WINONA, Minn. — For Saint Mary's University of Minnesota senior Mary Nordick (Plymouth, Minn.), it's the storybook ending to a memorable collegiate volleyball career.
 
Nordick, who has been a force in the middle for the Cardinals over the past four years, put an exclamation point on her final chapter, as the senior middle hitter earned First-Team All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors, the conference office announced Wednesday.
 
 And Nordick was not alone on the MIAC's post-season podium, as teammate Lex Krogstad (Chicago, Ill.) was also named to the all-conference first team.
 
Nordick has notched 200 or more kills in each of her four seasons as a Cardinal. The senior middle hitter enters Thursday's MIAC playoff semifinal match against Augsburg with 231 kills, while hitting a team- and career-best .325. Nordick also owns nine service aces, 42 digs and 91 total block. Her 91 total blocks and 24 solo blocks both rank No. 2 in the MIAC.
 
Nordick—who recorded a season-high 15 kills against Augsburg in the teams' first meeting on Oct. 25 and has posted a single match-high seven blocks twice—is just five kills away from 1,000 for her career and ranks No. 2 all-time in total blocks (417) and block assists (318).  
 
Like Nordick, Krogstad is enjoying a banner season in 2014, posting a team-best 524 digs. The junior libero, who has amassed 1,585 digs in three seasons—ranking second in program history—has eclipsed the 20-dig barrier 12 times this season, including a season-best 28 digs twice.
 
Kelly Foley of co-regular-season champion St. Thomas was named the MIAC Player of the Year, while Carleton's Camille Benson and Kristin Stern of Bethel were the league's Defensive Player and Rookie of the Year selections. Jane Becker, who helped guide Augsburg to a share of the conference's regular-season title, was named MIAC Coach of the Year.
 
As part of the conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the eighth annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for volleyball, which included Saint Mary's Jordan Wolfe (Wabasha, Minn.).

MIAC Releae