Dominican University’s Liz Phipps (Bloomington, Ill.) has been named to the 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Scholar All-Region Team for the Central Region the national organization announced on Monday.

Phipps, a junior defender, earned Second Team All-Region honors earlier this month and last year became the first women’s soccer player in Dominican University history to garner NSCAA All-Region honors, landing a third team nod as a sophomore. The University High graduate can now add the honor of being the first NSCAA Scholar All-Region selection in Dominican University women’s soccer history to her long list of awards.

“Liz is one of those rare athletes that every coach dreams of having the opportunity to work with,” commented Jeff Halsema, the Stars’ head coach. “She is a tremendous competitor on the field and as her accolades reflect, works just as hard in the classroom. She is a unique talent that is a joy to have on your roster.”

Phipps, a psychology major, maintains a minimum 3.30 grade point average while anchoring the Northern Athletics Conference’s (NAC) top-ranked defense with a 0.61 goals against average. The Stars defense posted 12 shutouts, second in the NAC, and allowed just 13 goals in 21 games. In addition, the Stars’ captain had a goal and seven assists.