VERMILLION, S.D. – South Dakota head volleyball coach Leanne Williamson is pleased to announce the addition of five players – Caity Clancy, Amelia Dugger, Samantha Laird, Amanda Loschen, Avery Van Hook – set to join the team ahead of the 2023 fall season.
 
"I am so excited to announce the addition of this class to the Coyote family," said Williamson. "They are all high character people who will be a great addition to the culture that is set here. This may be one of the most competitive classes that we have brought in as whole. I believe they will continue to raise the level of play in our own gym the second they arrive on campus. Each one of these players are great individually, but they also compliment each other very well! I am looking forward to seeing what this group achieves as Coyotes!"
 
Information on each athlete follows:
 
Caity Clancy | Defensive Specialist | Castle Rock, Colo. | Douglas County HS
The 5-foot-8 Clancy was a four-year starter earning all-conference honors all four years in the 5A Continental League where she led the league in service aces as a senior with 63. The school record holder for digs in a season (409) and career (1280), she also produced 164 career service aces in 274 sets played. The Senior Class president is a member of the National Honor Society. Was a member of a state qualifying softball team at Douglas County as a sophomore. Clancy, who played her club ball for Colorado Juniors, plans to major in medical biology.
 
"One of the first things that I noticed about Caity was her competitiveness," added Williamson. "She has an edge when she plays and works relentlessly to become the best version of herself. She will be a great addition to an already deep defensive core, and will certainly push those around her. Caity knows what it takes to be great, and she will do whatever it takes to put herself and the team in the best position."


Amelia Dugger| Middle Blocker | Decorah, Iowa | Decorah HS
The 6-foot-1 Dugger was a four-year varsity letterwinner and three-year starter for Decorah High School. She was a two-time All-Northeast Iowa Conference selection who had 309 kills, 56 digs and 54 total blocks as a senior. She broke her own school single season record in hitting percentage at .412 as a senior after first setting it as a junior at .387. Was a member of Club Iowa Juniors where she represented the state of Iowa at All-Star Championships in Orlando, Florida, and was selected to the all-tourney team. The three-year varsity letterwnner in soccer is a National Honors Society member who plans to major in sustainability. 
 
"Amelia is a middle that makes her presence known!" said Williamson. "She is a student of the game, and that mindset will get her very far! Amelia has an incredible work ethic, and that work ethic combined with her athleticism and potential is going to be really special. I also believe that Amelia has the ability to be versatile in terms of being able to play multiple positions which will help create depth on our roster and aid the team greatly."
 
Samantha Laird| Outside Hitter | Omaha, Neb. | Westside HS
The 6-foot Laird helped Westside High School reach the Nebraska Class A state title game as a senior where she was named to the all-tournament team. Laird contributed 433 kills and 360 digs to a 30-9 season for the Warriors. The second-team all-stater as a junior helped Westside snap a nearly 20-year state tournament drought by reaching the state semifinals in 2021. The four-year varsity performer totaled 1,308 career kills and 1,130 career digs along with 131 career service aces in 364 sets played. The National Honor Society member who played club ball for Nebraska Elite plans to major in business at South Dakota.
 
"Samantha is a true six-rotation outside hitter who plays the entire game really well," Williamson said. "She has put a lot of time into becoming the best all around player that she can be, and it has paid off. She has a high volleyball IQ, which allows her to score points at a high level. She has been instrumental for the success of the teams that she has played with, and I anticipate that to continue here. I know our fans will love watching her play!"
 
Amanda Loschen| Middle Blocker | Omaha, Neb. | Marian HS
The 6-foot-2 Loschen comes to Vermilion in the footsteps of older sister Elizabeth, who played for the Coyotes from 2016-2019. Amanda, a four-year varsity regular, helped the Crusaders reach the Nebraska Class A state tournament this fall, snapping a three-year drought. She contributed 384 kills and 89 total blocks to a 24-14 team that lost in the first round to eventual state champion Papillion LaVista South. The two-time all-stater totaled over 1,000 career kills and 200 career blocks. She won an AAU National Championship while playing for Nebraska Elite. The National Honors Society member is eyeing a major of medical biology at USD.
 
"I am so excited for Amanda to join the Coyote family!" Williamson said. "Amanda is familiar to the Coyote program, and is eager to continue building the success as she enters the gym! She has very high standards for herself, and she has led her teams with accountability and support. She has a knack for finding ways to score because she works really hard to consistently be an offensive option. Amanda will help continue the standards that have been set in our gym, and I believe will thrive in this program."
 
Avery Van Hook| Setter | Marion, Iowa | Marion HS
The 5-foot-9 Van Hook was a four-year varsity mainstay for Marion, helping her team reach the Iowa Class 4A state tournament three times. The three-time first-team All-WAMAC selection had career totals of 2,255 assists, 970 kills, 1,119 digs, 172 blocks and 183 service aces. She posted a triple-double of 12 kills, 44 assists and 18 digs in a first round state tournament contest this fall. She was a two-time all-state and all-district selection who played on teams that compiled a 124-39 record over four years. She helped her club team, the Iowa Rockets, advance to the USAVB national championship match in the 16s bracket and a third-place finish in the 13s bracket. She plans to major in exercise science.
 
"Avery is a dynamic setter that has a great understanding of the whole game because of her time as an attacker as well," added Williamson. "She is fearless as a player, so she often puts her hitters in really good offensive situations to score the ball. She is a natural leader that her teammates love playing with because of the energy and competitiveness that she displays consistently. Fans will love watching her compete!"
 
The five players will enroll and compete for South Dakota in the fall of 2023.