Duluth, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Duluth volleyball had two of its player named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American Team. Junior outside hitter
Kate Berg was honored to the first team, while senior setter
Emily Balts landed on the third team.
UMD now has 49 total AVCA citations in the program's 49-year history with at least one representative nationally recognized in each of the last 17 seasons. Minnesota Duluth is fifth in all-time AVCA First-Team Certificates with 19 overall. The Bulldogs have landed an AVCA First-Team All-American in eight of the last nine seasons.
The Duo continue the tradition of excellence of having at least one player earn All-American honors for the last 18 years. Berg becomes just the 26th Bulldog to be honored as an AVCA All-American, and the 20th first team accolade. This is Balts' second year in as many years being named an AVCA All-American, grabbing second team honors last season.
Berg was a force on the court this season, sitting either in the top 10 or just outside of it in kills per set in the DII nation for almost the entire season. Berg finished this season with a .228 hitting percentage, with a 4.18 (472 total) kills per set average, the highest of her career. Berg currently sits just outside of the top 10 with the Bulldogs for career kills, carrying a 1,176 total. Mariah Scharf is in 10th, with a 1,281 career total. She had 1,272 attacks this season, and has broken into the top 10 at UMD in total attacks, with a 3,168 total, surpassing Mariah Scharf (3,060) and Lunda Nicoski (3,102) for eighth place. Berg also had 342 digs this season, which averages out to a 3.03 per set average, the highest of her career. She currently has 931 for her career and looks to break the 1,000 barrier early next season. She would also dish out 29 assists, 12 aces and 32 blocks (four solo and 28 assists). Berg had 199 kills against regionally ranked opponents this season, averaging 4.63 per set. She would also grab 12 assists, six aces, 126 digs (2.93/set), three solo blocks and 11 blocking assists for 14 total blocks. Against top 25 nationally ranked opponents, she had 266 kills, for 4.51 per set. She had 13 assists, six aces, 156 digs (2.64/set), four solo blocks and 15 blocking assists for 19 total blocks.
Balts finished out her career leading all setters across all divisions in both assists (5,559) and assists per set (12.22) over their career. With that total, Balts was able to move into fourth all time at UMD, moving past Greta Iisakka (5,537). She had 1,378 total assists this season, which came out to a 12.19 per set average, sitting second in DII and across all divisions. She lead the team to a .247 hitting clip on the year. She was also able to nab 73 kills (highest of her career) while clipping at a .314 efficiency (highest of her career). She grabbed 248 (2.19 per set, both total and per set highest of career) digs this season, totaling out to 858 while with the Bulldogs. She was able to grab 27 block assists this season, giving her a 171 career total. Balts has played every set for the Bulldogs this season, with 43 coming against regionally ranked opponents and 59 coming against top 25 ranked teams in the nation this season. In those 43 sets, Balts had 516 assists, which comes to a 12.00 average per set. Along with that total, Balts had 28 kills, six aces, 87 digs (2.02/set) and 10 blocking assists. In matches against top 25 nationally ranked teams, she had 699 assists, coming out to an 11.85 average. She also had 35 kills, seven aces, 132 digs (2.24/set) and 15 blocking assists. She was awarded with four the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Setter of the Week awards this season.
The Bulldogs concluded the 2018 season 25-7 after making it to the NCAA II Central Region Tournament for the 17th time in the last 18 years. UMD finished the regular season in second place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, just behind Northern State University and was awarded the second seed in the Central Regional.
