Pepperdine University Athletics

Head Coach Nina Matthies added AVCA All-American and Waves alumna Delaney Mewhirter (née Knudsen) to the Pepperdine beach volleyball coaching staff in the summer of 2017.  She was an AVCA and Volleyball Magazine All-American first teamer in 2017 and brought a wealth of playing experience to the staff.  She begins her fourth season as the Waves’ volunteer assistant coach in 2021. 

The 2020 campaign was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  In the season, the Waves collected a 2-5 output, though were on the rise with a pair of wins under the squad’s belt heading into the second home tournament of the season.  No national or conference postseason awards were given, apart from a record 10 players earning WCC All-Academic recognition, including Hannah Frohling, Peyton Lewis and Simone Priebe to first team.
 
In the 2019 season, she helped lead the squad to a 20-11 (.645) record.  The Waves put up a pair of hard-fought battles in the tournament, but were felled by LSU and USC and forced to bow out of the tournament.  That wasn’t the end to the season, however, as several Waves hit the sand to compete at the USA Collegiate Beach Championships.  After three grueling days of competition, Pepperdine’s top pair, Brook Bauer and Deahna Kraft, finished with silver in the tournament.  Along the way to the title match against LSU’s Clair Coppola and Kristen Nuss, the Waves bested Florida State’s Brooke Kuhlman and Avery Poppinga and PCH Cup rival LMU’s pair of Savannah Slattery and Emma Doud.
 
After the season, Bauer and Heidi Dyer were named AVCA and Volleyball Magazine All-Americans.  The pair, along with Kraft, also earned DiG All-American honors after the season.  Bauer also tabbed West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, while six Waves picked up All-Conference acclaim, including Bauer, Dyer and Kraft to first team, Skylar Caputo and Gigi Hernandez to second team and Simone Priebe to the All-Freshman squad.
 
In her first season on the sidelines in 2018, Mewhirter helped the Waves to a 25-5 overall record and a top-five finish at the NCAA Beach Volleyball National Championships.  In her second, she coached the squad to another WCC Tournament final appearance and well as the team’s 8^th-consecutive berth into the NCAA Championships.

Throughout her four-year career with the Waves, she amassed an 81-31 overall record for a .723 winning percentage.  In her 2014 season, she helped the Waves to an AVCA Beach Volleyball National Championship title with a 19-7 overall record, including a 15-4 record in dual action.  In her senior campaign, the captain led the Waves to a NCAA Championship runner-up title after going 20-12 alongside partner Madalyn Roh.
 
She also garnered All-WCC first team honors and WCC All-Academic first team nods in 2016 and 2017.  She was a four-time Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete and two-time WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll ‘silver’ honoree in 2016 and 2017.  

Mewhirter is also not a stranger to the AVP tour during her time as a Wave and after.  In 2017, she competed in seven AVP tour events as well as six other tournaments including USA Volleyball High Performance tournaments, CBVA events and most recently took third place alongside current Wave Corinne Quiggle at the NORCECA Punta Cana.
She married Travis Mewhirter in February 2020. 

PLAYER BIO:
CAREER: AVCA All-American and Volleyball Magazine All-American first team in 2017 … All-WCC first team in 2016 and 2017 … WCC All-Academic first team in 2016 and 2017 … Four-time Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete … Two-time WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll ‘silver’ honors in 2016 and 2017 … Throughout her career, has marked an 81-31 overall record for a .723 winning percentage, including a 20-12 record in the No. 1 position, a 23-7 record in the No. 2 position, a 26-5 record in the No. 3 position and one win in the No. 4 position … She has posted an 11-7 record in pairs competitions … Won the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Team Championship in the spring of 2014 while playing in the No. 3 spot in the lineup alongside Caitlin Racich … Key component to the 2016 squad that earned a spot in the inaugural field of eight at the first-ever NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. in 2016 and led the Waves to a NCAA National Championship runners-up trophy in 2017 … Helped the Waves win the first-ever and back-to-back WCC Championships in Santa Monica, Calif. in 2016 and 2017.
 
PEPPERDINE 2017: AVCA All-American first team … Volleyball Magazine All-American first team … All-WCC first team … WCC All-Academic first team … Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete … WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll ‘silver’ honors … Ranked No. 4 in DiG Magazine’s Collegiate Beach Pairs rankings alongside Maddy Roh … Garnered DiG Magazine National Pair of the Week honor with Roh on March 14 … Earned a spot in USAV Collegaite Beach Pairs Championship and went undefeated through pool play to advance to elimination bracket … Preseason All-WCC … Posted a 20-12 overall record in the No. 1 position with Roh and went 45-31 in sets played … Went 10-10 among nationally ranked competition … In home matches (stats only kept at home), marked 6.23 kills/set and 0.55 aces/set for the Waves … Led the Waves to a NCAA Championship runner-up finish and a second-consecutive West Coast Conference Championship title … In the tournament, downed Hawai’i’s Morgan Martin and Mikayla Tucker 21-18, 21-15 in the semifinal to advance to the NCAA Championship … Clinched the Waves upset win over No. 2 Florida State with a 28-26, 18-21, 15-11 win over Leigh Andrew and Brooke Kuhlman to push the Waves to a No. 2 national ranking early in the season.

