SIOUX CITY, IOWA (KCAU) – The NSIC released its conference volleyball honors on Thursday afternoon, and a quartet of Wayne State volleyball faces would repeat with first-team all-conference nods while Wildcats head coach Scott Kneifl was named back-to-back NSIC Coach of the Year.
Kneifl has the success to back it up. In his 19th year at the helm of top-ranked Wayne State, Kneifl’s back-to-back NSIC Coach of the Year awards come fresh off the heels of back-to-back NSIC regular season titles for the Wildcats. The program becomes the first outright repeat champion in the conference since Concordia-St. Paul from 2003-2010. This marks the fourth NSIC Coach of the Year nod for the Newcastle, Nebraska native, also winning in 2009 with co-honors in 2005. Kneifl has coached the Wildcats to 17 20+ win seasons, currently in pursuit of their 13th NCAA Division II Tournament appearance.
Meanwhile, All-NSIC first team honors rolled back in for four different Wildcats:
- Junior middle hitter and Pierce, Nebraska native Maggie Brahmer was back on the list after leading the NSIC in hit percentage
- Junior middle hitter Taya Beller follows the trend earning her 3rd consecutive first team nod, ranking 2nd in the NSIC in blocks per set, hit percentage, and points per set
- Senior outside hitter Kelsie Cada re-joins the first-team ballot with over 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs
- Senior setter Rachel Walker
Wayne State College, 26-1 overall and 17-0 in the NSIC, is ranked #1 in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Wildcats have won 19 straight matches heading into Saturday’s regular season finale hosting #9 St. Cloud State in Rice Auditorium at 1 p.m.
