St. Paul, Minn. - For the sixth consecutive season the Concordia University, St. Paul Golden Bears have been picked by the league coaches in the NSIC Preseason Volleyball Poll.

After winning the 2007 & 2008 NCAA National Championship, the Golden Bears received all 13 of the possible first place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team).

The Golden Bears return All-American senior, setter Maggie McNamara, the coaches’ choice for Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Minnesota Duluth finished in second in the coaches poll as they edge out Minnesota State University, Mankato by two points.

The Mavericks received the only other first place vote. Wayne State (128) and SMSU (125) round out the top five in the poll.

2009 Preseason NSIC Volleyball Coaches Poll

Points

1
Concordia, St. Paul (13)
169

2
Minnesota Duluth
145

3
Minnesota State (1)
143

4
Wayne State
128

5
Southwest Minnesota State
125

6
Augustana
122

7
MSU Moorhead
99

8
Winona State
82

9
St. Cloud State
65

10
Northern State
64

11
Bemidji State
44

12
Minnesota, Crookston
43

13
Upper Iowa
26

14
University of Mary
23

first place votes in ( )

The 2009 NSIC Volleyball season serves up its first action on Thursday August 27 with multiple teams in competition.

2009 NSIC Preseason Player of the Year

#12 Maggie McNamara
S, 5-9, Sr.,
Zumbrota, Minn.
Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS
Concordia University, St. Paul

A three-time AVCA All-American, setter Maggie McNamara enters her senior season at Concordia after being named the 2008 AVCA Division II National Player of the Year.

McNamara has guided the Golden Bears to back-to-back National Championships and has led all other setters in the nation in assists for the past three years.

She has racked up 5,800 total assists in her career, averaging an NCAA all-time high mark of 14.36 assists per set.

Behind McNamara’s sets, the Golden Bears led the nation in kills per set in 2008 and had the nation’s third highest hitting average.

McNamara is also a defensive leader for the Concordia, accumulating 1,034 digs in three seasons. This is her second straight bid as the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year.

She also has a set of NSIC Player of the Year honors and three All-Region accolades.