MIAC Release

WINONA, Minn. — It's been a memorable season—not to mention career—for Saint Mary's University of Minnesota's Lex Krogstad (Chicago, Ill.).
 
On a team level, Krogstad helped the Cardinal volleyball team locked up its third straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoff berth in 2015.
 
And on a personal level, the senior libero racked up 503 digs—eclipsing the 500-dig plateau for the fourth straight season, and moving her into second place all-time with 2,106 career digs.
 
Krogstad's efforts did not go unnoticed, either, as she earned First-Team All-MIAC honors for the second consecutive season, the conference office announced Wednesday.
 
Krogstad was not alone atop the conference's post-season podium, as fellow senior Macki Fadness (Eau Claire, Wis.) and junior Molly Urban (Roseville, Minn.) joined her on the All-MIAC First Team.
 
The trio guided the Cardinals to a third-place finish in the MIAC regular-season standings, and a home playoff match in the opening round of the six-team conference playoffs. The Cardinals knocked off Concordia 3-0 in their quarterfinal match to advance to Thursday's MIAC semifinal against regular-season champion and No. 1-seeded Gustavus.
 
Krogstad is enjoying a banner senior season, appearing in all 11 conference matches, recording a team-leading 188 digs, while adding 52 assists and 13 service aces. Krogstad—who was named to the Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic and the Ripon Red Hawk Invitational All-Tournament Teams—has played in all 29 matches for the Cardinals. Along with her 503 digs, she owns six kills, 118 assists, and 32 aces.
 
Fadness, like Krogstad, saved her best season for last, as the right-side hitter finished with 128 kills, a .230 attack percentage, 22 digs and seven blocks in 11 MIAC contests. For the season, Fadness has amassed a team-leading and career-high 328 kills—including a career high 18 kills three times—while hitting .276. She also has contributed 49 digs and tallied 39 blocks. Fadness, who has recorded 10 or more kills in 21 of the team's 29 matches heading into Thursday's playoff semifinal, is not stranger to post-season honors—having been named First-Team All-MIAC three times for the Cardinal women's hockey team.
 
It's been a break-out season for Urban, who closed out the conference season with 84 kills, nine aces, 26 digs and 24 blocks in 11 matches. Overall, Urban—who recorded a career-high 14 kills in a five-set marathon against Saint Benedict on Oct. 2—has hammered home 183 kills and a .325 attack percentage in 29 matches, while chipping in eight assists, 16 aces, 61 digs, and 61 blocks.
 
Regular-season champion Gustavus nearly made a clean sweep of the individual honors, as senior Alyssa Taylor was named MIAC Player of the Year, freshman Nora Holtan was the conference's Rookie of the Year, and Rachelle Sherden was tabbed MIAC Coach of the Year. Carleton senior Camille Benson earned MIAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
 
As part of the conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the ninth annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for volleyball, which included Saint Mary's Maddie Hess (Lewiston, Minn.)