Rachel Fiely, a 5-foot-7 senior guard from Greenville, Ohio, was selected as the Kathy Freese National Player of the Year as she highlighted the NCCAA All-American First Team. The former Greenville High School star averaged 13.2 points and 3.4 rebounds while setting school records with 249 assists and 113 steals this year. She also nailed a team-high 68 three-pointers and shot 75.3 percent from the free throw line (134-for-178).

Fiely finishes her career ranked first in school history in assists (654), steals (335), starts (122), and consecutive games played (123). She also ranks second in school history in three-pointers made (193), third in free throws made (418), fourth in points (1,551), and sixth in field goals made (470). The Kathy Freese National Player of the Year Award also recognized Fiely for her performance in the classroom where she has a 3.27 grade point average as a Physical Education/Health Education major and for her character, leadership, and Christian walk.

“Rachel has had an amazing career from a basketball standpoint and her Christian character has been a pleasure to see grow and come along,” said MVNU coach Steve Gregory. “As a leader, her team has had a front-row seat to how important that Christian witness has been in the face of adversity. She is very deserving of receiving this prestigious award.”

Amanda Himes, a 6-foot-1 sophomore post from Hilliard, Ohio, joined Fiely on the NCCAA All-American First Team. The former Hilliard Darby High School standout set new school records this season for points (554), scoring average (19.8), field goals made (212), free throws attempted (220), and rebounds (312). She also shot 50.4 percent from the field (212-for-421) and blocked a team-high 35 shots, and she became the first sophomore in school history to top 1,000 career points as she finished the season with 1,057 points after just two years.

Gregory was also named the NCCAA National Coach of the Year for the second time in his career as he guided the Lady Cougars to the program’s third NCCAA national title and a 27-9 final record - the best in school history. In 11 seasons as the head coach at his alma mater, Gregory has compiled a 159-173 overall record with two NCCAA national titles.