Rochester, Mn-
Central Lakes College led the Northern Division from start to finish in 2017 and their dominance has produced a familiar path back to the NJCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. Upon conclusion of the 2017 MCAC Volleyball regular season and NJCAA Region XIIIB tournament play, the All-Northern Division First and Second teams, Coach-of-the-Year and Sportsmanship Team have been named in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference.
Paige Wallevand was the leading vote-getter in the MCAC North among the coaches, edging out Shantel Verbout of NCTC. Wallevand was a seven-time Player-of-the-Week selection in the Northern Division, earning top marks in both the All-Around Player-of-the-Week and Defensive Player-of-the-Week on several occasions.
On Tuesday, NJCAA National Tournament information including participating teams and ticket information, as well as the MCAC All-State Team in Volleyball will be available at www.mcacsports.org. The Raiders will enjoy one of the shortest commutes of any of the participating eight teams at the National Championships, as this year's event is held in Rochester, Minnesota on November 10-11 and hosted by RCTC and the Rochester Amateur Sports Commission. The MCAC All State team will reflect the top vote-getters combined across both the Northern and Southern Division of Minnesota College Athletic Conference volleyball.
Click on player name for statistical bio
MCAC All-Northern Division First Team
| Paige Wallevand | Central Lakes College |
| Shantel Verbout | Northland Community & Technical College |
| Allie Knuti | Hibibng Community College |
| Kahlen Manthey | Central Lakes College |
| Kara Mandich | Itasca Community College |
| Madison Magner | Northland Community & Technical College |
| Chloe Kaufenberg | Mesabi Range College |
| Lexi Kudis | Hibbing Community College |
| Sandy Thompson | Rainy River Community College |
MCAC All-Northern Division Second Team
| Becca Jensen | Central Lakes College |
| Alli Sandberg | Mesabi Range College |
| Kayla Larson | Central Lakes College |
| Jessica Vedbraaten | Northland Community & Technical College |
| Alison Satre | Rainy River Community College |
| Hannah Dietsch | Northland Community & Technical College |
| Carmen Bergstedt | Itasca Community College |
| Holly Starkovich | Hibbing Community College |
| Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College |
Coach-of-the-Year: Jane Peterson, Central Lakes College
Sportsmanship Team: Northland Community & Technical College
Central Lakes (25-8 Overall / 14-0 MCAC) ran through the Northern Division regular season schedule, going unbeaten at 14-0, and won their NJCAA Region XIIIB semi-final and championship matches at home in Brainerd to earn the right to advance to the National Championships. The NJCAA competition and the setting will be familiar to Northern Division Coach-of-the-Year Jane Peterson and her squad, as they will stay within the confines of Minnesota as they pursue a national title. Rochester Community & Technical College and the Rochester Amateur Sports Commission will host the 2017 NJCAA Division III Volleyball national tournament, with matches beginning on Friday, November 10th and the championship to be played on Sunday, November 12th. In 2016, Central Lakes also represented Region XIIIB in the National Tournament.
The Raiders will be joined by St. Cloud Technical & Community College, who claimed the 2017 Southern Division regular season title and won the the Region XIIIA tournament in front of their home fans over the weekend. The Cyclones (11-3 MCAC / 23-6 Overall) dispatched M State Fergus Falls and Ridgewater to book their trip to Rochester this past weekend.
For full MCAC Volleyball Stats, Standings and more, visit: http://www.mcacsports.org/sports/wvball/index
To Follow Minnesota College Athletic Conference sports in 2017, please go to: www.mcacsports.org
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This release sponsored in part by Gopher Sport.
Gopher Sport, based in Owatonna, is an industry leader in Physical Education, sports and fitness equipment. Gopher Sport is dedicated to providing programs and departments with the products to improve fitness, develop skills, create fun and reach a high standard of learning and living. Gopher Sport has diligently served teachers, coaches and athletic directors around the world for over 65 years.
About the Minnesota College Athletic Conference
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State system. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for success of our student athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs.