Nov. 22, 2013
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Editor’s Note: The following first appeared in the University of Iowa’s Hawk Talk Daily, an e-newsletter that offers a daily look at the Iowa Hawkeyes, delivered free each morning to thousands of fans of the Hawkeyes worldwide.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The first University of Iowa volleyball student-athlete to receive a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor since 2009. The 14th player in Iowa volleyball history to surpass the 1,000 career dig mark. Hawkeye digs leader as a freshman, sophomore, and junior. Four-year starter who has appeared in all but one set of her career to date. Team captain. Two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
In the second set of the Iowa’s Nov. 15 match against No. 19 Michigan on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, senior libero Bethany Yeager earned what most would consider the cherry on top of her long list of career accolades. Yeager broke the 23-year-old Iowa career digs record of 1,931 set by Janet Moylan in 1990 with a 13-dig performance. The school record is now 1,957 digs and counting.
Yeager was gracious of her Hawkeye teammates and coaches in helping her become Iowa’s record holder.
“It definitely just goes back to my teammates,” Yeager said. “I give all the credit to my coaches and my teammates for believing in me and putting me in a position to get this honor. My teammates deserve this as much as anybody. I want to say thank you to my teammates, coaches and fans. It means a lot.”
With Yeager’s work ethic on and off the court, the honor is one that doesn’t surprise Yeager’s teammates.
“She was always someone to look up to,” said defensive specialist Kari Mueller. “She has been a role model to me. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her next year. She has been a great leader, not only for our position, but for everyone on the team. Skill-wise you can learn a lot from watching her play, but her personality, leadership, and other things off the court taught me a lot too. She is a great student and I have learned little things from her in all areas of my life, not just in volleyball.
“It’s great to see her succeed in exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to break the record and the way she has been playing has been great. Seeing her finish off her career the way she wants to is great, and I wish nothing but the best for her.”
The Hawkeye volleyball team will compete on the road against Indiana on Friday, Nov. 22, and No. 25 Purdue on Saturday, Nov. 23, before closing the 2013 regular season at home with matches against Nebraska on Nov. 27 and Ohio State on Nov. 30.
Fans can attend the match against Nebraska free of charge. Saturday’s match against Ohio State will serve as Senior Night for Rachael Bedell, Grace Burns, Nikki Dailey, and Yeager.