Courtney Van Haaften | Sports Co-Editor

Shelby Wiederhoeft, a junior volleyball player from Truman, MN, was named the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Defensive Performer of the Week for the week ending Sept. 22. She is the first volleyball player to earn this honor since 2004.

Wiederhoeft and the rest of the Beavers played three matches that week against Simpson College, Grinnell College, and William Penn University. They lost 3-0 against Simpson College, and then came back later in the week to beat both Grinnell College and William Penn University with scores of 3-0 and 3-1, respectively. In those three matches, Wiederhoeft finished with 12 blocks.

“I am very happy to have received this honor. It has been a while since anyone from BVU has received it, and I’m happy I could play my part,” Wiederhoeft said.

Wiederhoeft accredits her teammates with this special honor.

“Practicing has contributed a lot. We have amazing hitters on our team, and any time I have to play defense is giving me the opportunity to improve,” Wiederhoeft said.

Wiederhoeft’s teammates also have great things to say about her. She has become someone that players in other positions can count on to get her job done.

“As a back row player, I can always count on Shelby to get touches on the ball while blocking, which allows the back row to run down the ball and keep it in play,” junior volleyball player Jordan Henningsen said. “She leads by example, and she always brings a positive energy on the court.”

Wiederhoeft is a transfer from Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN and has really enjoyed her time as a Beaver so far.

“The team has great chemistry. I think everyone gets along very well, and everyone brings different things to the team. It makes being on this team a lot of fun,” Wiederhoeft said.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Wiederhoeft has goals to keep improving her play and continue to be a threat on both the defensive and offensive sides. She currently sits at fifth in the IIAC for hitting percentage with .310 and seventh in kills per set with 2.74.

“Some of my personal goals are to keep my hitting percentage above .300 and be at the top of the conference in blocking,” Wiederhoeft said.

The Beavers are back in action this weekend in Wisconsin Dells, WI for three non-conference matchups.

Photo courtesy of Steven Phelps