June 6, 2022

Anchante Named Betty Jo Graber Female Student-Athlete of the Year

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Iowa Western Volleyball setter Yadhira Anchante was announced today by the NJCAA as the 2021-22 Betty Jo Graber Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

During the 2020-21 season, the Peru native led the nation in assists/set with 10.95, and in the 2021 season, Anchante again led the nation in assists/set with 11.34 and was second in the nation for assists with 1,554. The setter had 14 career matches with 50 or more assists including 51 in the 2020-21 NJCAA Division I Championship final, 55 in the semi-final, and 50 in the 2021 NJCAA Division I Championship final. In two years with the Reivers, Anchante led the program to a 59-7 record and ranks fifth in Iowa Western volleyball history for career assists with 2,441.

Prior to her sophomore season, Anchante was already a standout setter in the association, possessing a national championship title and accolades including Division I Volleyball Player of the Year, NJCAA First Team All-American, national tournament MVP, and more. Following her sophomore season, Anchante matched each feat, including leading the Reivers to their second-consecutive national title, the program's third overall.

In addition to earning tournament MVP both seasons, Anchante was named the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Player of the Year and earned First Team All-Region 11 honors, each for the second-consecutive time. The Peruvian national volleyball team member has earned NJCAA First Team All-Academic status throughout her entire career and is continuing her academic and athletic career at Marquette University (WI). Anchante becomes the first Iowa Western student-athlete to achieve this national honor.

"Yadhira is such an inspiring person and player," said Head Coach Korie Tetzlaff. "Not only does she work hard to excel on the court, but in all facets of her life. She is a great teammate, an incredible leader, and our entire Iowa Western family is so proud of all she has accomplished. She has both earned and deserved this amazing honor."

NJCAA Athletic Accomplishments

2020-21 & 2021 NJCAA Division I Volleyball National Champion
2020-21 & 2021 NJCAA Division I Volleyball Player of the Year
2x Division I Volleyball Championship Tournament MVP
2x NJCAA 1st Team All-American
NJCAA Division I Midwest A District Champion
2x ICCAC Champion
2x ICCAC Volleyball Player of the Year
2x ICCAC First Team All-Region 11
3x ICCAC Athlete of the Week
2x NJCAA Volleyball Player of the Week
2020-21 AVCA Two Year College National Player of the Year

Anchante will be honored during the NJCAA Foundation Awards event, held on Friday, June 10 at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown at 6:30 PM ET. The event will recognize the NJCAA Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year, the Lea Plarski Award winner, the Champion Award winners, and the Difference Maker Award winner, in addition to the 2022 class of the NJCAA Hall of Fame and the 2021 inaugural NJCAA Hall of Fame class.

About the NJCAA Betty Jo Graber Award

Betty Jo Graber was an influential leader in the Association and helped pioneer the creation of the Women's Division of the NJCAA in 1975. As the NJCAA Region 5 Women's Director, Graber chaired the Association's women's basketball committee from its inception in 1975 until her retirement in 1991. In addition to her contributions on the NJCAA Board of Directors, Graber helped establish the NJCAA Women's Basketball Coaches Association and was a member of its inaugural hall of fame class in 1998. Also, a member of the national Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Graber was a leader that exhibited dedication, service, and resilience - traits that are recognized annually to the top female student-athlete with the award named in her honor.