Four DSU athletes listed on the NSAA Volleyball All-Conference Teams
The North Star Athletic Association announced its 2020-21 Volleyball All-Conference teams and postseason awards Monday. Four Dakota State athletes were listed on the All-Conference. The last time the Trojans had four athletes on the all-conference teams was in 1981.
Maddie Polzin and Madalyn Groft were chosen to the NSAA Volleyball All-Conference First Team.
Polzin, 5-foot-9 senior outside hitter, powered the Trojans’ offense with 372 kills in 2020-21. She surpassed her 1,000-kill career milestone at DSU Fieldhouse on March 3. She recorded a hitting percentage of .204. She also led the overall conference with 4.0 kills per set for DSU and led the league with 4.2 kills per set in 14 NSAA matches. She is seventh in the NSAA conference with .218 hitting percentage in league matches.
According to the DakStats-NAIA statistical website as of Monday, Polzin ranks 14th in the nation in total kills and 19th in kills per set.
Madalyn Groft, 5-foot-7 freshman setter, propelled DSU’s offense attack by producing 748 set assists in 2020-21, which is 27th most assists in the NAIA. She ranks fourth in both overall and league in assists per set . She also tallied 254 digs, averaging 2.7 digs. She posted a total of 13 double-doubles in 2020-21.
Peyton Groft and Hannah Viet were selected to the NSAA Volleyball All-Conference Second Team. P. Groft was named the DSU’s representative for the league’s Champions-of-Character award.
Dakota State finished their 2020-21 volleyball season with an overall record of 14-10, their 10th time in the last 11 seasons that the Trojans hit double digit victories. They also posted its third consecutive season with a winning record.
The Trojans finished fourth in the NSAA conference standings with a 9-5 record and advanced to the semifinals round of the conference postseason tournament, falling short to the regular-season champion Bellevue (Neb.) in four sets.