SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State received commitments from three high school standouts this week, with Rylee Fay, Lindsay Lahr and Katie Wemhoener pledging to join the volleyball Bears for the 2020 season, interim head coach Manolo Concepcion announced.

Rylee Fay • 5-9 • S • Iowa City, Iowa • Liberty High
A highly decorated athlete in the state of Iowa, Fay earned first-team all-conference honors both her junior and senior seasons, and has received recognition from PrepVolleyball, Prep Dig, Prep Sports, the AVCA, and the Under Armour All-America Watch List. On the club circuit, Fay earned All-America honors in 2019 while playing for the USA Volleyball U17 national division champions. Additionally, she was a bronze medalist on the Iowa High Performance Youth International team in 2018, and played for a pair of top-five national finishers on the Iowa HP Select team in 2016 and 2017. Fay is also standout on the golf team, and her sister, Maddie, is a setter at South Dakota State.

Concepcion on Fay:
 "Rylee is one of the most dynamic setters in the Midwest, highly recruited all around the nation, including Power Fives. Her drive and court command are some of the most impressive intangibles that she brings to the table, aside from her will and ability to win. She will help continue with the legacy of outstanding talent at the setter position of the Bear family."


Lindsay Lahr • 6-1 • OH • Leawood, Kan. • Blue Valley High
A four-year starter, Lahr earned first-team all-conference honors her final two seasons while leading the Tigers to a combined 66-17 record over that span. She earned all-state and Class 6A all-tournament honors for a state championship team her senior year, and was a first-team all-state pick as a junior for a state runner-up club, hitting over .300 each season with a total of 608 kills, 407 digs and 173 blocks. Lahr was a second-team all-Eastern Kansas League pick as a sophomore, and piled up 876 total kills in her high school career.

Concepcion on Lahr:
"Not new to winning, with her club team winning open nationals and high school team winning their first state championship, Lindsay will bring a winning mentality to the Bears. It's exciting to have a versatile player like her that can play all three positions at this level. Her size, ability to play big, and better the ball out of system are traits that will contribute to our return to the top of the MVC."


Katie Wemhoener • 5-8 • DS • Belleville, Ill. • Althoff Catholic High
Wemhoener helped the Crusaders to 133 victories and a trio of top-three state finishes in her career, including a 41-1 state championship season her sophomore year when current MSU assistant Sara Thomas-Dietrich was the head coach. Althoff Catholic was unbeaten in conference play during her career, and she was a three-time all-South Seven Conference member, piling up 843 kills and 1,235 digs over 327 sets. The Crusaders were state runners-up her junior season and finished third her freshman year. Wemhoener also starts at guard for the Althoff basketball team and goalie for the soccer team.

Concepcion on Wemhoener:
 "We love the fact that Katie has already been the gatekeeper of a winning culture that she helped build in high school. Her impressive high school team resume includes a first-, second- and third-place state finish. She possesses tremendous charisma and ability to connect with her teammates and coaches, so we are looking forward to adding her servant leadership skills to our family."