Office of Public Relations
Missouri Baptist University
One College Park Drive
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141-8698
314.392.2307 / fax 314.392.2265
www.mobap.edu / pr@mobap.edu
For Immediate Release
RE: MBU Athlete Named NAIA Volleyball Player of the Year
MBU Athlete Named NAIA Volleyball Player of the Year
December 5, 2006
Marking a first in Missouri Baptist University history, scholar athlete Ana Mercado has been named 2006 Tachikara-National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Volleyball Player of the Year.
Ana Mercado
Mercado, a six-foot, two-inch senior outside hitter from Tepic, Mexico, posted 1046 kills and 177 service aces in regular season play. She led the conference in both categories. Mercado averaged 6.71 kills, 1.3 aces and 3.4 digs per game during the 2006 season. At the National Tournament, Mercado averaged over eights kills per game and 11 blocks.
“Ana worked very hard this year to help her team be successful,” said Head Women’s Volleyball Coach John Yehling. “I am very proud of whom she has become. She is a leader who made tough choices to stay at Missouri Baptist University and complete her degree.”
Mercado, a member for the Mexico Women’s National Volleyball Team, turned down an opportunity earlier this year to play in the World Championship in order to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications at MBU. She’s set to graduate in 2008.
Mercado has also been named the 2006 NAIA Region V Volleyball Player of the Year and made the All-Tournament team for the 2006 NAIA Volleyball National Championship.
The Missouri Baptist University Women’s Volleyball Team concluded their 2006 season Dec. 1 after an impressive trip to the 27th annual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Volleyball Championship. The Lady Spartans made it to the Elite Eight of this year’s National Championship, which was held in Columbia, Mo., before losing to top-seed and 2006 NAIA champions National American University.
The Lady Spartans finished the season with an overall record of 40-10.
Missouri Baptist University’s seventeen varsity teams compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Hundreds of scholar athletes daily participate in the MBU Athletic program, garnering a host of national championships. MBU, a premier Christian University in Saint Louis, is committed to enriching the lives of the student athletes spiritually, academically and athletically and subscribes to the five NAIA character initiatives: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership, and Sportsmanship.
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Missouri Baptist University is a premier Christian university in Saint Louis, offering graduate and undergraduate studies in over thirty specialized fields and nine degrees. MBU's education and fine arts programs are nationally known in addition to business, religion, administration of justice, and more. MBU is one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in Missouri with an enrollment of over 4,500 students at five locations in the bi-state region — West County, Lincoln County, Jefferson County, Franklin County and the new Illinois extension at Lewis and Clark Community College.
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