In just her junior year, setter Ashlyn Power set a Weber State University volleyball team record with 3,242 assists in their conference win over the Idaho State Bengals Tuesday night.
The Lincoln, Nebraska native had no idea she was closing in on the record that stood for 35 years, but with her 51 assists against the Bengals, Power became the new Wildcat leader.
“I hadn’t been paying attention to the record,” Power said. “We got in the shuttle to the car rental place in Greeley, and one of my teammates saw the post on Instagram and I was like, ‘Hey!’”
Power averages 41.5 assists per match and currently has 998 assists on the season.
Power was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska and when it came time to decide on a university, she knew she wanted to get out and experience something new.
“I knew I wanted to get away and play at the highest level I was offered,” Power said. “I choose Weber because I … liked the coaches, the girls and what the program is trying to build.”
Power began her playing career in 2017 as a true freshman playing in 107 sets, which led to her recording 20 or more assists in 28 different matches, including 60 assists in two separate events. The ’Cats finished 9-20 overall and 7-9 in the conference, barely making it into the Big Sky Tournament.
In 2018, Power competed in 107 sets and set a new career-high in assists with 62 on Oct. 30, 2018 against the Bengals. She finished the season with 1,150 assists and helped lead the Wildcats to a third-place finish with a 13-5 record in conference.
“I wanted to be a part of something special,” Power said. “We are building championship teams, and I wanted to be a part of something that changes the program now and for the future.”
Coming out of Lincoln Christian High School, two universities approached Power: Weber State, a division one program, and Augustana University, a division two school in South Dakota.
“I took a chance coming to Weber State,” Power said. “I had never been outside of Lincoln.”
Still, in just her junior year, Power has a lot left to play for, including many more assists to tally onto her ongoing WSU record.
“It’s been an amazing few years,” Power said. “We barely made it my freshman year, and now we are contending for a Big Sky Championship.”
Power and the Wildcats return home Nov. 21 and 23 to wrap up the regular season with Montana and Montana State.
