Wayne State sophomore middle hitter Taya Beller was announced as the D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year as voted on by sports information directors in the Central Region.
Two other Wildcats also received D2CCA All-Central Region honors. Sophomore middle hitter Maggie Brahmer was voted to the First Team while junior outside hitter Kelsie Cada was a Second Team honoree.
Beller, a 6-foot-2 sophomore middle hitter from Lindsay, was the NSIC Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-NSIC selection this season for the Wildcats. She leads Wayne State in hitting this season at 3.91 kills per set, good for third in the NSIC, and is second in the league and sixth in NCAA Div. II in hitting percentage (.407) while ranking fourth in the NSIC in points per set (4.48) and ninth in blocks (0.97). Beller was a three-time NSIC Offensive Player of the Week selection this season and named AVCA/GameChanger DIv. II National Player of the Week Sept. 27.
Brahmer, a 6-foot sophomore middle hitter from Pierce, was a repeat First Team All-NSIC honoree for Wayne State this season and named All-Central Region for the first time. She leads the NSIC and ranks third in NCAA Div. II with a .451 hitting percentage and is second in the NSIC in blocks per set (1.16), seventh in points per set (3.99) and 10th in kills per set (3.30). Brahmer was named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week twice this season and Defensive Player of the Week once while also being voted Most Valuable Player of the Colorado Premier Challenge.
Cada, a 6-foot junior outside hitter from Wahoo, was a First Team All-NSIC selection this season for the Wildcats after recording 14 double-doubles. She averages 3.50 kills and 2.98 digs per set for the Wildcats, ranking sixth in the league in kills and points per set (4.08). Cada was named NSIC Offensive Player of the Week Oct. 17 and was voted to the Colorado Premier Challenge All-Tournament Team this season.
The D2CCA all-Central Region Team is as follows:
FIRST TEAM
OH — Jasmine Mulvihill, Concordia-St. Paul
OH — Sydney Huck, Central Oklahoma
OH — Payton Kirchhoefer, NW Missouri State
MB — Taya Beller, Wayne State*
MB — Maggie Brahmer, Wayne State
L/DS — Jaedynn Evans, Central Oklahoma
S — Alyssa Rezac, NW Missouri State
SECOND TEAM
OH — Kelsie Cada, Wayne State
OH — Jaden Ferguson, NW Missouri State
OH — Sally Gaul, Northern State
MB — Halle Meister, Washburn
MB — Kelli McKinnon, Harding
L/DS — Erika Bute, Augustana
S — Teagan Starkey, Concordia-St. Paul
* — Central Region Player of the Year
