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CITY, N.D. – (NewsDakota.com) The Valley City State University volleyball program has finalized its 2016 recruiting class this week with the addition of Leah Ruter, a native of Willmar, Minnesota.
A 5-foot-11 outside hitter, Ruter played last season at University of Minnesota Morris and will transfer to VCSU with three years of eligibility.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have Leah coming to VCSU and joining our volleyball program,” said head coach Adam Longmore. “She comes in with a year of successful collegiate playing experience which is invaluable for us. Her versatility to play a variety of positions will prove to be helpful, I believe, for years to come.”
Ruter appeared in 32 matches last season for Morris and made 11 starts. She averaged 1.27 points and 1.08 kills per set. Ruter was third on the team with 32.5 blocks last season. She helped Morris to a 21-12 overall record and a second place finish in both the UMAC regular season and UMAC tournament.
At Willmar High School, Ruter was a three-sport athlete that excelled in volleyball, basketball and softball. She was named All Conference and First Team All Area in volleyball, along with earning Team MVP both her junior and senior seasons. She was also a member of the National Honor Society and made the Academic Honor Roll with a 3.92 GPA.
Ruter plans to study physical education and health while at VCSU. She is the daughter of Doug and Lisa Ruter.
“I have said it before and I will say it again: we have been very specific in the type of character of those we have recruited this year,” said Longmore. “Leah compliments VCSU and our volleyball program in a number of ways. It feels good to be able to say that our recruiting for the 2016 class is over. It has been an exhausting year recruiting wise but the hard work will pay off in the end.”
Valley City State University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and is a conference member of the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA).
Ruter joins 5-foot-10 hitter Megan Johnson (Enderlin, N.D./North Dakota State College of Science), 5-foot-6 setter Meagan Schwarzrock (Hutchinson, Minn.), 5-foot-4 defensive specialist Charlotte Huschka (Valley City, N.D.), 5-foot-9 hitter Polette Medina (Ponce, Puerto Rico/Coffeyville Community College), 6-foot middle Nicolette Bloomer (Bakersfield, Calif./Northwest College) and 5-foot-9 hitter Taylor Sharp (Loveland, Colo.) as VCSU’s signed recruits for the 2016 season.