Sandfort recognized with Frontier Champion of Character award

HELENA, Mont. — Bellevue University senior defensive specialist/libero Audrey Sandfort, a native of Brock, Neb., has been selected as a 2025 Frontier Conference Champion of Character Award recipient for volleyball, presented by WinWon Technologies. The announcement was made today by the Frontier Conference office following last weekend's Frontier Conference Tournament.

The Champion of Character Award is presented annually to a student-athlete who best exemplifies the NAIA's Champions of Character initiative and its five core values: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership. Each Frontier Conference head coach submits a nomination based on how their student-athletes demonstrate these values both in competition and throughout their campus and community involvement.

Sandfort has appeared in 25 matches this season and has provided steady defensive production for the Bruins. She ranks fifth on the team with 135 digs and fourth with 1.90 digs per set, while also contributing 12 assists and seven service aces. Off the court, Sandfort—who is majoring in Business Analytics—earned 2025 Academic All-Frontier Conference honors for her excellence in the classroom.

"Audrey exemplifies the culture and work ethic of a true student-athlete at Bellevue University. She is deeply respected by her teammates and coaches for her reliability, kindness, empathy, and strong moral compass. Audrey's impact extends far beyond the scoreboard—she represents what it truly means to lead with integrity and heart," said Bellevue University head volleyball coach Trish Siedlik.

The Champions of Character initiative aims to place the NAIA's five core values at the center of the student-athlete experience, helping participants find balance on and off the court. The program encourages student-athletes to value the right behaviors and uphold the NAIA's standard of being "The Right Way to Play."

The sixth-ranked Bruins (26-4, 20-2 Frontier Conference) earned an automatic berth into the NAIA Volleyball National Championship after finishing second in both the Frontier Conference regular season and postseason tournament. Bellevue will learn its Opening Round opponent and site during the NAIA Selection Show today at 4 p.m. on the NAIA YouTube Channel.