Veerbeek Announces Transfer Plans

(Monday, March 23; Sioux Center, Iowa) Ashtyn Veerbeek, a sophomore at the University of Nebraska, has announced her intention to transfer to Dordt and join the Defender basketball program. Veerbeek will have two years of eligibility for the Defenders and will be eligible immediately.

"Ashtyn is an individual with high moral character that will fit perfectly into the Dordt community and the Defender Way. Ashtyn had a highly decorated high school career at Western Christian as well as a strong two-year run at the University of Nebraska. Ashtyn’s ability on the basketball floor will be seen immediately, and her strong personality to influence her teammates, future recruits and the Dordt community for Christ will be felt," said Dordt basketball coach Bill Harmsen.

Veerbeek is a 6-2 forward who graduated from Western Christian High School (Iowa) in 2018. She averaged 7.4 points per game with 4.3 rebounds for the Huskers this season after averaging 6.9 points per game with 5.5 rebounds per contest as a freshman. Veerbeek had a decorated high school career for the Wolfpack, scoring 25.8 points per game as a senior while grabbing 14.4 rebounds and she had 86 blocked shots. She converted 52.2 percent of her field goal attempts and 34.7 percent of her three-point basket attempts as a senior. During the 2017 season Veerbeek scored 22.8 points per game with 11.1 rebounds and she was named the Iowa Basketball Coaches Association Class 2A Player of the Year at the conclusion of the season.

Veerbeek was named captain of the Class 2A All-State Tournament team in 2017 and was three times named first-team all-state by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association. Veerbeek averaged 15.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore while helping Western to a state runner-up finish and she scored 9.1 points with 6.0 rebounds as a freshman as Western advanced to the Class 2A State Tournament Semifinals. She had 1,871 career points, 1,041 career rebounds, 227 blocked shots, 2003 assists and 99 steals during her four seasons at Western Christian. Veerbeek was a multi-sport athlete at Western and helped the Wolfpack to a pair of state volleyball titles as well and was a two-time all-state pick in that sport.

"I chose to transfer to Dordt University because I wanted to be a part of a great faith-centered community and play in front of all my family and friends in my hometown," said Veerbeek.

Ashtyn is the daughter of Ron and Tammi Veerbeek of Sioux Center, Iowa. She plans to study Business Administration at Dordt.

Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive Christian university rooted in the Reformed tradition. The Defender athletic program is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC).

U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review all list Dordt on their best colleges lists. Dordt is home to approximately 1,500 students.