CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Freshman outside hitter Brittney Thomas, senior setter Andrea Podoll, and junior middle blocker Jena Blint shared the Most Valuable Player award for the Mount Mercy volleyball team this season, Head Coach Rick Blackwell announced.

Thomas was a first-team all-Midwest Collegiate Conference selection this fall after finishing second in the league and setting a school record with 504 kills for the Mustangs. She also had a team-best .908 serve reception percentage and was second on the squad with 462 digs.

Blint was honorable mention all-MCC, posting career highs in total blocks (101), digs (98), and service aces (24). Her total blocks were seventh in the conference. Blint was third on the team in kills (247) and her attack percentage (.261) was a team-best and career high.

Podoll was second on the squad with 499 assists and became just the third player in school history to achieve 3,000 career assists. She finished her four-year career with 3,340 assists, which ranks third all-time. Podoll also sits in the top 10 in career digs (7th/1,049) and service aces (7th/134).

Thomas and Blint shared the team's Offensive Player of the Year honor, while junior libero Beth Ripperger was Mount Mercy's Defensive Player of the Year. Ripperger recorded 620 digs, the second-highest single-season total in school history, and was second on the squad with 28 service aces.

Other awards handed out by the coaching staff include Most Improved Player (freshman middle blocker Allison Adams, junior middle blocker Amanda Menke), Most Hustle (Ripperger, junior defensive specialist Alexa Francois), Student-Athlete award (Podoll, junior outside hitter Kallie Warnick), Team Spirit award (Francois, junior setter Janae Rosien), and the Coaches' award (student manager Angie Gaul).