ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concordia University had five athletes named to the 2009 NSIC Volleyball All-Conference teams, released today by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) office.  Senior Mary Slinger has been named the NSIC Libero of the Year for the third straight year, while Maggie McNamara is the NSIC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.  Joining Slinger and McNamara on the All-NSIC First Team are Megan Carlson, Sadie Kessler and Emily Palkert.  Cassie Haag has been named Honorable Mention.  The Golden Bears are 30-0 on the year and 19-0 in NSIC play.  They won their 7th straight NSIC championship and have an NCAA record 67 straight wins.

Mary Slinger (L, Sr., Faribault, Minn.) earned her third straight NSIC Libero of the Year honor this season. Slinger has been the staple of the Concordia University defense since she became the team’s regular libero in 2007. Slinger has a total of 473 digs so far this season, an average of 4.98 per set which is second in the NSIC. Just this past weekend, Slinger overtook Megan Graham on the CU all-time digs list and has a total of 2,246 digs in the navy and gold.

Slinger has put up double figures for digs 24 times this season, including a season high 31 digs that pushed her team over the hump in a four-set win against Bemidji State on Oct. 9. She has put up 20 or more digs eight times this year. Additionally, Slinger’s passing on serve receive has been vital to the Concordia offense. As the leading passer on the team, Slinger has taken 399 attempts on serve receive and has made just 16 errors on the season for a staggering .960 receiving average. Only once has an opponent aced Slinger more than one time in a match.

Mary was honored on October 13 as the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week, recognizing her as the best Division II volleyball player that week. She has been named the NSIC Libero of the Week twice this season and the CU Athlete of the Week twice. Slinger was a member of the 2008 AVCA All-America Second Team and was the only libero named to any of the All-America teams. As the regular season winds down and the postseason looms ahead, the Golden Bears will continue to look at Slinger to make miraculous saves and get the ball up to the net for the powerful offense.

For the second straight year, Maggie McNamara (S, Sr., Zumbrota, Minn.) has been named the NSIC Player of the Year. McNamara leads the NSIC and the NCAA in assists per set (13.26) yet again and, with a comfortable cushion in the national statistics, should wrap up her career leading the NCAA in assists every year of her illustrious career. Maggie is currently just 20 assists away from the all-time NCAA Division II career assists record, which she should be able to reach in the final match of the regular season this weekend. Having already overcome Cailin Terhaar’s sturdy school record for assists this season, McNamara has a total of 7,070 assists in her career.

McNamara has put up 40 or more assists in 18 of the season’s matches and has gone over 50 assists in a match eight times, no small task with her Golden Bears sweeping all but four opponents in 3-0 decisions this year. Her season’s highest assists level came with a 61 assist performance against Bemidji State on Oct. 9. Behind her sets, the Golden Bears lead the nation in kills (15.40/s) and hitting percentage (.318). McNamara has always been a solid defender for Concordia, as well. She has five double-doubles this season in assists and digs and has a total of 209 digs on the year. In her career, McNamara has racked up 1,243 digs and is 7th on CU’s all-time digs list.

Maggie’s excellence was recognized nationally following the first week of play as she was named 2009’s first Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week on September 1. She has been the NSIC’s Setter of the Week six times. McNamara is already a three-time AVCA All-American. She was honored as the 2006 National Freshman of the Year and, after bringing her team to back-to-back National Championships, was deemed the 2008 AVCA National Player of the Year.

Megan Carlson (OH, So., Andover, Minn./Marshall Univ.) has been a great all-around player for the Golden Bears this season.  Second on the team with 342 kills (3.60/s), Carlson is also the teams' second-leading defender with 312 digs (3.28/s).  She has marked 16 double-doubles this season.  Playing in every set and rotation of the season, Carlson has marked a .966 serve receive average with only 24 errors in 697 attempts for the Golden Bears.  She has 44 blocks and 27 service aces on the season.

Sadie Kessler (RS, Sr., St. Michael, Minn.) has been the most solid rightside hitter in the Northern Sun Conference this season.  Kessler has put 298 kills (3.14/s) under her belt with a .366 hitting average on the year.  She surpassed the 1,000 kill mark of her career just last weekend against MSU Moorhead and looks to keep tallying marks as the postseason approaches.  Kessler has a fierce serve that has given the team 38 aces this season.  She also has 222 digs (2.34/s), 68 assists and 54 blocks.  This is the second All-NSIC First Team honor for Kessler.

Emily Palkert (MH, Jr., Excelsior, Minn.) has been Concordia's greatest offensive weapon this season.  Swinging from the center of the net and trademarking a nasty slide, Palkert has racked up 356 kills (3.75/s, 4th in NSIC) with a .360 hitting average (4th in NSIC).  She has gone into double figures for kills 22 out of CU's 30 matches and drove down a season high 21 kills against Bemidji State on Oct. 9.  Palkert is also the team's leading blocker with 84 stops on the season (0.88/s), including a season best eight blocks in a 3-0 win over Southwest Minnesota State on Oct. 17.  This is the third All-NSIC First Team honor for Palkert, who also the 2007 NSIC Freshman of the Year.

Freshman Cassie Haag (MH, Fr., Plymouth, Minn.) was donned to the All-NSIC Honorable Mention roster in her first season of collegiate volleyball.  Haag has been a reliable hitter for the Golden Bears with the NSIC's second best hitting average (.381) and 225 kills, fourth best on the loaded CU roster.  Haag's blocking game has also steadied the CU defense, picking up 65 blocks on the year.

2009 NSIC All-Conference Team

 Honorable Mention