted 35 assists and 10 digs in a sweep of Southwest Minnesota State
- Recorded two double-doubles during the week
- Became the seventh player in program history to reach 3,000 career assists
 
NSIC Volleyball Players of the Week
8/31/26
O: #18 Linnea Nesheim - Northern State
D: #1 Sophie Ketterling - Jamestown
S: #9 Ava Nilsson- Northern State
9/8/26
O: #3 Makenna Nold - Concordia-St. Paul
D: #1 Sophie Ketterling - Jamestown (2)
S: #17 Molly Romano - Wayne State
9/14/26
O: #18 Linnea Nesheim - Northern State (2)
D: #1 Maya Vibeto - Minot State
S: #9 Ava Nilsson- Northern State (2)
9/21/26
O: #15 Channatee Robles - Wayne State
D: #18 Elyse Karrels - Minnesota Duluth
S: #9 Ava Jones - Minnesota Duluth
9/28/26
O: #17 Madeline Guetzkow - Minnesota Duluth 
D: #19 Ella Walker - Sioux Falls 
S: #9 Ava Jones - Minnesota Duluth (2)
10/5/26
O: #13 Ava Athman - Bemidji State
D: #4 Chloe Hanel - Wayne State
S: #14 Braya LaPlant - St. Cloud State

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-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 128 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.