Wayne State College volleyball players Taya Beller and Maggie Brahmer were named Sunday by the Omaha World Herald as Co-Midlands Female College Athletes of the Year.
Beller and Brahmer led the Wildcat program to a magical season in 2023, starting with a sweep over in-state rival Nebraska-Kearney at Volleyball Day in Nebraska August 30th. WSC went on to win 21 consecutive matches, ranked #1 in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll for nine straight weeks, capture a second straight Northern Sun Conference regular season title with a perfect 18-0 league record and capture a second NCAA Central Region title. The 2023 season ended with the Wildcats posting a 31-3 record – a second straight 30-win season – and a trip the NCAA Elite 8 in Moon Township, Pa.
Beller and Brahmer both earned AVCA First Team All-American honors for a second straight season. Beller, a 6-2 middle hitter from Lindsay, led the NSIC in blocks (1.15 per set) while ranking second in the league in hitting percentage (.390) and points per set (4.43) while finishing fifth in kills per set (3.54). She was named to the NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team after posting a career-high 22 kills in a regional semi-final 3-2 win over Nebraska-Kearney.
Brahmer, a 6-0 middle hitter from Pierce, led the NSIC and ranked ninth in NCAA Division II in hitting percentage (.409) while averaging 3.40 kills and 1.07 blocks per set. She was a three-time NSIC Player of the Week and was named AVCA/GameChanger National Player of the Week October 3.
