Foley, Braegelmann Headline St. Cloud State Volleyball NSIC Honorees
11/13/2024 2:01:00 PM | Volleyball
Foley named Player of the Year, Braegelmann named Coach of the Year, program-record five Huskies earn All-NSIC honors
BURNSVILLE, Minn. – St. Cloud State Volleyball was well recognized in the end-of-season Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) awards, as the league announced its selections on Thursday. Fifth year outside hitter Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluff, Iowa) won NSIC Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season, while head coach Chad Braegelmann was named NSIC Coach of the Year for the third time. Additionally, a program-record five Huskies earned all-conference honors with three being named to the first ream and two earning second team honors.
Redshirt junior middle blocker Ella Thompson (Lakeville, Minn.) and junior setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) joined Foley on the first team, while senior libero Keely Kurschner (Maplewood, Minn.) and sophomore middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.) were selected to the second team. Previously, the most Huskies to earn all-conference honors in a season was also five, in 1995 while SCSU was in the North Central Conference (NCC). The record for the most while as a member of the NSIC was four, in 2021 – the last time the Huskies won a NSIC regular season title.
Foley was named the NSIC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and was selected to the All-NSIC First Team for the fourth straight season. This season, she leads the NSIC in kills/set (4.92), points/set (5.52), kills (423) and points (474.5). Foley also ranks No. 13 in hitting percentage (.294) and No. 17 in digs/set (3.21) among conference players. Foley has posted 15 double-doubles, two 30+ kill matches and two 20+ dig matches this season.
In 2024, the Sergeant Bluff, Iowa native broke the program records for career kills, career points, career double-digit kill matches, single-match kills, career double-doubles. Foley was named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week six times this season, bringing her career total to 13. She was also tabbed as the AVCA Division II National Player of the Week once in 2024 (third time of career). Foley becomes the first player in program history to repeat as conference player of the year after becoming the first Husky to win such honors a year ago. She is the first Northern Sun player to win the award in back-to-back years since SMSU's Taylor Reiss won it three years in a row from 2016-2018.
Braegelmann was named NSIC Coach of the Year for third time (2019, 2021) after leading the Huskies to their fifth straight 20+ win season this season. He coached the Huskies to second NSIC regular season title in his tenure (third in program history and led a program-record five players to All-NSIC accolades (three first team, two second team) in addition to the back-to-back player of the Year, Kenzie Foley. Braegelmann coached the Huskies to its highest AVCA Coaches Poll ranking in program history (No. 2).
In her first season with the Huskies, Thompson ranks No. 4 in hitting percentage (.353), No. 4 in points/set (3.65) and No. 5 in kills/set (3.24) among NSIC players. She earned NSIC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time of her career on Oct. 7. This is the first all-conference honor of her career.
Berran is currently ranked No. 3 in assists/set (11.45) in the NSIC and No. 9 in all of NCAA Division II. She has guided the potent SCSU offense to conference leading hitting percentage (.286), kills/set (15.06) and points/set (18.78) marks. This is the second time she has been named an all-conference performer after being voted to the second team in 2023. Earlier this season, Berran earned her first NSIC Setter of the Week accolade of year and fourth of her career earlier this week.
Among Northern Sun players, Kurschner ranks No. 3 in service aces/set (0.44), No. 3 in service aces (38) and No. 9 in digs/set (4.23) this season. In serve-receive has made only 22 errors in 451 attempts for a reception percentage of .951. For the third season in a row, the senior libero leads the team in digs and for the second season in her career, she leads the team in aces. This season, Bruskiewicz ranks No. 5 in hitting percentage (.352), No. 16 in blocks/set (0.86) and is tied for No. 18 in kills/set (2.77) among NSIC players.
SCSU has won 19 straight matches, extended its best conference start in program history (17-0) and set a new program record for wins in a row. Thirteen of the teams 22 wins have come against teams ranked/receiving votes in the AVCA Poll.
The Huskies wrap up their regular season schedule with a home match on Friday against Winona State (17-10, 10-6 NSIC). The match will serve as senior night and the program will honor its four seniors for their contributions over the last four-plus years. First serve is set for 6 p.m. from Halenbeck Hall. Links to each coverage option will be available on the SCSU Volleyball schedule page.
