SPEARFISH, S.D- Black Hills State University head women's volleyball coach
Grayson DuBose announced the signing of five student-athletes as part of the 2026 signing class on Wednesday morning which includes Neva Cook (Lakewood, Colo.), Maddie Altstiel (Rapid City, S.D.), Alannah Kemmis (Bismarck, N.D.), Keirian Barnett (Littleton, Colo.), and Aspen Baird (Gillette, Wyo.). The five players listed above are just finishing their senior seasons and will be joining the Yellow Jackets next fall.
"This recruiting class addressed some needs with graduating 5 seniors," head coach
Grayson DuBose exclaimed. "Beyond their volleyball skills these are really good people. They are all willing to learn and ask questions. I have enjoyed getting to know them through the recruiting process and am looking forward to having them with us this fall as we continue to build our program."
Neva Cook // Setter // 5'7" // Lakewood, Colo. // Green Mountain H.S.
Cook just recently passed the 2,000-assist mark in her career at Green Mountain H.S. under head coach Melanie Watkins. Cook, as she enters state championship play, currently sits at just over 650 assists in her senior season and 324 digs. She helped lead her team to her first state tournament as the ten seed in the Class 4A State Championship. Her Junior Year, she was named captain and helped lead her team to her third straight conference championship and was named Jefferson County 4A League Defensive Player of the Year. She had 690 assists and 251 digs in her junior season and was named All-State Honorable Mention. She averaged 8.8 assists per set during the season. Her sophomore year, she produced 369 assists and 177 digs, while her freshman year, she had 295 assists and 125 digs helping her team to conference championships in each year. She played club for Juggernaut Volleyball and was on their team National team every year from 2019 onward. She helped lead her team to a Gold Bracket in the USAV Nationals this past year. She won multiple tournaments over her club career and was named captain of the club team each of the previous two years. Academically, she was named All-League Academic 1
st Team her junior season and was on honor roll every semester of her high school career. She competed in DECA her junior and senior year and earned first place in Buying and Merchandising both years and second place in Marketing and Sales. She was named Top of the Mountain Business Student of the Year. Cook is the daughter of Jacob and Lee Cook and the sister of Riley. Riley is in his third year on the water ski team at Kansas State University.
Coach DuBose''s Thoughts: "Neva is a feisty competitor and an outstanding teammate. She enjoys learning and is a student of the game. In talking with her club coaches about her, she is exactly who they told me she is, and I am stoked that she is becoming a Yellowjacket. She understands that relationships matter and is willing to invest the time to learn more about those around her."
Maddie Altstiel // Outside Hitter/Opposite // 5'11 // Rapid City, S.D. // Rapid City Christian H.S.
Altstiel is a four-year starter at Rapid City Christian and is in the midst of a great senior season with 258 kills so far as they prepare for the Region 8A Championship. She also had 50 aces and 107 digs this season. Her junior season, she had 181 kills and 101 digs with a .333 hitting percentage. In her first year playing every match, she had 123 kills and 44 digs in her sophomore season where she helped bring her team and head coach Krystal Weber to the State Championship and take home the title. She played club volleyball for Black Hills Juniors and helped lead them to nationals every year from 2023-2025. Academically, she was named Academic All-State last year and is also a member of the National Honor Society. Altstiel is the daughter of Michael and Leah Altstiel and has two siblings, Halie Altstiel and Victoria Roisum.
Coach DuBose''s Thoughts: "Maddie is a kid that loves playing volleyball and that is a nice deal. She plays with enthusiasm, and the Black Hills community is going to enjoy watching her play. But even more than that, she is a really good person that values strong relationships. I am excited about having her in our gym."
Alannah Kemmis // Libero/Defensive Specialist // 5'4" // Bismarck, N.D. // Bismarck H.S.
Kemmis is a three-year letter winner and two year starter for Bismarck High School. She took a major leap in her senior season reaching 360 digs in just her second year as a starter. She also added 19 aces and 3.8 digs per set. Kemmis led all of North Dakota in digs this year and helped lead her team to a 20-11 record this season. Last year, she played in 29 sets and had 50 digs and one ace for head coach Brianna Kline. She helped her team get to the Regional Championship before falling just short. She's already competed in two state tournaments early in her career and will most likely land some awards after this season is over. Kemmis plays for CVC Volleyball Club in Bismarck and helps lead her club team to Minnesota Select Championship and an eighth-place finish in the Phoenix National Tournament. Academically, Kemmis is a Al Nuhearth Scholar and a Quill and Scroll Scholastic art and writing winner. Kemmis is the daughter of Shonna and Nic Kemmis and has two siblings, Easton and Emmie.
Coach DuBose''s Thoughts: " Alannah is one of the first young ladies I talked with when I arrived on campus. She comes from a good club and high school background with good training and will be a great addition to our team when she hits campus. She is a thoughtful player and understands the game. She has good character and that will reflect when she is on the court."
Keirian Barnett // Defensive Specialist/Libero // 5'6" // Littleton, Colo. // Ascent Classical Academy
Barnett is coming off a great year with 170 kills so far this year and 181 digs so far this year. She is a two-year captain at Ascent for head coach Laura Bissonnette. She was named first team all-conference after leading her team to a 10-0 record in the conference and a 22-3 record overall. In her junior year, she was named First Team All-Conference and an All-State Honorable Mention. She also played freshman and sophomore years and had 74 kills combined with 98 digs. She played for Rise Volleyball Club from 2023-2025 and then played for Five Star Volleyball Club this past summer. She went to AAU Nationals with Five Star and was named captain twice. Academically, she is a member of the National Honors Society and is in the top five of her class. Barnett is the daughter of Travis and Louise Barnett and has two siblings, Kinley and McKenna.
Coach DuBose''s Thoughts: " I had the opportunity to work with Keirian this spring in a camp and I was impressed by her questions as we talked about her position. She will add some depth to our defensive position. Having her in our gym, our team will feel of her excitement and her willingness to help our team be the best they can be."
Aspen Baird // Setter // 5'9" // Gillette, Wyo. // Campbell County H.S. // Dawson CC
Baird is transferring to BHSU after spending her first two years at Dawson CC. There she was second team all-conference this year and is third all-time in Dawson CC history in assists per set in a season. She has 648 assists and 8.00 assists per set for DCC. She finished third in the conference in assists per set. At Dawson, she was a two-time captain and a two-year starter for head coach Dina Fritz's squad. Her first season with the squad she had 714 assists in 105 sets averaging 6.82 assists per set. She got her associate's degree in health science at DCC. Before college, she played at Campbell County High School in Gillette under head coach Wendi Ruby. There she played two seasons and had 366 assists and 436 assists in each season and was named Second Team All-Conference two times. She was third in the state for total aces her senior year when she had 77. She had 119 aces over her two seasons playing. She played club for Campbell County VC from 2020-2023. Academically at Campbell County, she was in the National Honor Society all four years, and Academic Honor Roll all four years. Baird is the daughter of Tanya Allee and Joe Baird and has six siblings, Sadie, Charlie, Deni, Grady, Coyle, and Braik. Her mom played volleyball at Northern Colorado, and her brother Braik is on the track and cross-country team here at BHSU.
Coach DuBose''s Thoughts: "Aspen comes to Black Hills by way of Dawson Community College and she understands the value of hard work and being a good teammate. She has some experience playing beyond high school and that will help her as she adapts to our team. She is a neat person and having her in our gym is going to increase the level of competition."
