Wapahani junior volleyball player Sophia Beeson has been voted as the first ever Ball State Daily News Delaware County Athlete of the Week.
“Seeing the support I have from my community made me feel very supported by my friends and family,” Beeson said. “I come from a small town, so it feels good to feel seen.”
Raiders’ head coach Valorie Wells believes that Beeson has been a big part of the Raiders’ success this season.
“She has impacted our team by always being a competitor, whether it is the front row or back row,” Wells said. “This was her first [season] being a six rotation player for Wapahani and she really gets after it and competes hard.”
Wapahani athletic director Matt Luce congratulated Beeson on the achievement.
“Sophia has had a tremendous junior season in helping lead our Wapahani varsity volleyball team to 19 regular season wins,” Luce said. “Sophia has developed into one of our team leaders on the court [this season].”
The Raiders fell in sectionals to Lapel 3-2 yesterday, and Beeson thinks the team can learn a lot from the season.
“I think we are going to bounce back and surprise a lot of people,” she said. “Something to take away from this season would be to savor every moment.”
The Ball State Daily News will use this program to honor athletes who had an impressive week or a breakout performance. A candidate from each school will be chosen and the community can vote for the winner.
Candidates will be announced every Wednesday with the voting closing on the following Saturday at 5 p.m. If you believe a certain student-athlete should be your school’s candidate, email the Daily News high school sports reporter Zach Carter at zachary.carter@bsu.edu.
To vote for the athletes, check the Daily News Sports account on X.
Here are your nominees for athlete of the week from 10/4 - 10/11.
Delta: Senior cross-country runner Nicki Southerland - Southerland came in first place of the Eagle Invite at Taylor University on Saturday, Oct. 7.
Yorktown: Junior volleyball player Charlotte Vinson - Vinson led the Tigers with 22 kills in the Tigers’ win over Burris.
Cowan: Senior cross-country runner Gavin Ashby - Ashby finished in eighth place at the Middle-Eastern Conference (MEC) meet on Saturday, Oct. 7. This was good enough to earn all-conference honors.
Muncie Central: Sophomore football player Dae’cion Echols - Echols recorded 107 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the Bearcats’ 33-6 win over Anderson.
Burris: Senior soccer player Asher Donahue - Donahue led the Owls with nine goals in sectionals. His efforts also helped the Owls capture a sectional championship.
Wapahani: Senior volleyball player Lauren Rich - In the Raiders’ win against Cowan, Rich led the team with 12 kills and also added a block.
Wes-Del: Senior football player Triton Blevins - In Friday night’s win over Union County, Blevins had 109 passing yards and two touchdown passes. He also led the Warriors with 212 rushing yards and recorded a rushing touchdown.
Daleville: Senior volleyball player Trishell Johnson - While competing in a tournament on Saturday, Johnson led the team with 29 kills over three matches.
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