BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Six players and one coach from the Bethel University women's basketball team received Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) postseason honors Wednesday as announced by the conference. Bethel's Taite Anderson is the MIAC Player of the Year and an All-Conference selection along with Haylee Barker and Makenna Pearson. Kat Brown-Erdal was named to the All-First-Year squad, Barker and Bella Williams made the All-Defensive list and Michaela Craigan is the Royals' representative on the MIAC All-Sportsmanship Team. Head coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer was also named MIAC Coach of the Year.
 
Anderson, a senior forward, is the first Bethel hooper to be named Player of the Year since 2012. The White Bear Lake, Minn. native is the fourth player in program history to be a four-time All-Conference Selection and the 18th to receive such accolades in MIAC history. Scoring a league-best 20.7 points per game and finishing fifth in the MIAC by grabbing seven rebounds per contest, Anderson put up incredible shooting splits of 64.4 percent from the field (first in the MIAC), 63.9 percent from downtown (23-for-36) and 65.9 percent at the free throw line. She also set the program record for points in a single season with 539 and counting.
 
Haylee Barker, a senior guard, earns her first MIAC All-Conference honor and second year on the All-Defensive Team. The Maple Grove, Minn. native finished second in the conference in steals (98, behind only teammate Bella Williams), 19 thefts ahead of the next highest total. Barker averaged 9.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game this season.
 
Junior forward Makenna Pearson grabs her second consecutive All-MIAC award, finishing third in the conference with a 41.2 percent three-point percentage and seventh in the league with 54 triples made. The Blaine, Minn. native was the team leader in free throw percentage at 81 percent (34-for-42) and second in scoring at 9.9 points per game.
 
Junior guard Bella Williams picks up her first MIAC honor, being selected to the All-Defensive Team thanks to a league-leading 108 steals, averaged out to four per game. The Zimmerman, Minn. native is on pace to crack the MIAC top 10 in career steals by the end of next season.
 
Freshman guard Kat Brown-Erdal is the first women's player to make the All-First-Year Team since Taite Anderson in 2017. The Jordan, Minn. native has started in all 27 games this season and leads the team in minutes played. Brown-Erdal finished fifth in Royals scoring with 8.6 points per contest, shooting 71.7 percent at the charity stripe.
 
Michaela Craigan, a junior guard, joins the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team this season. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition. Craigan has appeared in all 27 games off the bench for the Royals as a strong defensive presence. The Hugo, Minn. native increased her three-point percentage from 18.5 percent a season ago to 34.2 percent in 2020. She added 3.8 points per game and 2.9 rebounds for the 26-1 Royals.
 
Head coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer was honored with MIAC Coach of the Year, leading Bethel to a 19-1 conference record. The Royals posted the highest-scoring offense and the best defense in MIAC play (75.7 points per game, 55.9 points allowed per game). The team led the league in conference field goal percentage at 47.4 percent as well. Under Herbrechtsmeyer, Bethel accumulated the most wins in a single season in program history this year (26 and counting) and posted their fourth 20-win season since he took over in 2002-03.