Bluffton’s Shauna Rowland Claims HCAC Volleyball MVP

GREENWOOD, IN - Bluffton University's Shauna Rowland (Bucyrus, Ohio/Wynford) has been selected as the 2009 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference volleyball Most Valuable Player.  Rowland helped guide the Beavers to their first HCAC championship and first tournament title with an 8-0 mark against conference opponents.

 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's Anna Lewer (Indianapo lis, Ind./Lutheran) has been honored as the 2009 HCAC Freshman of the Year, Anderson University's Caitlin Morency (Lanesville, Ind./Floyd Central) claimed the 2009 Defensive Most Valuable Player honor for the second straight season, and Bluffton head coach Steve Yarnell picked up his first HCAC Coach of Year Award. 

Rowland played in 112 games for the Beavers on the year and averaged a league-high 10.56 assists per game.  The junior chipped in 27 service aces, 86 kills, 353 digs, and 45 blocks from the setter position during the Beavers' 32 matches.  The Bucyrus, Ohio native averaged 10.84 assists and 4.24 digs per game during conference matches this season. 

Morency, the Ravens' senior libero, was the backbone of the Anderson defense all season.  She led the league with a 5.57 digs per game average during conference play and posted a 5.79 average in all contests.  During Anderson's 32 matches, Morency totaled a league-high 672 digs and added 32 service aces. 

Rose-Hulman's Anna Lewer averaged 2.82 kills per game, 3.40 digs per game, and added 44 service aces this season.  She tallied 330 total kills, ranking third in the conference in that category.  Lewer was eighth in the conference in kills during conference play, averaging 2.79 per game and ranked fourth in service aces (0.39). 

Yarnell guided the Beavers to their first HCAC title this season.  Bluffton also earned the conference tournament championship and berth into the NCAA Division III national tournament.  He has led the Beavers to a 27-5 mark this season and will travel to Hope College to face Ohio Northern on November 12 in regional play.

Joining Morency, and Lewer as a member of the All-HCAC squad are Anderson University's Carol Weatherford (Sr., Terre Haute, Ind.), Bluffton University's Jenna Eshleman (So., Landisville, Pa.), Brittany Roth (Sr., Findlay, Ohio), and Nicole Wood (So., Tiffin, Ohio), Defiance College's Danyel Lipps (Sr., West Alexandria, Ohio) and Marlea Rolander (So., Napoleon, Ohio), Hanover College's Rachel Kloentrup (Jr., Morning View, Ky.) and Kirsten Brandvik (So., Indianapolis, Ind.), Mount St. Joseph's Jamie Grauvogel (Jr., Cleves, Ohio) and Lyndsey Waldman (Jr., Batavia, Ohio), Rose-Hulman's Amanda Jevons (Jr., Henderson, Nev.) and Transylvania University's Jordan Geisen (Jr., Florence, Ky.). 

A complete list of award winners follows, including All-HCAC Honorable Mention and All-Freshman teams. 

Most Valuable Player: Shauna Rowland, Bluffton University 

Defensive Most Valuable Player: Caitlin Morency, Anderson University 

Freshman of the Year: Anna Lewer, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Coach of the Year: Steve Yarnell, Bluffton University

All-HCAC

All-Freshman Team 

Honorable Mention All-HCAC