Freshman Ruth Anderson Shines as NAIA Women’s Volleyball Defender of the Week

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ruth Anderson, a freshman middle hitter from Taylor (Ind.), has been named the NAIA Women’s Volleyball Defender of the Week. Hailing from Newark, Ohio, Anderson matched her career-high of 10 blocks in a match twice last week. 

Over two critical matches for the Trojans, she delivered an astonishing 20 blocks, averaging 2.5 blocks per set. 

One of the standout performances came against No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan, where Anderson’s efforts helped push the match to five sets, forcing the Crossroads League regular season champions to work overtime with two sets extending into extra points. Her contribution was not limited to defense alone; she added 17 kills and an assist to her stat line. 

In the match against Saint Francis (Ind.), Anderson’s performance was instrumental in securing a 3-0 victory for the Trojans. She tallied nine kills on 20 attempts, hitting .200, and contributed significantly with 10 total blocks (2 solo, 8 assisted). Her efforts resulted in 15 points, averaging 5.0 points per set.

Against Indiana Wesleyan, despite the team’s 3-2 loss, Anderson continued to shine, recording eight kills and one assist on 24 attempts. Her defensive contributions included two solo blocks and eight block assists, mirroring her ten-block performance from the previous match. She accumulated 14 points, averaging 2.8 points per set.

Overall, in these two matches, Anderson showcased her all-around capabilities with a total of 17 kills, 20 blocks, and 29 points, averaging 3.6 points per set. Her defensive statistics are particularly noteworthy, with four solo blocks and 16 block assists, underscoring her critical role in Taylor’s defensive strategy.

This is the final defender of the week award of the season as teams head into postseason play.