2008 AVCA All-Americans Announced, Concordia Names Five

Dec. 03– LEXINGTON, Ky. - Concordia University named five volleyball athletes to the 2008 AVCA All-American teams.  Maggie McNamara and Emily Palkert were named First Team All-Americans, while Maria Steinhagen, Whitney Meierotto and Mary Slinger were named Second Team All-Americans.  Additionally, Sadie Kessler was named Honorable Mention.  This is the most All-Americans gained by a single team in the NCAA Division II this year and the most by any Concordia squad in a single season. Junior Maggie McNamara (Zumbrota, Minn.), who runs the Concordia offense as setter, is one of just two players in the country to return as honorees on the All-America First Team from 2007.  She was also named the 2008 NCAA Division II Player of the Year.  McNamara has helped her team become the best hitting team in the nation and personally leads the NCAA for the third consecutive season in assists per set (13.41).  She was named the NSIC's Offensive Player of the Year after pulling in six Setter of the Week honors.  McNamara has 1,569 assists on the season and 5,639 in her career.  In addition to leading the Concordia offense, McNamara is also one of the squad's best defenders with 268 digs, third best on the team.  She has 1,004 digs in her career.  Along with her two First Team All-America bids, McNamara was a Second Team All-American in 2006 and was Division II's Freshman of the Year. Please click here for the complete release.