University of Colorado Colorado Springs middle blocker Nikki Kinzer was named second-team Daktronics All-Central Region, it was announced Wednesday.

Kinzer led the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with 1.22 blocks per set and was eighth in hitting percentage at .307. The junior from Colorado Springs led the Mountain Lions with 2.80 kills per set.

Concordia-St. Paul outside hitter Megan Carlson was named the 2011 Daktronics NCAA Division II Central Region Player of the Year, as voted on by sports information directors in the Central Region. The Central Region is comprised of schools from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Carlson was one of seven athletes on the All-Central Region first team.  Other outside hitters included Metro State's Bri Morley and Minnesota Duluth's Kate Lange.  Mary Groth of Southwest Minnesota State and Katie Habeck of CU were the first team's middle blockers.  CU's Amanda Konetchy took the setter spot, and MSCD's Ngoc Phan was the first-team setter.

The All-Central Region second team also featured three outside hitters, two middle blockers, a setter and a libero.  CU's Kayla Koenecke, SMSU's Brooke Burmeister and Nebraska-Kearney's Ariel Krolikowski were the outside hitters.  Middle blocker spots went to Haley Lake of UNK and Kinzer.  Colorado School of Mines' Amanda Massey was the setter, and Winona State's Shannon McGowan was the libero.

All-Central Region First Team
Bri Morley OH Sr. Metro State Parker, Colo.
Megan Carlson OH Sr. Concordia University, St. Paul Andover, Minn.
Kate Lange OH So. Minnesota Duluth Hibbing, Minn.
Mary Groth MB Jr. Southwest Minnesota State West Bend, Wis.
Katie Habeck MB Fr. Concordia University, St. Paul Farmington, Minn.
Amanda Konetchy S So. Concordia University, St. Paul Victoria, Minn.
Ngoc Phan L Sr. Metro State Lone Tree, Colo.
 
All-Central Region Second Team
Kayla Koenecke OH So. Concordia University. St. Paul Delano, Minn.
Brooke Burmeister OH Jr. Southwest Minnesota State Lakefield, Minn.
Ariel Krolikowski OH Jr. Nebraska-Kearney Grand Island, Neb.
Haley Lake MB So. Nebraska-Kearney Lincoln, Neb.
Nikki Kinzer MB Jr. Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colo.
Amanda Massey S Sr. Colorado School of Mines Parker, Colo.
Shannon McGowan L Sr. Winona State Naperville, Ill.
 
Central Region Player of the Year
Megan Carlson OH Sr. Concordia University, St. Paul Andover, Minn.