MVNU posted one of the best seasons in school history in 2007 as the Lady Cougars recorded a 39-5 overall record, won the program’s seventh conference title, and earned the team’s first-ever berth in the NAIA National Tournament. MVNU also compiled a 23-match winning streak at one point in the season and finished the year ranked No. 13 in the final NAIA poll - the highest ranking in school history.

Head coach Paul Swanson, who enters his 25th season with the Lady Cougars as the NAIA’s all-time winningest volleyball coach with an 849-302 overall record, will have some big roster spots to fill with the graduation of Shena Beheler and Tiffany Milburn. Beheler, a three-time NAIA All-American, and Milburn, an American Mideast Conference South Division Second Team selection last year, both have their names all over the MVNU record books including at the top of numerous career categories. However, Swanson is excited about the upcoming season and the challenges that await the team.

“When you have the kind of season that we had last year, it is always important to make sure that everyone realizes that 2007 was a special season in which a lot of things came together,” said Swanson, who was the 2007 AMC South Division and NAIA Region IX Coach of the Year. “We will really miss Shena and Tiffany and their contributions, but the key to this team’s success is now finding its own identity. The returning players all had an opportunity to gain valuable experience last year and they know what it takes to get to the NAIA National Tournament. We have also added some talented new players who we hope can contribute early in their careers to our success.”

Junior setter Kaylin Austen will return to run the Lady Cougars’ attack after a breakout sophomore season in which she averaged a school-record 12.07 assists per game and finished with 1,799 assists and 311 digs. For her efforts, she was named the AMC and NAIA Region IX Setter of the Week three times and selected to the AMC South Division Honorable Mention Team and the National Christian College Athletic Association All-American Second Team. She will be backed up by sophomore Caitlin Myles, who compiled 44 assists and 78 digs in 47 games last year.

Junior right-side hitter Courtney Springer will also look to pick right back up where she left off last year when she was named an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American and landed on the NCCAA All-American Second Team and the AMC South Division First Team after pounding 412 kills to go with 79 assists, 100 blocks, and 450 digs.

Audrey Hickinbotham, the lone senior on the team, will lead the outside hitters after registering 367 kills and 195 digs last season on the way to being an AMC South Division Honorable Mention pick. Sophomore Sarah Yutzy (57 kills in 31 games), freshman Megan Yoder, sophomore Abby Smith, and junior Julie Haumschild will also figure into the play mixing at that position. Yoder helped Hiland High School to a region runner-up finish last season, while Smith and Haumschild were both a part of the Lady Cougars’ successful campaign.

Sophomore middle hitter Jackie Albrecht returns after a memorable first collegiate season as she was named to the AMC South Division All-Freshmen Team and was an AMC South Division Honorable Mention pick after contributing 404 kills, 147 blocks, and 391 digs. Freshman Gina Porto appears ready to step into a starting spot after leading Tippecanoe High School to a berth in the state final four last year, and Yutzy, Yoder, and Haumschild will also add depth at the position.

Myles and freshman Cieleste Rose will be MVNU’s primary options in the back row as the Lady Cougars will look to try to repeat the success of last year’s team that posted the second-best serve reception percentage in school history at 93.2 percent. Rose was a two-time Ohio Cardinal Conference Second Team selection at Lexington High School.

“One of the keys to our success this year will be the individual improvement of all of our returning players,” said Swanson. “It will also be important for our new players to adjust to the college game quickly. We need them to make an impact on our team this year as well, and they will definitely play a role in our development as a team.”

MVNU’s schedule should once again prove to be challenging as the Lady Cougars, who are ranked No. 25 in the NAIA preseason poll, will look to prepare themselves to defend their conference title and to make a run at the postseason. The team will open up the year at the Michigan-Dearborn Earlybird Classic and follow that up with a trip to the Bryan (Tenn.) College Invitational the second weekend of the season. MVNU will also play in the Taylor (Ind.) University Invitational and the NCCAA East Region Tournament as well as hosting the team’s own Papa John’s Invitational. In looking at the preseason poll and the team’s scheduled tournament opponents, the Lady Cougars are slated to face No. 10 Madonna (Mich.) University, No. 18 Campbellsville (Ky.) University, Lee (Tenn.) University (receiving votes), and Taylor (receiving votes).

The Lady Cougars will also look to try to capture a second straight conference title, but the set-up will be different this year as there will not be divisions and each team will only play everyone in the conference once with more than half of the matches coming on the road. In addition to MVNU, No. 17 Walsh University, Malone College (receiving votes), Cedarville University, and Notre Dame College are among the preseason favorites to contend for the title.

With some changes in the NAIA playoff structure and the elimination of region tournaments, the AMC regular-season winner will receive an automatic berth into the NAIA National Tournament first round, while the AMC Tournament champion will receive the conference’s second automatic berth. There will be 12 NAIA National Tournament first round matches to determine half of the 24 berths to the NAIA National Tournament final site and 12 other qualifying teams will receive automatic berths to the NAIA National Tournament final site due to their high ranking in the national poll. It should prove to be an interesting postseason and the Lady Cougars would like nothing more than to make a return trip to the biggest stage.

“We were finally able to break through and make it to the NAIA National Tournament last year,” said Swanson. “It was a great experience. Now, we need to work hard to try to get back there. However, the measure of success for this year’s team may not be in our record. The most important thing that I am worried about is whether or not we improve from now until the end of the season and the manner in which we do it. That is really what matters most. The wins and losses will take care of themselves if we constantly get better.”