ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Indiana State linebacker Garret Ollendieck was named this week's Missouri Valley Football Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the conference office on Monday morning.
 
Ollendieck receives the recognition for the second time in his career and first in the 2024 season following a standout performance this past weekend in the Sycamores' 24-13 win over Dayton.
 
The Cresco, Iowa native set a new career-high with 16 tackles on Saturday night and added his second collegiate touchdown with a 12-yard scoop-and-score in the second quarter to help propel Indiana State to their first win of the 2024 season in the Sycamores' home opener.
 
The senior linebacker was active throughout the contest with five tackles and the fumble recovery for a touchdown over the first half, before turning it on in the second half of ISU's strong defensive performance. He posted 11 tackles over the final 30 minutes including five tackles on a critical Dayton drive in the fourth quarter that ended on downs inside Indiana State territory.
 
His 16 tackles were the most by a Sycamore player since Rylan Cole recorded 18 tackles back on Oct. 8, 2022, against North Dakota State. Ollendieck's scoop-and-score marked his second collegiate touchdown after returning an interception 27 yards for a touchdown last season at Illinois State.
 
He currently leads the MVFC with 11.7 tackles per game.
 
Ollendieck previously received the award back on November 13, 2023, following Indiana State's 27-6 win over Western Illinois last season. The middle linebacker posted 11 tackles, including his first 3.0-sack game, while adding two quarterback hurries.
 
Ollendieck is the second Sycamore to receive one of the MVFC's weekly awards this season. Quarterback Elijah Owens was named the MVFC Newcomer of the Week (Sept. 9) following his performance at Eastern Illinois.
 
Up Next
Indiana State heads into the bye week this upcoming week. The Sycamores are back in action on Saturday, September 28, at Memorial Stadium as Indiana State welcomes Houston Christian University to Terre Haute. Kickoff between Indiana State and the Huskies is set for 1 p.m. ET with the game set to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 
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