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Jennifer Hefner

Inducted: 2016

Jennifer Hefner was a standout volleyball player at Wayne State College from 2007-10. The Central City graduate was a steady performer for the Wildcats that helped WSC qualify for the NCAA Tournament all four years while winning one NSIC Tournament title. Individually, she was the first female athlete in school history to earn All-American honors on the court and off the court (academics) and ended her career as a two-time AVCA All-American, two-time ESPN Academic First Team All-American and three-time First Team All-NSIC selection. As a senior, Hefner was an ESPN Academic First Team All-American and AVCA Second Team All-American after averaging 3.38 kills and 1.13 blocks per set. She was First Team All-NSIC for a third straight season and ranked third in the NSIC in blocks, fourth in points per set, seventh in kills per set and eighth in hitting percentage (.331) while also helping WSC to a pair of #1 national rankings during the season. Hefner also joined 2014 Hall of Famer Emily Schroeder as the only player in school history to have 12 blocks in a match (vs. SMSU at Premier Classic in Denver). During her junior season, Hefner averaged 3.72 kills and 1.22 blocks per set and was AVCA Second Team All-American and ESPN Academic All-American First Team. She was named AVCA National Player of the Week during junior and senior season. As a sophomore, was First Team All-NSIC, Second Team All-Central Region and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District. For her career, Hefner ranks first all-time in hitting percentage at WSC at .313, fourth in career kills (1,540), second in block assists (453) and fifth in total blocks (541). She was named WSC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year as a junior and senior and WSC Female Athlete of the Year during junior season. Hefner also earned the prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Award that helped her get into occupational therapy school at Creighton. Hefner currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri where she is an occupational therapist at a rehabilitation hospital. She was inducted into the WSC Athletic Hall of Fame on October 8, 2016.