The Lady Cougars (17-4), who were playing without normal starters senior right-side hitter Courtney Springer (out with an injury) and sophomore middle hitter Gina Porto (out of state for a funeral), got the job done as freshmen Haley Nofziger (left), Kaylee Hewitt, and Lauren Percival helped lead MVNU to the victory. After a hard-fought win in the first set, the Lady Cougars were able to fight off five set points in the second set before prevailing. Then, MVNU cruised to victory in the third set to take the match.

Junior middle hitter Sarah Yutzy led the Lady Cougars, who received votes in the latest NAIA poll, with nine kills and four blocks, while Nofziger, Hewitt, and junior outside hitter Jackie Albrecht each pounded seven kills apiece with Albrecht posting 10 digs and three blocks and Hewitt serving up a pair of aces to end the match in the third set. Junior libero Caitlin Myles tallied a team-high 15 digs, and senior setter Kaylin Austen handed out 31 assists with 11 digs and two blocks. Percival registered nine digs, while senior outside hitter Julie Haumschild smashed four kills.

“This was a good win for us and good experience for the three freshmen,” said MVNU coach Paul Swanson. “We did a great job in the second set of never giving up and just found a way to win it. That was the turning point in the match.”

The Lady Cougars will be back in action on Friday and Saturday when the team will host its own invitational. On Friday, MVNU will face Bryan (Tenn.) College, the top team in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, at 4:00 p.m. and perennial American Mideast Conference power Walsh University, who also received votes in this week’s NAIA poll, at 8:00 p.m. Then, on Saturday, the Lady Cougars will take on Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) College at 10:00 a.m. in a match that will count in the AMC standings and close out play at noon against Bethel (Ind.) College.