Lange, Rainey Land Daktronics All-Region Acclaim

Nov 28, 2012

Northland Sports Online

Just over 24 hours from the start of the NCAA Tournament, a pair of standouts from the University of Minnesota Duluth have landed individual awards. Junior outside hitter Kate Lange (first team) and sophomore libero Julie Rainey (second team) were each named All-Central Region performers by Daktronics on Wednesday.

A 2011 first team All-American and the 2012 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Year, Lange dominated as an all-around contributor and the focal point of the UMD attack this fall. The Hibbing, Minn., native racked up over 500 kills for the second straight season on her way to leading the conference (and ranking second in the nation) with an average of 4.93 kills per set. Lange, who became the 16th Bulldog to blast 1,000 kills in a career earlier this season, claimed NSIC Offensive Player of the Week Honors on three occasions this fall (Sept. 10, Sept. 17 and Oct. 1) and took down AVCA National Player of the Week Honors Sept. 18 — the first UMD player in nearly five years to do so. This marks the second all-region nod this fall for Lange, who rolled up a first team selection from the American Volleyball Coaches Association a week ago.

Rainey has known just one role since stepping on the floor for the Bulldogs, holding down the libero positions in both her seasons of on-court action at UMD. After taking a redshirt in 2010, the sophomore has dug more balls than any Bulldog over the past two years, and has a team-leading 516 saves to her credit in 2012. The Stewartville, Minn., native was an All-NSIC honorable mention selection as a freshman. Rainey received an All-Central Region honorable mention selection from the AVCA last week.

Lange, Rainey and the Bulldogs (28-4) will take on No. 8 Central Missouri University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday at 5:00 p.m. at the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, Minn.

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