SIOUX FALLS – University of Sioux Falls Volleyball head coach Joel McCartney announced the addition of Eliza Dahly (Maplewood, Minnesota) to the Cougars' 2017 signing class. Dahly and fellow signees Kenzie Byers (Goodyear, Arizona) and Avery Yaksich (Omaha, Nebraska) will join the USF Volleyball team this fall bringing the class of 2017 to five.  Freshmen Emily Decker (Elkhart, Indiana) and Krista Goerger (Mankato, Minnesota) enrolled at USF in the spring semester and have been training with the USF program since February.
 
"We are very excited to officially welcome Eliza to our 2017 freshman class," McCartney said. "She is a perfect fit for our program needs and will add great depth to our ball control and game IQ. Eliza is a high-level athlete with an excellent ability to read the game. She will help us build upon the back court system we have worked hard to establish over the spring season. Eliza can also challenge immediately for our libero role, which will bring a competitive upgrade to the defensive specialists group"
 
A 5-foot-9 defensive specialist, Dahly will join the Cougars after her graduation from Totino-Grace High School, where she was a three-year starter as an outside hitter and the 2017 team captain. Dahly was a two-time All-Conference athlete and was named the Totino-Grace team MVP in both her junior and senior seasons. The daughter of Cathy Harlander, Eliza eclipsed the 1,000 career dig mark this past season and she holds the career digs record for Totino-Grace.
 
"I'm so excited to have the opportunity to play for such a high level volleyball program that continues to grow nationally competitive," Dahly said after signing her letter of intent this week. "Being able to wear a USF volleyball jersey in a few months makes my dream finally become a reality. I am so blessed to have the chance to work with wonderful coaches and build new relationships with teammates who will become my closest friends. God has chosen this path for me, and it is a journey I am so ready for. Go Cougars!"
 
Dahly is also competing for one of the elite club volleyball programs in Minnesota.  As a member of the Northern Lights top 18s team, she helped the club qualify for the AAU Championships in Orlando, Florida June 21-27.  Dahly is also a former AAU All-American and AAU Academic All American.