Sophie Ledbetter

Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics

Position:
Defensive Specialist / Libero
Height:
5-8
Class:
Junior
High School:
Hamilton Southeastern
Hometown:
Fishers, IN

Ball State Career Notes Entering 2026 Season:
• Played in all 63 possible matches over her Ball State career
• Has seen action in 235 of a possible 236 sets
• 2025 First Team All-MAC
• 2024 MAC All-Freshman Team
• 2025 CSC Academic All-District
• 2025 Academic All-MAC
• Two-Time career MAC Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 11, 2024 and Oct. 13, 2025)
• Credited with a career-high 27 digs versus James Madison (Sept. 6, 2024) and versus Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 20, 2025)
• Registered double-digit digs in 51 career matches, including 15 with 20-or-more

2025 (So.): Earned second letter at Ball State ... First Team All-MAC ... Academic All-MAC and CSC Academic All-District ... named MAC Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 13) ... one of only four players on the team to see action in all 31 matches and all 121 sets ... led the squad and ranked third in the MAC with a 3.99 digs-per-set average ... credited with 483 total digs, including 28 matches with double-digit digs and seven matches with 20-or-more digs ... tied her career high with 27 digs versus Eastern Kentucky ... opened the season with 26 digs in the five-set win versus St. Thomas (MN) (Aug. 29) ... secured at least five digs in all 31 matches ... finished the season with a .961 reception percentage, including 15 matches with a perfect mark ... served up 23 total aces, with at least one ace in 16 matches ... credited with a career-high three aces in the five-set win over Toledo (Oct. 10) ... dished out 105 total assists ... registered her first collegiate double-double with 14 digs and a career-high 10 assists vs. Cal Poly (Aug. 31) ... earned at least one assist in 30 matches, with five-or-more on seven occasions ... recorded her lone kill of the season vs. Colgate (Sept. 5) ... Preseason All-MAC.

2024 (Fr.): Earned first letter at Ball State … MAC All-Freshman Team … MAC Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 11) … played in all 32 matches, seeing action in 114 of a possible 115 sets … led the Ball State defense and ranked 10th in the MAC with a 3.68 digs-per-set average … collected double-digit digs in 23 matches, including six with 20-or-more … credited with a career-high 27 digs in the 3-1 victory over James Madison (Sept. 6) … earned 24 digs in the MAC Tournament semifinal victory over Central Michigan (Nov. 23) … earned at least four digs in all 32 matches she played … finished the year with a .941 reception percentage, including 17 matches with a perfect mark … dished out 110 assists, including at least one in all 32 matches … career-high nine assists versus Buffalo (Oct. 12) … served up five aces … credited with her first collegiate kill in the MAC Tournament quarterfinal victory over Toledo (Nov. 22).

PHILLIPS ON LEDBETTER: Sophie is one of those players that plays with such control and poise. She finds ways to make play after play and is one of those people that just completely frustrates opponents because it's so difficult to score on her. She is consistently tough and is one of those people that you can just count on to make things happen when you need it. She has such a natural platform touch combined with great reading ability, quickness and high VB IQ. She's going to be a big add to our program.

HIGH SCHOOL: A three-year varsity letterwinner at Hamilton Southeastern for coach Jason Young … helped guide the Royals to back-to-back IHSAA Class 4A State Volleyball Championships as a junior and senior … HSE finished the 2023 season with a perfect 33-0 record, while producing a 34-1 mark in 2022 … finished her high school career with 1008 digs, 256 assists and 88 service aces … collected 433 digs her senior season, including 17 in the 2023 IHSAA State Championship match victory over Castle played in Worthen Arena … team captain as a junior and senior.

SENIOR YEAR AWARDS
To Be Determined

JUNIOR YEAR AWARDS
Second Team All-State
All-Conference
Indy Star Super Team

WHY BALL STATE: I chose Ball State because of the amazing education and volleyball experience that it offers. The coaches and players I have met already made it an easy decision too!