BURNSVILLE, Minn. - Concordia-St. Paul middle blocker Claudia Stahlke was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts in Concordia's win over Minnesota Duluth, it was announced by the conference office on Monday. 
 

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NSIC Defensive Player of the Week
#14 Claudia Stahlke (MB, 5-11, Sr., Waconia, Minn. / Mayer Lutheran HS) - Concordia-St. Paul
- Tallied an NSIC best 13 total blocks (2.60 per set) in a win over UMD 
- The 13 blocks were the most in a five-set match in CSP history
- Set another five-set match school record with 11 block assists 
- Added two digs and 15 kills with a .500 hitting percentage
- Leads the NSIC with 57 total blocks this season (1.54 per set)
- Ranks fourth in NCAA Division II in blocks per set
 

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NSIC Offensive Player of the Week
#12 Natalia Szybinska (OH, 5-10, Sr., Poznan, Poland / Szamotuly) - Northern State
- Led the NSIC averaging 5.00 kills and 5.63 points per set against USF and No.8 WSC
- Tallied 35 total kills and hit a team best .386
- Added ten digs and four blocks
- Notched a season high 24 kills and six digs against the Cougars
- Hit a season and career best .556 against Sioux Falls

NSIC Setter of the Week
#4 Sydney Thein (S, 5-9, R-Fr., Clara City, Minn. / MACCRAY HS) - SMSU
- Ranked first in the NSIC in assists per set with 12.17 (73 total) in SMSU's 2-0 weekend
- Recorded 36 assists (12.00 per set) in sweep over Minot State
- Logged 37 assists (12.33 per set) in sweep over UMary
- Added three kills on .250 hitting to support the offense
- Added 17 digs to support the defense
- Led the Mustangs to an NSIC best .313 team hitting percentage

Others Under Consideration
OFFENSE
Maya Wente (AUGIE)
- Tallied 23 kills off a .432 hitting percentage across two games for 3.83 kills per set
- Also totaled 25.5 points and 4.25 points/set over the weekend
- Attacked at a clip of .440 for 13 kills in sweep of Minot St, adding in two blocks
- Added 10 kills and three total blocks in three-set win over UMary
Saari Kuehl (SMSU)
- Led an SMSU offense that leads the NSIC in kills per set with 3.83 kills per set (23)
- Recorded a .352 hitting percentage on the 2-0 weekend
- Swung for nine kills on .381 hitting with a pair of digs and a block assist in a sweep over Minot State
- Match-high 14 kills on .333 hitting with a pair of block assists and a dig
Kenzie Foley (SCSU)
- Was second the NSIC in kills (30), kills/set (4.29), points (35.0) and third in points/set (5.00)
- Also averaged 2.71 digs/set
- Posted a 19-kill, 13 dig double-double (her eighth straight to start the season) in a 3-1 win over MSU
- Was the only player to send down 10+ kills in Saturday's sweep of Minnesota Crookston
- SCSU went 2-0 in its first week of conference play
Channatee Robles (WSC)
- Averaged 3.57 kills and 2.57 digs per set in WSC road sweep at MSU Moorhead and #24 Northern State
- Recorded team-high 17 kills with nine digs in Friday's 3-1 win at MSU Moorhead
- Had .953 reception percentage with just two errors on 43 receptions

DEFENSE
Abby Meister (NSU)
- Led the Wolves defense with 41 total digs, averaging 5.86 per set against USF and WSC
- Added one assist
Sadie Voss (USF)
- Recorded single match, season highs in assists (5), aces (3), digs (24) and blocks(2) against NSU
- Recorded a single match, career high in assists (5)
- Landed 12 kills on 29 attacks for a .322 attacking percentage
McKenzie Tolk (SMSU)
- Excelled on the back line, leading the SMSU defense with an NSIC-high 8.00 digs per set (48) this week
- Recorded a match-high 24 digs (8.00 per set) and a service ace in sweep over Minot State
- Tallied a match-high 24 digs (8.00 per set) with an ace in sweep over UMary
- Chipped in six assists on offense
Brooke Peltz (WSC)
- Averaged 6.71 digs per set in NSIC road wins at MSU Moorhead and #24 Northern State
- Recorded 26 digs with three service aces Saturday in 3-0 sweep at #24 Northern State
- Credited with 21 digs Friday in 3-1 victory at MSU Moorhead
- Had just one reception error in 29 attempts (.965)
Welch Kylie (WSU)
- Led the Warriors with 43 digs in the win against #11 Minnesota Duluth
- Collected 81 digs, 6.75 digs/set, leading WSU to a 2-1 record on the week
- Also gathered three service aces and 13 assists on the week

SETTER
Lucy Bartee (AUGIE)
- Dished out 66 assists in two-game weekend for a 11.0 assists/set average
- Recorded a season-high five kills off of five attempts vs UMary 
- Also contributed with 34 assists, six digs and two total blocks
- Added 32 assists, five digs, three kills, two blocks and one ace in three sets against Minot State
Teagan Starkey (CSP)
- Paced the CSP offense with 53 set assists (10.60 per set) in a five-set win over UMD
- Added 11 digs for her third double-double of the season
- Leads the NSIC with 444 set assists this season (12.00 per set)
Emma Berran (SCSU)
- Led the NSIC in assists (79), was second in assists/set (11.29)
- Was tied for second with service aces (four) and was tied for sixth in service aces/set (0.57)
- Averaged 1.71 digs/set, 1.43 point/set, 0.57 kills/set and 0.43 blocks/set
- Guided the SCSU offense to the second-best hitting percentage and second most kills/set in the NSIC
- Tallied 52 assists, six digs, four kills and three aces in a 3-1 win over Minnesota State
- The 52 assists were the second most of anyone in the NSIC and only one shy of five set mark
- Moved into the top five for career assists in just her 73rd career match
Molly Romano (WSC)
- Averaged 10.71 assists with 2.86 digs in NSIC road sweep at MSU Moorhead and #24 Northern State
- Had double-double with 43 assists and 15 digs in 3-1 win at MSU Moorhead Friday
- Added 32 assists with five digs and one service ace in 3-0 sweep at #24 Northern State Saturday
 
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

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.