BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State University sophomore setter Sydney Thein was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Setter of the Week after the Mustangs went 3-0 in the Pitt State Classic this past weekend.
 
Thein, a native of Clara City, Minn., had 142 assists in the Mustangs three games, and averaged 12.91 assists per set.
 
Against tournament hosts Pitt State (Kan.), Thein tallied 57 assists, her second highest assists in a game this season, and had 18 digs in a five-set win. Thein also helped the Mustangs to hit .278 in that three game stretch, which was the third best in the NSIC last week.
 
Thein is currently No. 3 in DII with 12.16 assists per set, and is No. 5 in total assists with 332.
 
This is the first weekly award for an SMSU volleyball player in the 2025 season, and is the first since Nov. 18, 2024, when McKenzie Tolk won Defensive Player of the Week. Thein now has four NSIC Setter of the Week awards in her career at SMSU.
 
Thein and the No. 9 ranked Mustangs will look to stay undefeated on the season when they start NSIC play this week, playing on the road against Bemidji State on Friday Sept. 19, and Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, Sept. 20. Both games are available to watch on the NSIC Network.