All-NCC Volleyball Team Features Six Repeat Selections
Three-time repeat selections Vicky Braegelmann of Minnesota Duluth and Andrea Oswald of Augustana highlight the 12-member All-North Central Conference volleyball team selected by league coaches and annouced today by the conference office. Minnesota Duluth placed four selections on the team while Nebraska-Omaha is honored with three players. Ten of the 12 honorees will be in action this weekend in the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship.
Minnesota Duluth's Vicky Braegelmann was voted the Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year, Nebraska-Omaha's Ellen Thommes was selected the Freshman of the Year and South Dakota's Amber Kobus was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Jim Boos of Minnesota Duluth was named by his peers as Coach of the Year for the first time in his career.
Boos guided the Bulldogs to their third consecutive NCC title in their third year in the league and they are the secon seed for the North Central Region of the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship. UMD posted a 12-0 mark in NCC matches this season, the first team to post an undefeated NCC mark since North Dakota State had a 9-0 mark in 1991. The Bulldogs will face Minnesota State Thursday in the NCAA North Central Region tournament in St. Paul, Minn.
Braegelmann led the league in the league in kills (4.80) and was third in hitting percentage (.331). She is only the second player ever to be named Most Valuable Player in consectutive years since the award was instituted in 1990 with the other being Northern Colorado's Deb Ponis in 1994 and 1995.
Thommes finished fourth in the league hitting percentage (.326), 11th in blocks (0.77 bpg), tied for 12th in service aces (0.23 sapg), and 14th in kills (2.91 kpg).
Kobus, who finished third in league digs (5.33 dpg) and ninth in service aces (0.26 sapg), is the second University of South Dakota volleyball player ever to earn special award recognition in volleyball.
Other league leaders on the team include: UMD's Katie Gangelhoff in assists (14.88 apg) and Kari Wolford in service aces (0.62 sapg) and UNO's Carlie Christensen in blocks (1.34 bpg).
2006-2007 All-North Central Conference Volleyball Team
Name Team Pos. Yr. Ht. Hometown Top NCC Stats
Vicky Braegelmann^ Minnesota Duluth RS Jr. 6-0 Albany, Minn. .331, 4.80 kpg
Carlie Christensen* Nebraska-Omaha MH Jr. 6-0 Omaha, Neb. .367, 3.61 kpg, 1.34 bpg
Katie Gangelhoff Minnesota Duluth S So. 5-8 South St. Paul, Minn. 14.88 apg
Tara Holmen* North Dakota MH Jr. 6-1 Berthold, N.D. 1.08 bpg, .219, 3.00 kpg
Rachel Langseth* Minnesota Duluth MB Sr. 6-1 Alexandria, Minn. .318, 3.25 kpg, 0.82 bpg
Nicole McLeod Nebraska-Omaha MB Jr. 6-2 Brownlee, Neb. .306, 0.84 bpg
Andrea Oswald^ Augustana MB Sr. 6-0 Pilger, Neb. 3.83 kpg, 1.26 bpg, .50 sapg
Kristi Pangrac St. Cloud State RS Jr. 6-1 Bowlus, Neb. 3.64 kpg, .249, 0.59 bpg
Terrin Post Augustana OH Sr. 5-11 Prinsburg, Minn. 4.14 kpg, .219, 1.05 dpg
Christina Reicks* Nebraska-Omaha OH Sr. 5-10 Bellevue, Neb. 3.64 kpg, 0.84 bpg
Kari Wolford Minnesota Duluth OH Jr. 5-11 Avon, Minn. 3.83 kpg, 0.62 sapg
Cassie Wolpern Minnesota State OH Sr. 5-10 Belle Plaine, Minn. 3.64 dpg, 3.23 kpg
*-2-year selection, ^-3-year selection
Most Valuable Player: Vicky Braegelmann, Minnesota Duluth (second consecutive year)
Coach of the Year: Jim Boos, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman of the Year: Ellen Thommes, Nebraska-Omaha
Defensive Specialist of the Year: Amber Kobus, South Dakota
Class Breakdown: Senior (5), Junior (6), Sophomore (1).
Team Breakdown: Augustana (2), Minnesota Duluth (4), Minnesota State (1), Nebraska-Omaha (3), North Dakota (1), St. Cloud State (1).
Honorable Mention: Augustana: Ellen
Andrews, Abby Schmidt; Minnesota State: Cathy Turner;
Minnesota Duluth: Chelsea Meierotto;
Nebraska-Omaha: Stacie Wemhoff; North Dakota:
Aileen Cahill, Allison Louwagie; South Dakota: Ashley
Gross.