McNamara Named AVCA National Player of the Week

Sep. 01–

LEXINGTON, Ky. - #1 Concordia University has another top-ranked status this week, as senior setter Maggie McNamara has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division II Player of the Week. McNamara helped lead the Golden Bears to a 4-0 start on the season, dishing out a phenomenal 13.23 assists per set. This is the second career Sports Imports/AVCA Division II Player of the Week honor for McNamara, her last coming on Sept. 8, 2009.

McNamara's (Zumbrota, Minn. / Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS) continued excellence on the court helped to extent Concordia's winning streak to 41 matches as they cruised past all four opponents at the West Florida Comfort Inn-vitational, including two wins over teams ranked in the top 15 nationally. McNamara kicked the season off with a double-double, tallying 38 assists and 11 digs along with two blocks and an ace in a sweep of Eckerd. In the Golden Bears' next match, she dished out 36 assists in addition to adding six digs, one block and one ace in a 3-0 win over then-#15 West Florida. The 2008 AVCA Division II National Player of the Year opened Saturday's play with 51 assists, eight digs and one ace in a five-set win over then-#12 Central Missouri and finished things up with 47 assists, three digs and two blocks in a whitewashing of Florida Tech.

For the week, McNamara averaged 13.23 assists, not far from her NCAA best pace in 2008, and 2.15 digs per set.

This is the seventh time that an athlete from Concordia University has earned the Sports Imports/AVCA Division II Player of the Week honor. The Golden Bears look ahead to stifling competition at the Regis/Metro Premiere Challenge this weekend before opening their home schedule Sept. 11-12 at the Gangelhoff Center.