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      HEAD COACH LEANNE WILLIAMSON

Leanne (Felsing) Williamson was named South Dakota’s head volleyball coach on April 9, 2014, becoming the ninth head coach in program history. She previously was the assistant coach from 2009-13 and helped the Coyotes transition into the Division I level.

The Coyotes captured a second-straight Summit League tournament title during the 2021 season, giving them two titles in the same calendar year. South Dakota finished second in the regular season at 15-3 before defeating South Dakota State and top-seeded Omaha in the Summit League tournament inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. South Dakota lost to #11 Minnesota in a NCAA Tournament First Round contest. The 20-10 season marked the eighth-straight 15-plus win campaign for Williamson led teams. Elizabeth Juhnke was named to the AVCA All-Region team and the All-Summit League First Team for the third straight season. Madison Harms joined Juhnke on the All-Summit League team after setting a school single season record with a .409 hitting percentage, the 14th best in the nation. South Dakota led the Summit League and ranked 40th nationally in home attendance.

The 2020 season was pushed from the fall to the spring due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that caused many leagues to move fall sports into the spring. The Coyotes captured their second Summit League tournament title in the last three seasons with a thrilling 3-2 win over Denver in which it won the final three sets after trailing 0-2. The 15-7 campaign concluded with a NCAA tournament loss to Missouri as the NCAA conducted its entire tournament, reduced down to 48 teams, inside the CHI Center in Omaha. Elizabeth Juhnke earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-American honors while also earning All-Summit League honors along with Sami Slaughter and Madison Harms. 
 
The 2019 season was another banner year for the Coyotes as Williamson led the program to a school-record 31 wins, the highest winning percentage in Summit League history (.912), and was named Summit League Coach of the Year for the second time in her career. South Dakota finished a perfect 16-0 in winning its first outright Summit League regular season title. The Coyotes advanced to the title game of the National Invitational Volleyball Championships (NIVC) before falling at home to Georgia Tech. It was the first home loss of the season after 14 wins and snapped an 18-match home court win streak that was tied for the sixth longest in NCAA. Sophomore Madison Jurgens was named Summit League Setter of the Year while senior Anne Rasmussen repeated as Summit League Defensive Player of the Year. Elizabeth Juhnke was named Summit League Freshman of the Year.
 
Williamson earned her 100th career victory as South Dakota posted a 3-0 sweep over Murray State on August 31. She became just the second volleyball coach in school history to reach 100 career wins. South Dakota averaged 1,167 fans in 15 home contests, including setting a Sanford Coyote Sports Center record for volleyball when 2,431 were on hand for the NIVC title match against Georgia Tech.
 
Williamson led the Coyotes to their first-ever Summit League tournament championship following a five-set win over Denver in 2018. That victory earned South Dakota its first-ever NCAA Division I national tournament berth. Senior Hayley Dotseth was named Summit League Player of the Year while junior Anne Rasmussen was honored as the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Williamson garnered Summit League Coach of the Year honors in her third season at the helm as the Coyotes captured the program's first conference title in history. The 2016 season also saw the debut of the Sanford Coyote Sports Center with more than 2,400 fans in attendance at the home opener on August 30. The Coyotes finished 10-1 inside their new home with the only loss coming at the hands of NCAA Tournament participant Iowa State. USD also set a program record for wins in a season with 25 victories in 2016.
 
In addition to the Summit League regular season crown, Williamson's 2016 squad picked up three of the four individual Summit League awards. Audrey Reeg earned Summit League Player of the Year, Brittany Jessen repeated as the Summit's Setter of the Year and Elizabeth Loschen was named the league's Freshman of the Year.
 
In six seasons as head coach, Williamson has coached 14 all-Summit League honorees. One of those all-Summit League honorees includes Brittany Jessen who she coached to earn the title of USD all-time assists leader. Jessen ended her career with 4,826 assists, fourth most in Summit League history.
 
