Farris Family Legacy Finds Vermillion

A row of chairs lined the court at South Dakota volleyball coach Leanne Williamson’s practice in preparation for an upcoming match. Freshman Kamryn Farris, in pursuit of the ball at that practice, plowed into and knocked down about a half-dozen of the chairs.

She was unhurt in the incident and was struggling to put the chairs back up when it became apparent that wasn’t going to work.

“I’m trying to pick one of them up at a time but they were all connected so they were not coming back up,” Farris said. “Everyone was laughing at me. Then Leanne comes over and she goes ‘Just leave them.’ It was a little bit embarrassing but, you know, it was funny. People were laughing. I’m like ‘OK, I’m sorry.’”

This freshman defensive specialist from Lansing, Kansas, likes to laugh. She doesn’t even mind it, and sometimes probably prefers it, when people laugh at her. She’s done great things for the 20-2 Coyotes this season, just a year out of high school, but her role in reminding everyone they’re supposed to be having fun has also made a significant impact on the program.

“Kamryn is a joy to be around – she’s happy all the time,” Williamson said. “Her teammates enjoy her. I think even the fans have noticed how happy she is when she’s playing volleyball. Even when I’m passing along some criticism – you know, ‘You have to do this and this better’ –  she’s still smiling and shaking her head.”

The Coyotes, who face South Dakota State at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Friday, have won seven consecutive matches and are coming off a 3-1 win over third-place Omaha. There are a lot of reasons for that success. Juniors like Elizabeth Juhnke and Madison Harms, among others, are having great seasons midst great careers with the numbers to back that up. As a team the Coyotes have the second-highest hitting percentage in the Summit League and their opponents have the second-lowest hitting percentage. That’s a good combination of offense and defense. 

The defensive specialists have played a significant role in that.

“The entire group has been special to work with,” Williamson said. “Kamryn wasn’t given the opportunity to play just because she was here. She’s had to earn that opportunity to get out on the floor…She has things she has to get better at but she’s very good at a lot of things you can’t really teach. To come in as a freshman and have that kind of awareness is impressive.”

Farris was an all-state player in both volleyball and basketball at Lansing High School. She graduated as the school’s all-time scorer and rebounder on the basketball court and was part of a volleyball program that went 140-16 during her four years with the varsity. As a senior Lansing went 38-1 and won a state title. 

Her sister, Kennedy, is a defensive specialist at Kansas. Her oldest sister, Kylie, played college volleyball at Pittsburg State (Kan.). All three plus their mother, Cheryl, played at least part of their high school careers for Julie Slater, a legendary coach at Lansing who spent 35 years leading that program. 

“It’s a little crazy because my mom was part of her first season as coach at Lansing,” Farris said. “Then my oldest sister was part of her 800th career win. My middle sister was part of her 900th win and I was part of her 1,000th win. So it all goes back to my mom. I remember going to my oldest sister’s club practices when I was just a kid and the coach would teach me how to serve during the water breaks.”

Farris’ recruiting process was not normal. She had interest in USD earlier in high school but those conversations had seemingly run their course when it was actually time to make a decision on where to play in college. 

It was May of 2022 when Farris and USD finally got together. COVID, coupled with shifting NCAA recruiting regulations, had colluded to make the process more complicated than it needed to be. 

Ultimately, though, Farris was wondering if the Coyotes might still be interested at about the same time the Coyotes were wondering if Farris might still be interested.

She came in for a visit the next weekend after a text from USD assistant Michael Runde and that was it. Neither party knew it at the time but the Coyotes were getting a player who would be starting for them a few months later. 

“I had a lot of people tell me that when you’re going through the recruiting process you’ll go visit a school and just know that’s the right place for you,” Farris said. “Well, I made four official visits and I’m thinking ‘Why haven’t I got that feeling yet?’ Then I visited here and I knew this was where I was supposed to be.”

There was a time when playing both volleyball and basketball was just a natural progression for good high school athletes. With the emphasis on club volleyball, however, combining the two sports is going to test your loyalty to one or the other. For Farris, it often involved going to a basketball practice or game then driving 40 miles to go to a volleyball practice. Then repeating that routine several times a week.

Her coach says she’s a sports nut. She’d much rather watch a college basketball game than watch a movie. In high school, the same went for playing a sport vs. not playing one.  

“I’ve always thought I’d rather be busy,” Farris said. “I’d always want to fill my time doing something I enjoy – I looked at it positively because of that.” 

Those who have gotten to know Farris in her short time at USD would likely not be shocked that she takes on challenges with a smile and a positive attitude. It’s how she goes about her business. 

“I think it was fate that Kamryn ended up here,” Williamson said. “She has been a great addition not only as a player but as a person. She’s easy to coach and she’s just a really, really good player.”