Alumni Update

Stefanie Benson-Thurnau is a graduate of Owatonna High School and played volleyball at Riverland for 2 years. Stefanie will be the assistant varsity coach and the J.V. coach at Austin High School in the fall of 2005.

Ellie Ramseth is a graduate of Austin High School and played volleyball at Riverland for 2 years. Ellie is the 7th grade assistant for Austin High School this fall (05).

Melissa Bemis, a graduate of WEM High School and Riverland Community College, has been chosen as an NJCAA Division III All-American! As a sophomore middle hitter for Riverland, Melissa has been named NJCAA All-American First Team. This end of the season award comes on the heels of the Riverland Volleyball team qualifying for their sixth consecutive MCCC State Tournament and the Region XIII Volleyball Tournament. Riverland’s appearance at the Regional Tournament was a first in the history of the program.Melissa helped her team to a second place finish in the Region. Melissa had an outstanding two years for Coach Helen Jahr and the Blue Devils, finishing third in the Region for digs and blocks-per-game with 277 digs and 80 blocks. Melissa was one of 12 players in the nation to make the first team. She is the first ever Riverland volleyball player to receive this honor!

Jaime Rosheim (2000) attends University of Wisconsin-Stout and plays on the volleyball team.

Two Riverland Volleyball players from the 1997 season earned volleyball scholarships to fouryear, Division II programs.

1997 Co-Captain Mary Henke held team records for kills-per-game and blocks-per-game and was ranked in the top 10 in the nation by the NJCAA for blocks-per-game during her sophomore year at Riverland. She was All-Division in ‘96 and ‘97 and is now playing at Iowa Wesleyan University.

Sara Stallman, a 1997 graduate of Riverland, is now one of the assistant coaches at Division 1 Butler University in Indiana, while she is getting her graduate degree. Congratulations to Sara for being a part of such a terrific program! The 1997 Co-Captain Sara was All-Division, All-State and All-Region both her freshman and sophomore years, receiving an All-American nomination her final season with Riverland. According to the NJCAA, Sara was number one in the nation for digs-per-game in 1996 and number two, nationally, in 1997. From Riverland, she transferred to Midwestern State University in Witchita Falls, Texas, where she continued her education in mass communications and played volleyball.

Tessa Hoeper (1996) is now the Truman High School Varsity Coach in Truman,Minnesota. Stefanie Benson-Thurnau is a graduate of Owatonna High School and played volleyball at Riverland for 2 years. Stefanie will be the assistant varsity coach and the J.V. coach at Austin High School in the fall of 2005. Ellie Ramseth is a graduate of Austin High School and played volleyball at Riverland for 2 years. Ellie is the 7th grade assistant for Austin High School this fall (05). Congratulations Stefanie and Ellie!

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Volleyball: Alumni Updates
Page Last Updated: September 8, 2008 9:47 AM