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Nov. 05– The third-ranked Concordia volleyball team placed five players on the all-NSIC first team, with Emily Palkert earning NSIC Freshman of the Year and Mary Slinger being tabbed the NSIC Libero of the Year. Joining the two on the first team are Maggie McNamara, Maria Steinhagen and Whitney Meierotto.
McNamara is a repeat first-team selection, while Steinhagen was honorable-mention in 2007.
This is the third time Concordia has had five players earn all-NSIC first team honors and fourth time that the Bears have had five players earn all-NSIC honors (2006, four first team, one honorable mention).
Palkert is the fourth Concordia player to be named the NSIC Newcomer of the Year since 2000 (Mandy Horazdovsky, Cailin Terhaar, Maggie McNamara), while Slinger is the second Bear to be named the Libero of the Year (Megan Graham earned the honor twice).
 Emily Palkert leads team in kills (452), kills per game (3.93) and blocks (142). She set the school-record with 34 kills at #3 Minn. Duluth (10-30), which was 6th best in NCAA DII this year. She is a two time NSIC offensive Player of the Week and is third in NSIC in kills per game and points per game (4.68), while she is seventh in blocks per game (1.23). Palkert has 20-plus kills in six matches and 10-plus in 24. She has 5-plus blocks in 12 matches and 4-plus in 19. She had 25 kills, 7 blocks against Western New Mexico (8-31) and had 25 kills, 4 blocks at Wayne State (10-20).
 Mary Slinger leads the team in digs with 657 and her 5.71 digs per game average is fourth-best in the NSIC. She has ten-plus digs in 30 of 32 matches and 20-plus in 17. She had career-high 35 digs against Bemidji State (10-17) and Wayne State (10-20). She is also second on the team in service aces with 51, which is fifth-best in the NSIC. She has 967 career digs, which moves her into ninth on the Concordia all-time digs list.
 Maggie McNamara leads the NCAA and NSIC in assists per game (14.26) and is a five time NSIC Setter of the Week. She has 40-plus assists in 30 matches, 50-plus in 14 matches, 60-plus in 7 and 70-plus in 3 matches. She has 10 double-doubles with assists/digs and had season-high 75 assists with career-high 27 digs against Wayne State (10-20). She had 65 assists and career-high six blocks against SW Minnesota State (10-19) and had 51 assists, 20 digs in 3 match set against Bemidji State (10-17).
 Maria Steinhagen is fifth in the NSIC in hitting percentage (.315) and points per game (4.43), seventh in kills per game (3.65), and ninth in blocks per game (1.13). She leads team in hitting percentage and is second in kills per game and in blocks (105). She had 17 kills and 10 blocks against Minn. Duluth (9-11) and had 19 kills, nine blocks against SW MN State (10-19). She has ten-plus kills in 22 of 27 matches played and has 14 matches with four-plus blocks. Steinhagen missed five matches with ankle injury.
 Whitney Meierotto was named AVCA National Player of the Week and the NSIC Player of Week (8-27). She is second in NSIC in service aces (63), fourth in points (4.29) and sixth in kills (3.45). Meierotto had 20 double-doubles in kills and digs. Her 63 service aces is third all-time for single-season in Concordia history. She is second on team in digs (3.83) and kills per game. She had 21 kills, 18 digs vs. Western New Mexico (8-31) and 16 kills, 27 digs vs. Minn. Duluth (10-30).
Complete NSIC Release
Coach of the Year - Terry Culhane - SW Minnesota State
Player of the Year - Erin Contons - SW Minnesota State
Freshman of the Year - Emily Palkert - Concordia University
Libero of the Year - Mary Slinger - Concordia University
| NSIC All-Conference First Team |
| # |
Name |
School |
Pos |
Ht |
Yr |
Hometown |
| 12 |
Maggie McNamara |
CSP |
S |
5-9 |
So. |
Zumbrota, Minn. |
| 13 |
Whitney Meierotto |
CSP |
OH |
5-8 |
Jr. |
Washburn Wis. |
| 16 |
Emily Palkert |
CSP |
MH |
5-11 |
Fr. |
Excelsior, Minn. |
| 3 |
Mary Slinger |
CSP |
Lib |
5-8 |
So. |
Faribault, Minn. |
| 9 |
Maria Steinhagen |
CSP |
MH |
5-10 |
Jr. |
Alexandria, Minn. |
| 4 |
Julie Vancura |
MSUM |
S |
5-6 |
Sr. |
Anoka, Minn. |
| 7 |
Leah Ashburn |
SMSU |
MB |
5-9 |
So. |
Hector, Minn. |
| 9 |
Erin Contons |
SMSU |
OH |
5-10 |
Sr. |
Apple Valley, Minn. |
| 14 |
Tricia Ingvalson |
SMSU . |
MB |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Caledonia, Minn. |
| 10 |
Laura Dolezal |
WSC |
Lib |
5-8 |
Sr. |
Columbus, Neb. |
| 9 |
Emily Schroeder |
WSC |
OH |
5-11 |
Sr. |
Belden, Neb. |
| 8 |
Lisa Dobie |
WSU |
S |
5-10 |
Sr. |
Glen Ellyn, Ill. |
| NSIC All-Conference Honorable Mention |
| # |
Name |
School |
Pos |
Ht |
Yr |
Hometown |
| 4 |
Brittney Burns |
BSU |
OH |
6-0 |
Sr. |
LeSueur, Minn. |
| 8 |
Tatiani Santos |
UMary |
MH |
5-11 |
Sr. |
San Jose Do, PR |
| 16 |
Megan Norling |
MSUM |
OH |
5-9 |
Jr. |
Plymouth, Minn. |
| 7 |
Calla Oftedahl |
MSUM |
Lib |
5-4 |
Jr. |
Apple Valley, Minn. |
| 16 |
Theresa Crance |
UMC |
MH |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Timber Lake, S.D. |
| 7 |
Emily Knaeble |
NSU |
OH |
5-8 |
Sr. |
Andover, Minn. |
| 1 |
Sara Graf |
SMSU |
S |
5-10 |
So. |
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa |
| 6 |
Sarah Quiram |
SMSU |
Lib |
5-10 |
Jr. |
LeSueur, Minn. |
| 5 |
Darcy Hageman |
UIU |
MH |
5-11 |
Sr. |
Decorah, Iowa |
| 2 |
Carmen Stankowski |
WSU |
OH |
5-8 |
So. |
Mosinee, Wis. |
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