In her five years as an assistant, she helped lead the Coyotes to their first Summit League postseason berth in 2013. USD posted a 19-13 overall record and 9-5 mark in the Summit League. USD was 8-0 at home during the season. She helped coach Kendall Kritenbrink to Summit League Player of the Year honors. Kritenbrink led the Summit with 521 kills, ninth most in League history. Kritenbrink was selected to the Division I Honorable Mention All-America Team and was also chosen by USA Volleyball to be part of the U.S. Collegiate National Team.
 
Williamson came to USD after a decorated playing career at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 2004-07. Williamson put together one of the best all-around seasons in UWM history in 2007, leading the nation in triple-doubles while earning AVCA All-Region and honorable mention All-America honors for a second-straight season. Williamson finished her career with 1,146 kills, 1,329 digs and 2,264 assists while helping the Panthers to four regular season league titles. She was a two-time national player of the week honoree and, earlier in her career, claimed League Newcomer of the Year recognition.
 
Williamson also excelled in the classroom throughout her career, collecting academic all-league and all-region recognition. Williamson was named the Horizon League Player of the Year, an All-Horizon League honoree, ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection and Horizon League All-Academic Team.
 
Williamson, a native of Hartland, Wis., graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a degree in education. She completed her master's degree from USD in Dec. 2010. Williamson and her husband, Tyler, live in Vermillion with their twin boys, Jaxson and Logan and daughter Kinsley.


Head Coaching Record

  • 2014    South Dakota      19-12      12-4 Summit    
  • 2015    South Dakota      15-16       8-8 Summit    
  • 2016    South Dakota      25-7       13-3 Summit    Co-Summit League Champions
  • 2017    South Dakota      17-11       10-4 Summit    
  • 2018    South Dakota      21-10      13-3 Summit     Summit League Tournament Champions
  • 2019    South Dakota      31-3        16-0 Summit    Summit League Regular Season Champions
  • 2020    South Dakota     15-7        12-3 Summit     Summit League Tournament Champions
  • 2021    South Dakota      20-10     15-3 Summit     Summit League Tournament Champions
  • 2022    South Dakota     29-4       16-2 Summit     Summit League Regular Season Champs, Summit League Tournament Championship
  • 2023    South Dakota     18-11       12-4 Summit     Co-Summit League Champions
  • Career Coaching Record    210-91    127-34    

Williamson File:

  • Summit League Coach of the Year (2016, 2019, 2022)
  • Madison Harms named Summit League Player of the Year (2023)
  • Elizabeth Juhnke named Summit League Player of the Year (2022)
  • Lolo Weideman named Summit League Defensive Player of the Year (2022)
  • Madison Jurgens named Summit League Setter of the Year (2019)
  • Elizabeth Juhnke named Summit League Freshman of the Year (2019)
  • Hayley Dotseth named Summit League Player of the Year (2018)
  • Anne Rasmussen named Summit League Defensive Player of the Year (2018, 2019)
  • Audrey Reeg named Summit League Player of the Year (2016)
  • Brittany Jessen named Summit League Setter of the Year (2015, 2016, 2017)
  • Elizabeth Loschen named Summit League Freshman of the Year (2016)
  • 28 all-Summit League honorees plus seven honorable mention players
  • Eight Summit all-Freshmen Team honorees
  • Eight wins over Power 5 Programs (Arkansas & Colorado in 2014, Oregon State in 2016, Rutgers in 2017, California in 2018, Iowa in 2019, West Virginia & Missouri in 2022)
  • Two-time AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, Kendall Kritenbrink (2013, 2014)
  • Two-time AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, Elizabeth Juhnke (2020, 2022)
  • AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, Madison Harms (2023)
  • AVCA All-Region: Taylor Wilson and Hayley Dotseth (HM) 2018
  • AVCA All-Region: Elizabeth Juhnke (Freshman of the Year), Madison Jurgens and Sami Slaughter (HM) in 2019
  • AVCA All-Region: Elizabeth Juhnke in 2020, 2021, 2022
  • AVCA All-Region: Madison Harms (HM) in 2023
  • 2017-2018 AVCA Top 25 Team GPA
  • 2016-2017 AVCA Top 25 Team GPA

As assistant coach:

  • Kendall Kritenbrink named Summit League Player of the Year (2013)
  • Five all-Great West Conference honorees