Hawkeyes Ink Four Recruits

Nov. 17, 2009

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IOWA CITY, IA – University of Iowa Head Volleyball Coach Sharon Dingman has announced that four prep athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Iowa in 2010. Student athletes Rachael Bedell, Nikki Dailey, Chanté Thompson and Bethany Yeager have committed to join the Iowa volleyball program next fall.

“Signing day is so exhilarating for the families and recruits,” said Dingman. “These four athletes enter our program with resumes filled with success. To bring that expectation of success should prove to be a tremendous benefit to our program.”

Bedell, a 6-1 outside hitter from Plano, TX, attends Plano West Senior High School, where she ranks fourth in career kills and third in career blocks. She was named PrepVolleyball.com Senior Ace this past season and earned Lonestar Volleyball all-Texas special recognition her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. The senior team captain earned all-district honors following her junior year and all-county honors after her sophomore campaign. Bedell qualified for USAV Junior Olympic Championships Open Division her sophomore and junior seasons and was selected to the USA High Performance A1 Camp and USA High Performance Holiday Camp in 2006.

“Rachael’s biggest strength is that she is a very good volleyball player,” said Dingman. “In club, she played middle, left and right. That has allowed her to develop her game on several levels. That is essential for us as we continue to develop our program.”

Dailey, a 5-9 setter from Franklin High School in Franklin, WI, earned first team all-state honors and was named PrepVolleyball.com Senior Ace this season. A PrepVolleyball.com Top 50 honoree last season, Dailey has been named to the all-conference team every year since her freshman season, including last year, when she was named Conference Player of the Year. As a junior, Dailey earned first team all-state recognition and was named to the Milwaukee all-Area first team. Dailey, a team captain her junior year, will graduate in 2010 as Franklin High’s career leader in assists and service aces.

“Nikki is a great athlete with the brains and personality to run an offense at a high level,” said Dingman. “She is comfortable being uncomfortable, and she embraces the challenges that will help her mature and develop. We are excited about her leadership capabilities.”

Thompson, a 6-3 middle blocker from Hurst, TX, attends L.D. Bell High School, where she has been named to the 2009-10 Under Armour High School all-American watch list. Thompson was named PrepVolleyball.com Senior Ace and Lonestar Volleyball all-Texas Team Honorable Mention following her senior season. As a junior, Thompson was named one of PrepVolleyball.com’s Top 80 juniors and earned Lonestar Volleyball all-Texas special recognition and second team all-district honors. Thompson earned first team all-district honors following her sophomore campaign.

“Chanté will bring size and athleticism to the Hawkeyes,” said Dingman. “She has the ability to play different positions. We envision her making significant contributions at the net, both offensively and defensively. Chanté has an infectious personality that our fans will love.”

Yeager is a 5-7 libero from Brenham High School in Brenham, TX. Yeager led Brenham High to regional finals her sophomore and junior seasons and has placed four times at the USAV Junior Olympic Championships while competing for the Texas Tornados Volleyball Club. Yeager was named to the PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces “The 150” list and earned second team Lonestar Volleyball all-Texas Team honors her senior season. She was recognized in ESPN Rise Magazine following her junior season, when she was named to the 4A all-state team. Yeager was named District Defensive Player of the Year as a junior, District Attacker of the Year as a sophomore and District Newcomer of the Year as a freshman.

“Bethany is extremely competitive,” said Dingman. “What separates her from a lot of other players is that she hates to lose. Bethany trains as hard as anyone I have recruited. She trains to get better every day. When you see her play, you can see she comes from a family of coaches – great focus and work effort.”

2010 Recruiting Class
Rachael Bedell, OH, 6-1, Plano, TX (Plano West HS)
Nikki Dailey, S, 5-9, Franklin, WI (Franklin HS)
Chanté Thompson, MB, 6-3, Hurst, TX (L.D. Bell HS)
Bethany Yeager, L, 5-7, Brenham, TX (Brenham HS)