Rochester, Mn-
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference was well represented in the preseason 2017 NJCAA national poll, with three MCAC teams in the national top 10 and two more in the receiving votes category. Week 1 proved to be a tough test for many MCAC Northern Division squads, as they took on not only top-ranked Division III foes to start the season, but also challenged programs from the NJCAA Division II ranks. Several Northern Division student-athletes - and their teammates- were equal to the task with some top-flight performances to open the year. In a week of good individual outings, four student-athletes excelled a bit higher, and were recognized with Minnesota College Athletic Conference honors for August 22-27.
MCAC Northern Division Players-of-the-Week: Week 1
| Setter-of-the-Week | Patty Overbye | Mr. Iron | Mesabi Range College |
| Hitter-of-the-Week | Baylee Hilfers | Eveleth | Mesabi Range College |
| Defensive Player-of-the-Week | Kahlen Manthey | Sauk Rapids | Central Lakes College |
| All-Around Player-of-the-Week | Paige Wallevand | Henning | Central Lakes College |
Taking the inaugural MCAC North Setter-of-the-Week honors in 2017 is Patty Overbye, a freshman at Mesabi Range College. Overbye had a standout performance making her teammates look good, dishing out 50 set assists and 12 digs for MRC in their match against Dakota County Technical College. Overbye was nearly as generous against Dakota College-Bottineau, where she had 32 set assists, and added 13 digs and 5 aces in that matchup. Overbye and her Lady Norse teammates will take on Rainy River Community College in a key MCAC North match on Wednesday, August 30th at 6:30pm.
The MCAC North Hitter-of-the-Week also hails from Mesabi Range, with Baylee Hilfers pounding her way to Week 1 recognition. Hilfers, a sophomore from Eveleth, tallied 22 kills, 14 digs and recorded a .357 hitting percentage against Dakota County Technical College, a NJCAA Division II program. MRC dropped Dakota County, 3-2 in a tight match at neutral-site St. Cloud Technical & Community College. Against Dakota College-Bottineau, Baylee thumped 14 kills and picked up 10 digs in a 3-1 win over the LadyJacks. Hilfers strong performance has earned her Week 1, MCAC North Hitter-of-the-Week honors.
Central Lakes College started the 2017 season ranked 4th in the country in the NJCAA Division III, and libero Kahlen Manthey showed some of that preseason form in Week 1. Manthey recorded 10 aces and 37 digs, allowing the sophomore from Sauk Rapids and her Raider teammates to go 3-1 to begin the fall campaign. CLC beat Ellsworth C.C., (3-1), Lake Region State (3-1) and Riverland C.C. (3-0); the only blemish on their start was a 3-0 setback to #2 Ridgewater College. Manthey sits 9th in the country in service aces with 10.
The All-Around Player-of-the-Week in the Northern Division also was earned by a Raider, as Paige Wallevand (So./Henning) was firing on all cylinders for Central Lakes. Wallevand tossed out 52 assists and registered 29 kills, to go with 8 aces and 12 digs in CLC's 3-1 opening week. The balanced performance has coach Jane Peterson and the rest of the Central Lakes squad looking forward to an important Week 2 of the season, with fixtures against MCAC North foe Fond du Lac looming mid-week and non-conference play against Oak Hills Christian and North Dakota State College of Science on the docket. The Raiders will also take on hot-starting MCAC South opponent SCTCC on Friday, September 1st in their triad match with NDSCS.
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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Photo courtesy of Brainerd Dispatch