KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The NAIA has announced that Elizabeth “Lizzie” Tyler of Dakota Wesleyan University is the recipient of the 2025-26 Women’s A.O. Duer Scholarship Award, presented to a student-athlete who has shown high athletic and academic achievement, along with excellence and service in the surrounding community.
Tyler is the libero for the DWU Volleyball program where she serves as a defensive anchor for the nationally-recognized Tigers. She has seen action on the court since first stepping foot on campus, putting together a GPAC Honorable Mention-quality season as a true freshman in 2023. Tyler earned Second Team All-GPAC honors as a sophomore before an exceptional 2025 season, where she earned First Team All-GPAC honors and the conference’s Co-Defender-of-the-Year award for her efforts. She also earned a First Team All-Region nod from the American Volleyball Coaches Association and Third Team All-American status from the NAIA. To kick off her senior campaign, Tyler further cemented her on-court legacy by becoming the program’s all-time dig leader in August 2026, surpassing the previous total of 1,785 digs set by Dena Kopfmann back in 2008.
Lizzie matches her fire on the court with her passion for education and her community, both as a well-known face on the Dakota Wesleyan campus, and in the city of Mitchell, which she grew up. As an Elementary & Special Education major, Lizzie has recorded a perfect 4.0 college GPA and contributed to the program being named the NAIA Women’s Team Academic National Champions by the AVCA in 2026. Tyler also is a major contributor to DWU Campus Ministry, serving as a student chaplain, created a Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at DWU, and regularly leads service projects. She is consistently noted by her peers and community members as a leader in everything she does.
Director of Athletics Ross Cimpl chimed in with his own praises for Tyler, and the reflection that these awards have on DWU Athletics:
“Dakota Wesleyan has been incredibly fortunate to have four A.O. Duer award winners in the last six years. That is a testament to the character and quality of our faculty, staff, coaches, and student athletes. Lizzie Tyler is one of one, and we are extremely proud that Lizzie Tyler is a Tiger. She has made an impact on our campus and community from the first day on campus. She is one of the most caring, dedicated, and selfless people I have ever met. The A.O. Duer award is the most prestigious award from the NAIA, and there is no one more deserving.”
Faculty Athletic Representative Joel Reinesch was also quick to highlight Tyler’s accomplishments and character:
“As I wrote in my own nomination letter for Lizzie, there just aren’t enough words to describe who she is. The grace in which she embraces all things in her life – her sport, her academics and her God – are second to none. If you were to build the perfect student athlete, Lizzie would be the prototype. Her work ethic, humbleness and Christ-centered focus in all she does far exceeds her 21 years of age. What an honor for us that we get to call her our own and share the impact she has had on our entire campus community. The world needs more Lizzie Tylers.”
This achievement marks the fourth time in six years that the A O. Duer Scholarship Award has been earned by a member of the Dakota Wesleyan University athletic department, with DWU being the only institution in the NAIA to have four separate winners since 2013. Tyler joins previous Duer award winners from Dakota Wesleyan University: Landon Ruesink (2024-25); Ady Dwight (2022-23); and Jeff Schuch (2020-21) as distinguished members of the Tiger family. Dakota Wesleyan University student-athletes continue to demonstrate their dedication to both aspects of the title, with the institution also being just one of nine schools to be named Champions of Character Gold Five-Star Institutions by the NAIA for five consecutive years.
Read the full list of the NAIA’s 2025-26 award winners here.