For Immediate Release
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
NSIC Media Relations
Media Packet

NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#3 Makenna Nold (OH/RS, 5-10, Jr., Jamestown, N.D. / Jamestown HS) - Concordia-St. Paul
- Led the NSIC with 4.13 kills per set at the Colorado Premier Challenge
- Also led the NSIC with 4.87 points per set
- Hit .304 on the weekend as CSP went 3-1 and won the Silver Bracket 
- Added 2.53 digs per set, third most on the team
- Tallied 18 kills, four blocks, and four digs against Lewis
- Had 14 kills, 13 digs, and three blocks while hitting .520 in a sweep of Palm Beach Atlantic
- Finished with 20 kills and nine digs in a win over No. 7 MSU Denver
- Added 10 kills, 12 digs, and five aces in a win over No. 25 West Texas A&M
- Named to the Colorado Premier Challenge All-Tournament Team

NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#1 Sophie Ketterling (DS, 5-4, Sr., Napoleon, N.D. / Napoleon HS) - Jamestown
- Averaged an NSIC best 5.41 digs per set as UJ went 3-1
- Posted 24 digs in a four-set win over Nova Southeastern
- Recorded 23 digs in both a win over Hillsdale and a five-set loss to Wisconsin-Parkside
- Added 22 assists
- Finished 59-of-60 (.983) in serve reception during the week
- Named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row

NSIC Setter of the Week
#17 Molly Romano (S, 5-9, Jr., Council Bluffs, Iowa / Abraham Lincoln HS) - Wayne State
- Averaged 10.46 assists and 2.54 digs per set as WSC took third at the Colorado Premier Challenge 
- Named to the Colorado Premier Challenge All-Tournament Team
- Recorded a double-double with 31 assists and 15 digs in a 3-0 win over Regis (Colo.)
- Handed out a weekend-high 40 assists in a 3-0 victory over No. 25 Central Missouri

Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Reagan Jansen (Augustana)
- Totaled 52 kills, 5 aces, and 58 points over four matches
- Recorded 9 kills, 1 ace, and 10.0 points in a 3-0 victory against UMary on Sept. 3
- Contributed 8 kills, 1 ace, and 10.0 points in a 3-0 win against Chadron State on Sept. 4
- Delivered an outstanding performance with 25 kills, 2 aces, and 27.0 points in a 2-3 loss to Emporia State on Sept. 4
- Added 10 kills, 1 ace, and 11.5 points in a 0-3 loss to Washburn on Sept. 5
Ava Athman (Bemidji State)
- Helped lead BSU to a perfect 4-0 weekend, extending the Beavers’ season-opening win streak to 8-0
- Played in all 12 sets as BSU extended its streak to 18 consecutive sets won
- Recorded 43 kills on the weekend, averaging 3.58 per set while hitting .387
- Added six service aces, a solo block, and four assisted blocks
- Led the Beavers with 52 total points across four matches
- Currently ranks 16th in the NSIC in kills, ninth in service aces, and sixth in points
- Played a key role in BSU’s best start to a season since 1988
- Named to the Fall Cougar Classic All-Tournament Team
Gracie Adamson (Jamestown)
- Finished with 61 kills in four matches, averaging 3.81 kills per set, as Jamestown went 3-1
- Recorded a career-high 19 kills and hit .381 in a four-set win over Hillsdale College
- Posted a double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs in a five-set loss to Wisconsin-Parkside
- Posted a second double-double with 19 kills and 17 digs against Hillsdale College
Paige Decker (Minnesota Duluth)
- Named to the Royce Cappis Invitational All-Tournament Team after helping the Bulldogs to a 3-1 record
- Hit .385 while averaging 3.08 kills and 3.54 points per set
- Committed no more than three attack errors in any match
- Led the Bulldogs with 11 total blocks
- Opened the tournament with 13 kills on .423 hitting against Fort Lewis
- Recorded 14 kills and hit .478 with four blocks against CSU Pueblo
- Added six kills and three block assists in a sweep of Adelphi
- Closed the tournament with seven kills and two block assists against Florida Tech
Victoria Persha (Northern State)
- Named to the Griffon Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team
- Finished the weekend with 37 kills, 6 service aces, and 7 block assists for 47 points
- Recorded 14 kills vs. Oklahoma Christian and 11 kills vs. No. 11 Missouri Western
- Hit .333 or better in three of four matches
Leah Jones (Southwest Minnesota State)
- Led SMSU with 49 kills during the Mustangs’ 3-1 weekend
- Recorded 15 kills and hit .483 in a sweep of Rockhurst 
- Reached double-digit kills in three matches
- Hit .264 over the weekend
Channatee Robles (Wayne State)
- Averaged 4.08 kills and 2.54 digs per set
- Named to the Colorado Premier Challenge All-Tournament Team
- Recorded her 1,000th career kill in a 3-0 win over No. 25 Central Missouri
- Had 17 kills and 11 digs in a 3-1 victory over Lewis (Ill.).
- Posted a match-high 14 kills and hit .400 in a 3-0 sweep of Regis (Colo.)

