ST. LOUIS – Drake senior outside hitter Haley Bush earned the league’s Player of the Year award, highlighting this season’s honorees. UNI junior Tayler Alden has been named the Setter of the Year, UNI graduate student Sydney Petersen took home the league’s Libero of the Year honor, while Drake’s Addison Beagle claimed the conference’s Freshman of the Year award. Bush, Alden, Petersen and Beagle headline a list of 18 student-athletes named to the 2022 MVC All-Conference teams, selected by the coaches, and announced by the league office Saturday.
HALEY BUSH, DRAKE
Bush becomes the eighth player in league history to win the conference Player of the Year award twice and is the first Bulldog to do so. The senior ranks fifth in the MVC with 432 kills this season and ranks second in The Valley with 4.24 kills per set. Bush sits fifth all-time on Drake’s career kills list (1,225) and recorded four 20+ kill performances this season. Bush also won the award during the 2020-21 spring season.
SYDNEY PETERSEN, UNI
Petersen becomes the second Panther to win The Valley Libero of the Year award, joining Ellie Blankenship in 2010. The graduate transfer led all liberos with 22 aces in league play this season and was the only individual in league matches to rank in the top 10 in both digs (4.42/4th) and aces (0.33/9th). Petersen had a career-high 30 digs against Missouri State which also featured her 1,500th career dig.
TAYLER ALDEN, UNI
Alden is the only setter in MVC conference matches to rank in the top 10 for both assists (10.50/5th) and hitting percentage (.353/6th). She had seven double-doubles in Valley matches and was highlighted by a 56 assist and 10 kill performance against Missouri State. The junior setter also had more than 12 offensive points produced per set, averaging 10.5 assists along with 1.6 kills per set. Alden is the third UNI player to win the MVC Setter of the Year award, joining Heather Hook (2017) and Rachel Koop (2019).
ADDISON BEAGLE, DRAKE
Beagle led all freshmen nationally with 1,301 total assists this season and averaged 11.41 assists per set during her rookie campaign. She recorded the most assists in a three-set match (47) and five-set match (67) in The Valley this season. Beagle also logged the second-most digs on the Bulldogs roster this season with 264 and tied for sixth in the MVC with 39 service aces. She is Drake’s first MVC Freshman of the Year honoree.
BOBBI PETERSEN, UNI
UNI’s Bobbi Petersen picks up her seventh MVC Coach of the Year honor after guiding the Panthers to their 20th regular season Valley volleyball title. The seven awards ties former UNI head coach Iradge Ahrabi-Fard for the most in league history. Petersen led the Panthers to the largest single-year turnaround ever for a MVC regular season champion after going 7-11 and finishing eighth last season. UNI had a 17-match win streak to open Valley play, which was the program’s best since having undefeated seasons from 2009-11.
Valley regular-season champion UNI placed four players on the first team all-conference squad, while UIC placed a total of four players on the first and second teams. Drake and Southern Illinois each placed three on the first and second teams, while Evansville had two selections on the first team. Missouri State and Valparaiso each had one selection.