Vanguard University

Heather (DeJongh) Sheely was a four-year starter for Vanguard women’s volleyball from 2006-09 and helped the Lions to winning seasons in all but one season. She was an all-around player who could make opponents pay with her powerful swing or a big block at the net.

She appeared in all 29 matches her freshman year and opened her VU account with a team-fourth best 248 kills and led the squad with a .206 hitting percentage. She picked up 68 digs and 60 total blocks and averaged 0.56 blocks per set.

DeJongh continued her improvement in 2007, accumulating 188 kills for third-most on the team. She hit .247, adding in five solo blocks and 45 block assists a total of 50. The squad went 10-16 and 8-12 in conference action and a future VU Hall of Fame member would then arrive to assume coaching duties.

Arriving on the scene was former player Marissa Cothran, who guided the Lions to 15-plus wins over the next two seasons and helped to unlock DeJongh’s potential for her junior and senior campaigns. She exploded for 300 kills – second on the team by one - and a .254 attack percentage in 2008, adding in 10 solo blocks, 37 block assists a career-best 200 digs. She also earned her stripes from behind the service line, splashing down a career-best 28 aces. That helped VU to an 18-12 record overall and a 10-10 GSAC mark.

But it was her senior year that made her a legend in The Pit, as DeJongh ranked second on the team with 385 kills in 32 matches and first with a blistering .374 hitting percentage. She was a stalwart at the net with 17 solo blocks and 101 block assists for a team-best 118 total blocks), as well as averaging 3.21 kills and 0.98 blocks per set. Her hitting percentage remains the single-season program record in, as does her kill and kill per set tallies. DeJongh’s 101 block assists rank second all-time in a single season and her total blocks fifth, with her 459.5 total points good for eighth on the VU career charts.

In single-match annals, she owns the ninth-best attack percentage at .591, which she did against Westmont on October 3, 2009. She is also tied for second with nine block assists against Westmont on November 3 of that same year. The Lions finished 17-15 overall and 11-9 in GSAC play to place sixth. DeJongh’s performance vaulted her to NAIA First Team All-American status. In addition, she captured All-GSAC honors, and was tabbed as the VU Female Champion of Character.

She finished her career with 1,121 kills and a .275 hitting percentage, marks that are sixth and seventh all-time, respectively. She also ranked top-10 in VU history in total attempts (2,639, 8th), solo blocks (41, t-9th), block assists (234, 6th) and total blocks (275, 6th). She finished with career averages of 2.63 kills per set, 0.89 digs per set and 0.65 blocks per set. She is also tied for sixth in total sets played (426) and left with the sixth-most points scored in program history with 1,319.