PEPPERDINE 2016: All-WCC first team … WCC All-Academic first team … Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete … WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll “silver” honors … In her junior campaign, was a mainstay in the number two position for the Waves alongside freshman partner Kaity Bailey … Amassed an 18-6 (.750) overall dual record from the number two spot … Earned an 8-5 record when playing opponents from nationally ranked squads … Had a six-match winning streak in the middle of the season, helping the Waves maintain a #1 national ranking in the AVCA Coaches Poll for six weeks … Helped the Waves earn a spot in the inaugural field of eight at the first-ever NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. … Helped lead the team to win the inaugural West Coast Conference Tournament Championship crown in Santa Monica, Calif. … Led the Waves to the first-ever WCC Championship title with two wins, first taking down Sascha Dominique and Kekai Whitford 16-21, 21-16, 15-11 in the 5-0 semifinal sweep over Wells Fargo PCH Cup rivals Loyola Marymount; and then defeating Mary Hernandez and Payton Rudd 21-11, 21-15 in the 5-0 final’s sweep over Saint Mary’s … Posted a win over Kamila Tan and Ivey Schmitt of #4 UCLA in the NCAA Championships with a 22-20, 21-19 victory.
PEPPERDINE 2015: Went 24-6 (.800) as a sophomore … Produced a 17-2 record in dual matches … Paired with Emily Cook for a 21-4 record, including a 16-1 tally at No. 3 in the lineup … Went a perfect 5-0 at the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championships, not dropping a single set … Won 19 matches in straight sets with Cook, with only straight-set loss coming against teammates Becca Strehlow and Lara Dykstra … Also teamed up with Lara Dykstra for a 3-2 record, including a 1-1 tally from No. 2 … Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete.
 
PEPPERDINE 2014: Produced a 19-7 record as a freshman, including a 15-4 tally in dual play … Paired with Caitlin Racich for an 11-6 record (9-4 in duals) … Also saw time alongside Kelley Larsen (5-0) and Katie Messing (3-1) … Went 4-0 while playing at No. 2, 10-4 from the No. 3 spot in the lineup and won her lone match at No. 4 … Defeated Sam Hirschmann and Natasja Siljkovic of USC, 21-18, 21-16 during the semifinals of the AVCA National Championship (5/2) … Posted 16 kills, 19 digs and three aces in the victory … Put down 17 kills in a 21-13, 21-17 win over Hawaii’s Katie Spieler and Nikki Taylor (3/15) … Averaged 7.17 kills/set at the AVCA National Championship … Collected a season-high 21 digs vs. Jenelle Hudson and Alex Reid of Long Beach State to help lift her and Messing to a 21-9, 14-21, 15-3 win (3/18) … Dished seven aces in a 21-19, 19-21, 15-8 win over Rachelle Suaavaand Taylor Akana of LMU (3/20) … Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete.
 
USA VOLLEYBALL: Member of the USA Volleyball U19 A1 team … Placed second at the USAV High Performance Championship in 2013 … Placed ninth at the FIVB U19 World Championship in Portugal in 2013 … Made way through qualifying to compete in the main draw of the 2014 AVP Manhattan Beach Open … Placed ninth alongside USC’s Alexa Strange at the 2014 FIVB U19 World Championships in Larnaka, Cyprus.
 
CLUB: Competed for Legacy Volleyball Club.
 
HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Valencia High School in 2013 … Member of the varsity indoor squad for two seasons and junior varsity for one year … 2012 Foothill League Most Valuable Player … Also earned All-Foothill League first team honors as a junior … Put down 361 kills as a senior and 254 kills as a junior … Led Valencia to the 2012 league title.
 
PERSONAL: Born in West Torrance, Calif. … Daughter of Diane and Mark Knudsen … Older sister to Lindsey, Kelsey and Jacob … Majoring in sports medicine … Chose Pepperdine because of the “amazing team and coaches, beautiful campus and great spiritual environment … Father played volleyball at UCLA while mother was a member of the volleyball team at Long Beach City College … Favorite thing about sand volleyball is “you get to play all positions, pass, set and hit and it’s on the beach.”
 
FAVORITES: Favorite pro athlete is Stephen Gyde … Favorite book is the Bible … Favorite pro team is the Los Angeles Lakers … Favorite movie is The Lion King … Favorite musical artist is Jack Johnson … Favorite sport other than volleyball is basketball … Favorite tv show is Psych … Favorite food is Mexican.