To read the NSIC release, click here.
All-NSIC
First Team:
Kenzie Foley
Ella Thompson
Emma Berran
Second Team:
Keely Kurschner
Hannah Bruskiewicz
Player of the Year:
Kenzie Foley
Coach of the Year:
Chad Braegelmann
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Redshirt junior middle blocker Ella Thompson (Lakeville, Minn.) and junior setter Emma Berran (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) joined Foley on the first team, while senior libero Keely Kurschner (Maplewood, Minn.) and sophomore middle blocker Hannah Bruskiewicz (Rogers, Minn.) were selected to the second team. Previously, the most Huskies to earn all-conference honors in a season was also five, in 1995 while SCSU was in the North Central Conference (NCC). The record for the most while as a member of the NSIC was four, in 2021 – the last time the Huskies won a NSIC regular season title.
Foley was named the NSIC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and was selected to the All-NSIC First Team for the fourth straight season. This season, she leads the NSIC in kills/set (4.92), points/set (5.52), kills (423) and points (474.5). Foley also ranks No. 13 in hitting percentage (.294) and No. 17 in digs/set (3.21) among conference players. Foley has posted 15 double-doubles, two 30+ kill matches and two 20+ dig matches this season.
In 2024, the Sergeant Bluff, Iowa native broke the program records for career kills, career points, career double-digit kill matches, single-match kills, career double-doubles. Foley was named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week six times this season, bringing her career total to 13. She was also tabbed as the AVCA Division II National Player of the Week once in 2024 (third time of career). Foley becomes the first player in program history to repeat as conference player of the year after becoming the first Husky to win such honors a year ago. She is the first Northern Sun player to win the award in back-to-back years since SMSU's Taylor Reiss won it three years in a row from 2016-2018.
Braegelmann was named NSIC Coach of the Year for third time (2019, 2021) after leading the Huskies to their fifth straight 20+ win season this season. He coached the Huskies to second NSIC regular season title in his tenure (third in program history and led a program-record five players to All-NSIC accolades (three first team, two second team) in addition to the back-to-back player of the Year, Kenzie Foley. Braegelmann coached the Huskies to its highest AVCA Coaches Poll ranking in program history (No. 2).
In her first season with the Huskies, Thompson ranks No. 4 in hitting percentage (.353), No. 4 in points/set (3.65) and No. 5 in kills/set (3.24) among NSIC players. She earned NSIC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time of her career on Oct. 7. This is the first all-conference honor of her career.
Berran is currently ranked No. 3 in assists/set (11.45) in the NSIC and No. 9 in all of NCAA Division II. She has guided the potent SCSU offense to conference leading hitting percentage (.286), kills/set (15.06) and points/set (18.78) marks. This is the second time she has been named an all-conference performer after being voted to the second team in 2023. Earlier this season, Berran earned her first NSIC Setter of the Week accolade of year and fourth of her career earlier this week.
Among Northern Sun players, Kurschner ranks No. 3 in service aces/set (0.44), No. 3 in service aces (38) and No. 9 in digs/set (4.23) this season. In serve-receive has made only 22 errors in 451 attempts for a reception percentage of .951. For the third season in a row, the senior libero leads the team in digs and for the second season in her career, she leads the team in aces. This season, Bruskiewicz ranks No. 5 in hitting percentage (.352), No. 16 in blocks/set (0.86) and is tied for No. 18 in kills/set (2.77) among NSIC players.
SCSU has won 19 straight matches, extended its best conference start in program history (17-0) and set a new program record for wins in a row. Thirteen of the teams 22 wins have come against teams ranked/receiving votes in the AVCA Poll.
The Huskies wrap up their regular season schedule with a home match on Friday against Winona State (17-10, 10-6 NSIC). The match will serve as senior night and the program will honor its four seniors for their contributions over the last four-plus years. First serve is set for 6 p.m. from Halenbeck Hall. Links to each coverage option will be available on the SCSU Volleyball schedule page.
To read the NSIC release, click here.
All-NSIC
First Team:
Kenzie Foley
Ella Thompson
Emma Berran
Second Team:
Keely Kurschner
Hannah Bruskiewicz
Player of the Year:
Kenzie Foley
Coach of the Year:
Chad Braegelmann
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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