DEFENSE
Ava Boelter (Bemidji State)
- Played in all 12 sets during BSU’s perfect 4-0 weekend, helping the Beavers improve to 8-0 on the season
- Anchored BSU’s serve-receive efforts with 37 serve receptions across four matches
- Recorded 34 digs, averaging 2.83 per set
- Added 20 assists and 1 service ace
- Currently ranks fifth in the NSIC in total digs
- Ranks 103rd in NCAA Division II in total digs
- Helped BSU extend its record-setting start to 8-0 and winning streak to 18 consecutive sets
- Named to the Fall Cougar Classic All-Tournament Team
Leah Laqua (MSU Moorhead)
- Turned away 22 total attacks, averaging 1.1 blocks per set, in five victories for MSUM
- Had 7 total blocks and 6 kills against Texas A&M International
- Logged 5 blocks in a win over Edinboro
- Tallied 5 solo blocks and 17 block assists during the week
Olivia Sturgis (Minnesota State)
- Led the team with 17 total blocks
- Ranked third on the team with 32 kills
- Ranked third on the team with 42.5 total points
- Recorded multiple key solo blocks against the No. 9 and No. 16 teams in the country
Maya Vibeto (Minot State)
- Surpassed 1,000 career digs during the Cameron Invitational
- Recorded double-digit digs in all four matches
- Averaged 4.18 digs per set for the weekend
- Posted a weekend-high 24 digs in a five-set win over Cameron
- Added 9 assists, 2 service aces, and 1 kill
Ashley Yost (Northern State)
- Recorded 67 digs in 17 sets, averaging 3.94 digs per set across four matches
- Added 15 assists on the weekend
- Committed only 5 receiving errors over 17 sets
Natalie Pilney (Southwest Minnesota State)
- Led the Mustangs with 16 total blocks during their four-match weekend
- Recorded 4 solo blocks, including 3 in a sweep of Rockhurst 
- Added 12 block assists
- Finished with 29 kills on the weekend
- Recorded 11 kills against No. 10 Missouri Western State

SETTER
Madison Tripp (Bemidji State)
- Named Fall Cougar Classic All-Tournament Team Most Valuable Player
- Played all 12 sets during BSU’s perfect 4-0 weekend
- Directed the Beavers’ offense with 114 assists, averaging 9.50 assists per set
- Contributed 8 kills while helping BSU remain undefeated
- Recorded 7 service aces without a service error
- Led the Beavers with 41 digs
- Added 2 serve receptions and 1 assisted block
- Finished the weekend with 15.5 points
Ava Bertsch (Jamestown)
- Recorded 108 assists in four matches, averaging 6.18 assists per set, while helping Jamestown to a 3-1 record
- Posted a career-high 30 assists and a season-high 10 digs in a four-set win over Nova Southeastern
- Added 27 assists in a 3-1 win over Hillsdale College
- Recorded 30 digs and 8 service aces on the week
Ava Jones (Minnesota Duluth)
- Named to the Royce Cappis Invitational All-Tournament Team
- Guided the Bulldogs’ offense to a .271 hitting percentage and 14.77 kills per set across four matches
- Ranked second in the NSIC with 10.92 assists per set
- Averaged 11.56 assists per set during UMD’s three-match winning streak while helping the Bulldogs hit .333
- Opened the tournament with her first double-double of the season, recording 38 assists and 14 digs against Fort Lewis
- Added 37 assists against CSU Pueblo, 35 assists and 2 service aces against Adelphi, and 32 assists against Florida Tech
Jadyn Lester (Minnesota State)
- Accumulated 142 assists, averaging 8.88 assists per set
- Led the team with 10 service aces
- Ranked second on the team with 36 digs
- Tied for second on the team with 12 blocks
 Logan Drennan (Minot State)
- Led the Beavers to two wins at the Cameron Invitational with 139 assists
- Averaged 8.18 assists per set
- Recorded a career-high 4 blocks in a five-set win over Cameron
- Finished the weekend with 11 total blocks, 10 kills, 35 digs, and 5 service aces
Ava Nilsson (Northern State)
- Named to the Griffon Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team
- Recorded 188 of the team’s 222 assists (84.7%) across four matches
- Registered assist totals of 57, 41, 39, and 51
- Added 35 digs, 19 points, and 11 kills
- Committed only 3 total errors during the weekend
Tatem Schmidt (Southwest Minnesota State)
- Led the Mustangs in assists during a 3-1 weekend in St. Joseph, Missouri
- Recorded 25 assists and 26 digs against No. 10 Missouri Western State 
- Posted a season-high 27 assists against Oklahoma Christian
 
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

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.