Woodbury volleyball: Royals’ Biermaier signs with Viterbo

Sara Biermaier’s prayers were answered.

Biermaier, a 2012 Woodbury High School graduate, signed a National Letter of Intent to play college volleyball at Viterbo University on an athletic and academic scholarship.

Viterbo is a faith-based University in La Crosse, Wis., and competes in the Midwest Collegiate Conference and at the in NAIA Division II level.

“I am so very excited to have finally made my decision to attend Viterbo University and play volleyball for the V-Hawks,” Biermaier said. “I prayed a lot about this decision and really feel that Viterbo is the best fit for me as it offers a wonderful education and a very competitive volleyball program. Another important factor for me was that Viterbo has a wonderful Catholic tradition and my faith is so important to me. I could not be happier with my decision as I am really looking forward to being a V-Hawk.”

Viterbo was 36-8 overall last year, including going a perfect 14-0 at home, and was 8-1 in the MCC. Ryan DeLong, the 2010 MCC Coach of the Year, is entering his seventh season as V-Hawks head coach.

“Sara really fits the type of student athlete we are looking for here at Viterbo,” DeLong said. “Sara has a combination of tremendous skill, great work ethic and character, which will help her have success on and off the court. Sara has been someone myself and our staff has watched over the course of this past spring and are really excited for her to join the V-Hawk family.”

Biermaier joins the V-Hawk volleyball family after finishing a storied prep career at Woodbury High School. At Woodbury, Biermaier was a three-year varsity letter winner, playing at outside hitter for the Royals. Biermaier earned first team All-Conference honors as a junior and senior and received the school’s high academic honor award each of her seasons with the Royals.

She said she hopes to have similar success on and off the court with Viterbo.

“The school itself has great pride in the volleyball program and everyone I met at the school really shared an excitement for the volleyball team,” Biermaier said. “Coach DeLong and his staff have done a great job with the program and from the day I met them, they have made my parents and I feel a part of the program. They have a great emphasis on family, are very approachable and open to talk to but are very serious about building a successful/competitive program.”

Academics was just as important in the decision making process as volleyball was for Biermaier. She will pursue a degree in Math Education during her time at Viterbo. Biermaier pointed to the fact that Viterbo offered an opportunity for an emphasis in math and she could also get her teaching license helped sway her decision.

“When I met with the dean of education I was really impressed with what Viterbo had to offer me academically,” Biermaier said. “It became very evident to me that I could see myself having tremendous success both in the classroom and on the court. I cannot wait to put on a V-Hawk uniform and represent the university with great pride and dignity.”

Biermaier not only stood out for the Woodbury volleyball team, but also stars for one of the best volleyball clubs in Minnesota – The Northern Lights. This season, Biermaier is playing for the 17 2’s team and has traveled across the country. Most recently Biermaier helped lead her team to a tournament championship at the very competitive Northern Junior Classic in Chicago, Ill. Biermaier and her teammates also took second at a tournament in Denver, Colo. and fifth at the January Thaw in Minneapolis. Her club season will come to an end the first week of July as they are playing at AAU Nationals in Orlando, Fla. and JVA Nationals in Ohio.

“Sara and her club team have had a wonderful year-playing the top competition not only in the Midwest, but all over the country,” said DeLong. “Sara has been trained well and plays at a level that will prepare her to take the next step and we expect she can come in and have an immediate impact on our team.”

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