ST. PAUL, Minn. - Volleyball continues to remain the focus of the Concordia University's campus, and once again a volleyball student-athlete, Maria Steinhagen, has been chosen along with Sammy Ricks (Basketball) as the CU Athletes of the Week. Steinhagen earns the nod for the second time this year while volleyball has picked up the honor nine out of 13 times this year.
Steinhagen helped power Concordia through the NCAA Central Regional last week at the Gangelhoff Center as CU captured their fourth regional title. As one of two seniors on the team, Steinhagen's dominance at the net was too much for opponents to overcome as she totaled 15 total blocks in the three matches, blasting away the opposition with 1.25 per game. Offensively, the Alexandria, Minn. native who was coined as a "buzz saw" in last year's National Championship run by an opposing coach, Steinhagen slammed 38 kills for 3.17 per game while hitting .368 in 76 attempts. She was also named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team, reaching the highest possible achievement for academics and athletics with a 3.93 cumulative grade point average and an All-NSIC First Team performer on the court. Already a member of the 1,000 kill club (1,164), Steinhagen is also the NSIC's leading blocker and with 426 career blocks, she is just two shy of reaching second place on Concordia's all-time list.
Sammy Ricks (G, 5-11, 170, Jr., St. Paul, Minn. / Johnson HS / NDSCS) led Concordia in scoring and rebounding in a 91-75 win over Augsburg in CU’s home opener on Sunday. Ricks shot 8-11 from the floor, hit 50% from behind the arc and drained all three of his free throws for a game-high 20 points. Despite his 5-11, 170 pound frame, the junior transfer from NDSCS also hauled in eight rebounds – another game high. His aggressive play on defense picked up three steals as well. His points and rebounds were both career-highs, doubling his previous high in scoring while his rebounding season average is an impressive 5.7 per game in CU’s first three games.
