Black Hills State volleyball, Head Coach Bree Davis, and Assistant Coach Dillon Dahl have announced the signing of three student-athlete newcomers for the 2024 season on Wednesday's National Signing Day.
 
The initial 2024 signing class includes three true freshman players.
 
Kaitlin Carr
Heading to Spearfish from Royse City, Texas is Pin Hitter, Kaitlin Carr. The six-foot incoming freshman comes from a competitive Royse City High School volleyball team, where Carr spent all four years of her career playing at the varsity level. Carr also played for the Madfrog, Skyline, Tejas, and Excel volleyball clubs throughout her high school career.
 
"Kaitlin is bringing us size and high-level experience on the right side," said Davis. "Competing in high level Texas volleyball will serve her well at the collegiate level. She is a true opposite hitter and has a heavy arm and great block. She is also a fiery and competitive person that will help the program immediately."
 
In her previous season at Royce City High, Carr was a 6A Second Team All-District outside hitter. During her sophomore campaign, Carr was a 13-5A Honorable Mention and an Academic All-District player while starting as an all-around outside player.
 
Carr will serve as a great example in the classroom as well, with the current high school senior boasting a 4.0 GPA as an honor roll student at Royse City High. Upon arriving to BHSU's campus next fall, Carr intends to major in nursing/radiology with hopes of pursuing a career in nursing and/or radiology.
 
Aubry DeWine
"Aubry is someone we have had our eye on for years, being relatively local to our region," said Davis. 
 
DeWine, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, hails from Gillette, Wyoming where she played volleyball for Campbell County High School as well as the AAU and Norco teams.
 
"We knew we wanted her right away. She is athletic and versatile on the volleyball court. Her experience winning at the highest club volleyball level is going to be huge for our program and we look forward to seeing what she can do."
 
In 250 sets played at Campbell County High, DeWine, who held team captain status through three years, totaled a .167 attack percentage on 761 career kills. The incoming freshman also tallied a 78.8 serving percentage on 111 total service aces. On defense, DeWine recorded 158 blocks and 787 digs.
 
In her 2023 campaign, she helped lead her team to the State tournament on her way to becoming a First Team All-Conference and First Team All-State player. Playing in 68 sets, DeWine recorded career-highs of 312 digs and 41 service aces on the year.
 
During the 2022 season, DeWine led the team with 278 kills, a career-high .212 hitting efficiency, and 81 total blocks during the season while second on the team with 274 digs through a career-high 96 sets played. After an impressive season in 2022, DeWine was given her first All-Conference First Team and All-State First Team honors while being named to an All-Tournament Regional Team. DeWine was also the Camel Volleyball Legacy Award winner that year as well.
 
In her first season as a starting player in 2021, DeWine was featured in 92 sets and was second on the team with 209 kills, 202 digs, and 45 total blocks. Her performance earned her Second Team All-Conference honors that year.
 
Heading to BHSU as a Sports Medicine major, DeWine currently holds a 3.875 GPA and ranks 32^nd in her graduating class of 243.
 
Izzy Ping
The last player in the initial signing class of 2024 is 5-foot-7 pin hitter, Izzy Ping. Currently attending Billings Senior High School and a former member of the Montana Juniors Volleyball, Billings Avalanche, and Monchina Volleyball clubs, Ping's athleticism, competitive nature, and experience in high school and club volleyball are attributes that stuck out to Coach Davis.
 
"Although Izzy may be undersized as a pin hitter, she makes up for it with a truly impressive vertical touching 9'10". Izzy is a quick, dynamic, competitor. She has spent four years competing with a talented Billings Senior H.S. team and we are so excited to see her impact on our program.
 
Ping helped lead her team to a Montana State AA Championship this past season as she served as a co-captain in her senior season. In the same year, she was also a member of the Monchina (club) Las Vegas AAU Grand Prix Super Regional and Big Sky VolleyFest Championship squads in 2023.
 
During her junior year, Ping helped lead her team as a co-captain to a third-place finish at the Montana State AA Volleyball tournament and was named All-Conference Second Team that year. She was the leading serve-receive player on her team in that same season.
 
Her sophomore year saw Ping earn her first All-Conference nod as an honorable mention. She was also the kill leader during her second season, helping her earn Team Offensive MVP that season.
 
An all-around athlete, Ping was also a member of the track and field teams where she was an All-Conference and All-State athlete that medaled in her freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons. In both sports, Ping lettered all four years. 
 
A three-time Academic All-District volleyball player, Ping ranks 89^th in her graduating class of 355 with a 3.77 GPA. She wishes to pursue a Psychology major at BHSU in 2024 and is currently working towards her private pilot's license, with intention to obtain her commercial license in the future to become a Commercial Airline Pilot.
 
Ping is the daughter of Brock and Stephania Ping and sister of Brock W. Ping. Her father, Brock, played football for four years at Rocky Mountain College while her brother, Brock W. Ping, currently plays football at Chadron State as a running back.