VERMILLION, S.D.–South Dakota head volleyball coach
Leanne Williamson is pleased to announce the addition of four players set to join the team ahead of the 2018 season. Those athletes include Claire Gerdes, Abigail Weideman, Jenna Wagemester and Abbey Pederson.
"This class as a whole is one of the best all-around classes that we have ever recruited," Williamson said. The level that they will come in at will add to our gym in a very positive way. They are competitive, have all been a part of winning programs, and want to work to be the best that they can be. They have bought into what our goals are as a program and they are willing to do the hard things to get to that point."
Information on each athlete follows:
Claire Gerdes | Middle Blocker | Cedar Falls, Iowa | Cedar Falls HS
As a Tiger, the 6-foot-1 middle blocker is a three-year all-metro team member. Gerdes was named honorable mention all-conference in 2015 and was a member of the second team all-conference in 2016. She helped the Tigers qualify for state the last two years and was a part of the state runner-up team (2016). Gerdes is a four-year varsity letter winner and has recorded 757 kills, 288 blocks and hits for a .388 percentage. She is a member of the Six Pack Volleyball Club and has been a part of the national qualifying team the past six years.
"It has been a lot of fun to watch Claire improve since the time she verbally committed to USD," Williamson said. "She is long and has good lateral speed which makes her a dynamic blocker. Offensively, she jumps well and moves the ball around well. Claire may end up being the most refined middle that we have had come in as a freshman, so we are excited to see the strides that she can make early on in her career."
Lolo Weideman | Outside Hitter/Libero | Center Point, Iowa | Center Point Urbana HS
Weideman is a two-time all-state honorable mention (2015, 2016) and three-time first-team all-conference unanimous selection for the WaMaC conference (2015, 2016, 2017). Alongside those honors, she was an honorable mention for all-conference WaMaC (2014), a part of the all-district team (2017) and was named a top area player to watch for her local paper, the Cedar Rapids Gazette, the last three years. During her time as a Stormin' Pointer, Weideman has been a four-year varsity starter who has accumulated 1,215 kills, 1,102 digs and 147 service aces.
With her club team, Club Iowa Juniors, Weideman was named to the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championship all-tournament team (2015) and the Milwaukee Winter Showcase all-tournament team (2015). Weideman is a two-time USA Junior Beach Tour athlete (2016, 2017). Her sophomore year, she was part of the USA High-Performance National Team and her junior year she competed at the High-Performance Beach Championships and helped her team place third. She plans to study athletic training while at USD.
"Abigail is an exceptional athlete with a very high volleyball IQ," Williamson said. "Her ability to play multiple positions will raise the level in our gym immediately. She has played beach volleyball as well, which is shown through her ability to read the game and score offensively. I am excited to see what she can accomplish."
Jenna Wagemester | Outside Hitter | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Cedar Rapids Prairie HS
During her time as a Prairie Hawk, the six-foot outside hitter earned her way on to the Iowa Volleyball Coaches Association All-Star team and helped her high school team win the Mississippi Valley Conference championship in 2016. She is a three-year varsity letter winner who has accumulated 531 kills, 63 blocks and 251 digs.
On her club team, the Iowa Rockets, Wagemester helped her team qualify twice for the USA Volleyball Nationals (Open and National Divisions). She was on the highest honor roll for the last three years and is a member of the National Honor Society. Wagemester plans to study communications at USD.
"Jenna has a very high ceiling coming in," Williamson said. "She is a great athlete who wants to learn. She will push our outsides right away because of her ability to score the ball. I believe that with a few minor adjustments early on, she could be a very dynamic player for us early in her career."
Abbey Pederson | Setter/Right Side | Gary, S.D. | Canby HS
At Canby, Pederson is a two-time all-conference member (2015, 2016) and was named to the Class A Volleyball Showcase all-tournament team in 2017. During her time as a Lancer, Pederson has recorded 2,320 assists, 163 service aces, 998 digs and 1,103 kills.
With her club team, Kandi Elite, Pederson was named to the Midwest Festival all-tournament team and named to the Under Armour Phenom list the past three years. She is a member of National Honor Society and plans to study medical biology at USD.
"Abbey is another player that has a high volleyball IQ," Williamson said. "She has played both a setter and an attacker during her high school career, which makes her better at both positions. She is very excited to keep learning, and I know that she will push herself and others around her to get better each day."
All four future Coyotes will enroll and compete for South Dakota in the fall of 2018.
