WINONA, Minn. – Winona State University head volleyball coach Joe Getzin has announced the addition of six student-athletes to the Warriors' 2018 roster.
The following recruits each signed their National Letter of Intent during the NCAA early signing period last week: Paige Christopher, Hayley Dessner, Hannah McCann, Cori Meyers, Madison Rizner and Casey Volkmann.
Christopher, a Galena, Illinois native, played varsity at River Ridge High School in each of the last three seasons. She led the team in attacks as a sophomore and led the team in digs as a senior. Christopher is a three-time All-Conference recipient, including First Team honors the past two seasons.
The dual-sport athlete also excelled on her high school track team, in addition to playing for the Iowa Select club volleyball team. Christopher was named to the honor roll three times, and intends to study biology at Winona State.
"Everything about my visit, from the town to the school, had the atmosphere I was looking for in a college," she said of her choice in Winona. "Upon meeting the coach and the girls on the team, my decision was solidified."
Dessner hails from Eyota, Minnesota. She was a four-year starter at Plainview-Elgin-Millville High School while earning All-Conference honors and Offensive Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016.
A member of the Southeast Minnesota Storm club team, she plans to study either education or biochemistry at Winona.
"I chose Winona State because it's close to home and I really enjoyed what I saw from Coach Getzin and the girls on the team," Dessner said.
McCann, a St. Francis, Minnesota native, was a three-time team MVP, three-time All-Conference winner and two-time team captain. She owns St. Francis' school record with over 2,000 career assists. McCann earned AAU All-American honors in 2017 while playing in Orlando, Florida.
She is a four-time Academic All-Conference recipient and a member of the National Honor Society. McCann plans to study pre-physical therapy at Winona State.
"I loved the college feel I got upon arriving on campus," she said. "The city is so beautiful and immediately felt like a second home."
A Glendale, Wisconsin product, Meyers was a two-time team MPV at Nicolet High School. She was named First Team All-Conference in 2016 and 2017, and was twice named All-State honorable mention. Meyers was a four-year varsity player at Nicolet.
She was named to the Dean's List every semester in her high school career, is a member of the German Honor Society and a three-year Merit Award winner.
"Winona State has established itself as a great volleyball program and has a great team chemistry that I look forward to being part of," Meyers said. "I am undecided on my major right now, but Winona offers many great option for my academic future."
Rizner, a Richland Center, Wisconsin native, was a four-year varsity starter and team captain at Richland Center High School. She eclipsed 1,000 career kills this season and is a two-time WVCA All-State honorable mention. Rizner was the SWC Conference Player of the Year in 2016 & 2017 after earning Second Team honors in 2014 & 2015. She was the team MPV all four seasons, and helped her team win the conference championship in 2016.
Off the volleyball court, she also excelled in basketball and track & field. Rizner is a multi-time letterman in each sport and earned All-Conference honors in basketball, and holds several school records in track & field.
In the classroom, Rizner is a member of National Honor Society, student council, and future business leaders of America. She was selected as a "Triple Threat Athlete" by wissports.net given to the top senior female three-sport athlete with academic excellence in the state in 2017. She intends to study biology/pre-dentistry at WSU.
"As soon as I stepped on campus at Winona, I knew it was the place for me," Rizner said. "The university has strong academic and athlete programs, and it is close enough to home that my family and friends can support me and my new teammates."
Volkmann, a product of Deer Creek, Minnesota, was named All-State in 2016 & 2017. She amassed over 2,000 career kills and digs at Wadena-Deer Creek High School, and was a three-time team captain. Volkmann was named the Park Region Conference MVP in 2016 & 2017.
Another three-sport athlete, she also excelled in softball and basketball while playing for the Bemidji Black Ice club volleyball team. She was All-Conference in softball in 2017 and a two-time honorable mention in basketball.
Volkmann was named Academic All-State in 2017, is a member of the jazz band, choir, National Honor Society, student council and has a perfect 4.0 G.P.A.
"The combination of strong academics, along with the Warrior coaches and players are what made me chose Winona State University to continue my academic and athletic career," she commented.
