AVCA RELEASE

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team had four student-athletes named to the 2010 AVCA All-America team. The announcement came from the American Volleyball Coaches Association this Monday. Devin Diedrich was named to the AVCA Division II First-Team All-America while Brooke Burmeister and Mary Groth were named to the third team. Cara Carson was named to the Honorable Mention team.

Diedrich, a native of Braham, Minn., is just the second player in school history to be named to the AVCA All-America first team. Erin Contons was a first team selection in 2007. This is the third time that Diedrich has been named to the AVCA All-America team, she was named to the third 2009 and the honorable mention team in 2008.

Diedrich was also named to the AVCA All-Central Region team for the third time in her career. Diedrich was named first team in 2008 and 2009, along with being named freshman of the year in 2008. She finished her junior season earning Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors, and All-NSIC first team honors. The middle blocker led the team in kills picking up a career-high 503 (4.45 per set) in 2010. She also led all hitters in the NSIC to end the season. Diedrich notched a career-high 29 kills in a thrilling five-set win over the Colorado School of Mines in the first round of the NCAA Central Region Tournament.

She became the eighth player in school history to enter the 1,000 kill club on Sept. 24 in a five-set loss to Minnesota Duluth. Diedrich finished the season with 1,339 kills and currently ranks fourth all-time at SMSU in kills, and fourth all-time in kills per set averaging 3.76. She recorded 20 or more kills in a match nine times this season while picking up 10 or more kills in 26 out of 31 matches in 2010.

Burmeister, a native of Lakefield, Minn., was selected to the AVCA All-America third team for the first time in her career. She was also named to the AVCA All-Central Region team for the first time in her career. She earned first team All-NSIC honors in her sophomore campaign at SMSU. Burmeister finished third on the team in kills finishing the season with a career-high 401 kills (3.55 per set).

The outside hitter killed a season-high 24 against Wayne State on Sept. 11. She finished the season fourth on the team in digs averaging 2.27 per set. Burmeister dug up a career-high 21 against Wayne State on Oct. 9. Burmeister found herself ranked in the top-five in the NSIC for the majority of the season. At season's end she was ranked fourth in the NSIC in kills averaging 3.55 per set.

Groth, a native of West Bend, Wis., was named to the AVCA All-America third team. Groth earned AVCA Freshman of the Year honors in 2009, along with honorable mention honors. The middle blocker finished second on the team averaging 3.85 kills per set.

She killed a career-high 28 against Wayne State on Oct. 9. Groth currently ranks sixth all-time at SMSU averaging 3.68 kills per set and sixth all-time with a career .300 attack percentage.

Carson, a native of Omaha, Neb., was named to the 2010 Division II AVCA All-America Honorable Mention team. The junior also earned AVCA All-Region honors, being named to the honorable mention team. She earned first team All-NSIC honors in 2010 as well. She led the team with 1,412 set assists this season.

The junior setter set up a career-high 74 set assists on Oct. 9 against Wayne State. She finished the season ranked second in the NSIC and the nation in set assists. Her assist average of 12.50 ranks second all-time in a single season. Carson currently ranks sixth all-time at SMSU with 2,111 career set assists.

Only two other Mustangs have been named to the AVCA All-America team in school history. Erin Contons was named to the second team in 2005 and 2006 while being named to the first team in 2007. Kasey Loeslie was named to the third team in 2008.

Southwest Minnesota State finished the 2010 season 27-4 overall and 18-2 in NSIC play finishing second in the conference. SMSU made its seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, advancing to the semifinals for the fourth time in school history and first time since 2008.

Southwest Minnesota State University, located in Marshall, Minn., is a member of NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.