Shena Beheler	Courtney Springer	Kaylin Austen	Tiffany Milburn

Shena Beheler, Courtney Springer, Kaylin Austen, and Tiffany Milburn were each selected to the eight-player NCCAA East Region Team with Beheler repeating as the NCCAA East Region Player of the Year for the second straight season. Meanwhile, MVNU head coach Paul Swanson was selected as the NCCAA East Region Coach of the Year.

Beheler, a senior middle hitter from Butler, Ohio, leads the Lady Cougars in kills (562) and blocks (192). The former Fredericktown High School star has also recorded 35 aces, 36 assists, and 385 digs. She ranks second in school history in career kills (2,646) and career blocks (929), tied for third in career aces (196), third in career serve attempts (2,729), ninth in career serve reception attempts (2,203), and eleventh in career digs (1,486).

Springer, a sophomore outside hitter from Van Wert, Ohio, has compiled 342 kills and ranks second on the team with 68 assists. The former Crestview High School standout has also tallied 34 aces, 81 blocks, and 363 digs to go with a .943 serve reception percentage.

Austen, a sophomore setter from Shelby, Ohio, has handed out a career-high 1,486 assists in her first season as the starting setter. The former Shelby High School product has registered 36 aces, 46 blocks, 56 kills, and 251 digs. She has moved into eighth place in school history with 1,970 career assists.

Milburn, a senior libero from Centerburg, Ohio, leads MVNU in digs (659), aces (52), and serve reception percentage (.955). The former Centerburg High School standout has become the school’s career leader in serve reception attempts (3,652), ranks third in career digs (2,415) and career aces (196), and eighth in career serve attempts (2,500).

Swanson, who has recorded an NAIA-best 845 wins and just 299 losses over the past 25 years, has led the Lady Cougars to a 35-2 record this season that has the team currently ranked 13th in the latest NAIA national poll. MVNU has captured the American Mideast Conference South Division title and won its 16th NCCAA East Region title in the past 17 years.

The Lady Cougars will return to action on Friday when the team will host the six-team AMC/NAIA Region IX Tournament. MVNU will face Point Park (Pa.) University at 11:00 a.m. and Malone College at 3:30 p.m. in pool play matches. The other pool consists of Notre Dame College, Walsh University, and Cedarville University. The top two teams in each pool following Friday’s action will advance to the single-elimination semifinals on Saturday. The winner of the AMC/NAIA Region IX Tournament receives an automatic berth into the NAIA national tournament in Columbia, Missouri. Tickets for this tournament are $5 for adults and $2 for students each day.