VERMILLION, S.D. (USD) — South Dakota head volleyball coach Leanne Williamson is pleased to announce the addition of four players – Morgan Bode, Lauren Medeck, Audrey Nelson, Carly Ries – set to join the team ahead of the 2024 fall season. The four-member class is the fifth-ranked class by prepvolleyball.com.

“This class is filled with four student-athletes who will fit in with our program wonderfully,” said Williamson. “All four are very competitive people who are constantly working towards being the best version of themselves and know how to impact a team culture in a positive way. I truly believe that this class will continue the culture of success that we have within our program, while also challenging for court time early on in their careers. Along with being great volleyball players, they are great students and phenomenal people! They have all had the opportunity to be leaders on both their high school and club teams while competing at an extremely high level which will help them impact the team in another facet of the game. I can’t wait for Coyote nation to see this class impact this program moving forward!”

Information on each athlete follows:

Morgan Bode | Middle Blocker | Papillion, Neb. | Papillion South HS
The 6-foot-1 Bode, prepvolleyball.com #55 ranked recruit, was a three-year varsity contributor for the Titans, playing on two state title winning teams, earning honorable mention all-state honors in Nebraska Class A once. She finished her senior season with a .426 hitting percentage and her career with a .350 hitting percentage. The honor roll and AP Scholar also competed in track and field for Papillion LaVista South. While competing for her club team, Nebraska Premier, helped her team to a third-place finish in the Open Nationals in 2022. The daughter of Tim and Kelly Bode plans to major in education at South Dakota.

“I am very excited for Morgan to join the Coyote volleyball program,” Williamson said. “The way she plays the game fits into our system really well in the middle. Her work ethic is unmatched, and she consistently finds ways to impact matches. On the blocking end, her speed, length, and volleyball IQ allows her to disrupt the offensive production of the opposing team. On the offensive end, Morgan is able to run routes off of one and two feet efficiently and effectively.”

Lauren Medeck | Outside Hitter | Papillion, Neb. | Papillion South HS
The 6-foot Medeck, the top-ranked recruit in Nebraska and 30th overall by prepdig.com, was a four-year starter who led the Titans to the state championship match three times, winning two state titles. The Nebraska state Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022, prepvolleyball.com #22 ranked recruit, posted career numbers of 1,538 kills and 1,313 digs while playing for teams that had a 136-11 record over four years. She totaled 461 kills and 482 kills during the 2022 season that ended in a state title. She contributed 379 kills and 367 digs to an unbeaten 39-0 season in 2021. The honor roll student placed fifth at state in the shot put. The daughter of John and Becky Medeck helped her club team, Nebraska Premier, win an 18U national championship to go with a 16U third-place finish at nationals. She plans to study business and marketing at South Dakota.

“Lauren is going to be a great addition to our program,” Williamson said. “She is a physical six-rotation outside who can play the whole game at a very high level. Lauren can score in various ways as she can hit with range on both pins and from the backrow. She has very good ball control and has the physicality to be a shutdown blocker! Lauren has consistently played in big matches throughout her career. In these matches, you can see her competitiveness and ability to take over a match.”

Audrey Nelson | Middle Blocker | Madison, SD | Madison HS
The 6-foot Nelson was a four-year varsity contributor for the Bulldogs earning all-state honors three times in South Dakota Class A. She set a school record for career kills with 1,410 to go with 315 total blocks. She posted totals of 429 kills, averaged 5.7 kills per set and had a.466 hitting percentage as a senior while helping Madison post a 20-8 record. The National Honor Society member also competed in track and field and basketball while at Madison, setting the school record in the high jump with a 5-6 clearance. The daughter of Deb and Steve Nelson earned AAU national all-star award twice while playing for her club team Sanford Sports Academy. She plans to study Business at South Dakota.

“I am so excited to keep Audrey home in South Dakota where she gets to represent her home state,” said Williamson. “Audrey’s athleticism is unmatched which has impacted her growth over the past few years. I am confident that she will thrive in our system while surrounded by people that are as competitive as her. She is very quick laterally which helps her get her hands on a lot of attacks while blocking while having to cover a lot of space. She has been a consistent attacker for both her high school and club teams while taking a lot of swings.”

Carly Ries | Outside Hitter | Norfolk, Neb. | Norfolk HS
The 6-foot-3 Ries, the #11 ranked recruit in Nebraska by prepdig.com, was a three-year starter and four-year varsity letterwinner for the Panthers. She set a school record for career kills with 1,175 and was three times an honorable mention All-State selection in Nebraska Class A. Her 396 kills as a sophomore were the second most in a single season in school history and were the fifth most in Nebraska Class A. The National Honor Society member played her club ball for Nebraska Elite. The honor roll member also competed in track and field for Norfolk. The daughter of South Dakota Hall of Famer Ben and Amy Ries plans to study psychology at South Dakota.

Williamson says “Carly is someone who has been coming to Coyote camps since she was a young kid and has grown into a player that will positively impact this program! Carly has the length and athleticism to become an extremely dynamic player and she has the ability to play on either the left or right-side pin. This versatility will be great for her and this program as we continue to find more depth within our program. Carly’s genuine and cheerful personality is contagious, and I am confident that it will benefit our culture daily.”

The four players will enroll and compete for South Dakota in the fall of 2024.