SIOUX FALLS – The most successful volleyball season in South Dakota program history was honored Thursday as the All-Summit League teams were announced. The Coyotes placed five on the All-Summit League teams with a trio of them earning top honors.
 
Senior libero Anne Rasmussen was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. Sophomore Madison Jurgens was named Setter of the Year and Elizabeth Juhnke took home Freshman of the Year honors. Additionally Leanne Williamson was named Coach of the Year.
 
Ramussen, Jurgens and Juhnke were joined on the All-Summit League first team by Sami Slaughter while Madison Harms was named an honorable mention selection. Juhnke and Harms were also each named to the All-Freshman Team.
 
"This has been an amazing season for this team, and the individual awards show that," said Williamson. "I am so proud of not only the people who received individual awards, but also for the other members of the team who made it possible."
 
Rasmussen, an Oak Creek, Wisconsin, native, led the Summit League in digs per set (4.97) for the second straight season and ranked third in total digs (497). She recorded at least 13 digs in all 16 Summit League matches and enters the Summit League tourney sitting eighth in league history in career digs with 1,889. The modern-era career leader in digs at South Dakota, she is also sitting 10^th on the school's career service aces chart with 103.
 
"Anne is so incredibly deserving of the defensive player of the year award," Williamson said. "She has been so good in her career, had a lot of success last year, and still found ways to get better this year. She has set the standard for years to come on how to play Coyote defense. Anne always wants to find a way to improve and that definitely helped her continue to raise her game each year."
 
Jurgens, who ranks fifth nationally in assists per set (11.79) and ninth in total assists (1,179), is the second Coyote to earn Setter of the Year honors joining three-time honoree Brittany Jessen.
 
Jurgens, a six-rotation player, leads the Summit League in assists per set while she is third on the Coyotes in total digs (261) and second in service aces (38). The Odell, Nebraska, native, matched or surpassed her three-set career high for assists three times this season, the latest, a 48 assist match against Purdue Fort Wayne as South Dakota wrapped up the perfect 16-0 Summit League slate.
 
"I am so happy for Madison," said Williamson. "This setter of the year award means so much to her. She put in so much time and effort during her redshirt year to help her get to this point. She is such an intense competitor and continually puts the team first. I know that her leadership helped this team tremendously throughout this season."
 
Juhnke, who leads the Summit League in kills per set (4.13), becomes the second Coyote named Freshman of the Year, joining Elizabeth Loschen (2016). The Lakeville, Minnesota, native, is one of only two Summit League players to have over 400 kills this season, ranking second with 413. The six-rotation player sits second on the team in digs (307). She reached double figures in kills in 26 of 28 matches and has recorded double-doubles (kills-digs) in 18 matches this season, including 12 during Summit League play. She is one of only two players in Summit League play to reach 20 kills in a three-set match when she recorded 20 in a win over South Dakota State on Nov. 5.
 
"Elizabeth has been such a great addition to this team," Williamson said. "It can be hard to make the transition to the college game, but she made it seamlessly. It is pretty amazing to be able to be a six-rotation outside and play the whole game at such a high level. I am proud of how she handled the pressure this season."
 
Rasmussen earns All-Summit League first team honors for the third consecutive season while Juhnke, Jurgens and Slaughter are honored for the first time.
 
Slaughter, a Harrisburg, South Dakota, native, ranks third in the Summit League in kills per set (3.60) and sixth in total kills (360). She has reached double figures in kills in 22 matches this season and is one of only two players during Summit League play to surpass 20 kills in a three-set match when she had 21 against North Dakota State on Nov. 8.
 
Harms, a Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, native, appeared in 25 matches, playing 81 sets and ranks second in the Summit League in blocks per set (1.32) while contributing 136 kills from her middle blocker position. She had a season-high eight blocks in a five-set win over Iowa and has reached double figures in kills four time this season with a season-high 11 against Omaha in a big four-set road win.
 
"This all league team is filled with very good players, so I am very happy to see so many of our players recognized," Williamson said. "Elizabeth, Madison, Sami, Anne, and Madison Harms were all very instrumental in our success this year. It has been so fun watching these players grow throughout the year, and I am excited to see many of them continue to grow throughout their careers."
 
Williamson, in her sixth season, is honored as Coach of the Year for the second time after guiding the Coyotes to a perfect 16-0 Summit League slate and a 27-1 overall record.
 
South Dakota takes its 24-match win streak as the No. 1 seed into the Summit League tourney and opens tourney play in Denver on Saturday at 4 p.m. (CST) against either Omaha or North Dakota State.
 
 
 
 
 
2019 #SummitVB
All-League
Elizabeth Juhnke, South Dakota
Lydia Bartalo, Denver
Sadie Limback, Omaha
Katie Crowe, Purdue Fort Wayne
Madison Jurgens, South Dakota
Anne Rasmussen, South Dakota
Sami Slaughter, South Dakota
CeCe Madison, Oral Roberts
Anna Blaschko, Omaha
Tina Boe, Denver
Isabella Sade, Omaha
Sami Clarkson, Omaha
 
All-League Honorable Mention
Ashley Brueggeman, North Dakota
Sydney Boerst, Purdue Fort Wayne
Rachael Crucis, Purdue Fort Wayne
Ellie Anderson, Denver
Claire Mountjoy, Omaha
Madison Harms, South Dakota
 
All-Freshman
Elizabeth Juhnke, South Dakota
Sami Clarkson, Omaha
Rachael Crucis, Purdue Fort Wayne
Madison Harms, South Dakota
Sidney Schiller, Purdue Fort Wayne
Brianna Green, Denver
Kalea Fobert, Denver
 
Individual Awards
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lydia Bartalo, Denver
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Anne Rasmussen, South Dakota
 
SETTER OF THE YEAR
Madison Jurgens, South Dakota
 
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Elizabeth Juhnke, South Dakota
 
COACH OF THE YEAR
Leanne Williamson, South Dakota