2011 Summit League champions

For the second-straight season and third time in four years, the North Dakota State women's volleyball team has won the Summit League Championship and is headed to the NCAA Tournament.

The Bison opened their 2011 tournament with a 3-1 win over fourth-ranked Oakland. Chrissy Knuth dominated the net in the opening match, pounding down 16 kills and committing just four errors at the net, and she also tallied 11 digs on the night for a double-double to open the tournament. Megan Lambertson added 14 kills of her own, and Brynn Joki put down 13 kills and had 15 digs. Jennifer Lopez had 46 assists and 18 digs as well.

With the opening round win, North Dakota State advanced to their fourth-straight Summit League Championship match. In somewhat of an upset, former regular-season-league-leading Oral Roberts knocked off Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne on their home court to advance to the championship match.

NDSU wasted no time in getting back to the promised land that is the national tournament, as they swept the Golden Eagles to win the Summit League Championship. Again.

Lambertson and Knuth topped the kill charts once again for the Herd, putting down 12 and 11 kills respectively. For Knuth, there couldn't have been a better way to play her last Summit League game as she put together two of her best matches of the season in the league tournament. Lopez put up gaudy numbers again as she ended the night with 34 assists and 10 digs.

NDSU came into the tournament already carrying a heavy load of awards and! they ju st added to it in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Jennifer Lopez won the 2011 Summit League Player of the Year and Setter of the Year. Lopez is the first player in league history to accomplish both feats in the same season and joins her teammate Chrissy Knuth as the only two Bison on the roster to win POY awards. Lopez was also named to the All-Summit League First Team along with teammate Megan Lambertson.

In just her first full season, Kari Thompson won the 2011 Summit League Coach of the Year award after taking over mid-season in 2010. In both seasons in which Thompson was head coach, she led her team to NCAA Tournament appearances.

Chrissy Knuth and Brynn Joki were dubbed members of the All-Summit League Second Team and freshman Lauren Cammack was named to the All-Summit League Freshman Team.

The Bison came out of the tournament decorated as well, not only winning the title but bringing home individual hardware as well.

Jennifer Lopez was named to the All-Tournament team and also won the Tournament MVP award, rounding out one of the most decorated individual season in North Dakota State history. Megan Lambertson and Chrissy Knuth were on the All-Tournament team with Lopez as three Bison were named to the squad; no other team had two.

NDSU will find out what their next step is on Sunday at 7 p.m. on ESPNU when the tournament field is unveiled and the Herd will find out who they drew in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.