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MARSHALL - Marshall High School volleyball standout Rachel Westby has signed a letter of intent to continue her career in her hometown and play for the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs.

Westby, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter, started for the Marshall volleyball team for five seasons. The two-time Minnesota Class AA All-State honoree has helped the Tigers reach the state tournament in each of her five years with the squad and was a member of the 2007 team that won the Class AA title.

"We just think Rachel is a very good volleyball player and has a number of years of quality experience under her belt," SMSU head coach Terry Culhane said. "She knows what it takes to win and she comes from a very good program. It's a program where they're not afraid to push their players and compete hard. Those are qualities we look for at a college level."

Culhane added that he thinks of Westby as one of the premiere ball handlers in the area and said that will make her a solid player in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, one of the top volleyball conferences in Division II.

Westby, who passed the 1,000-kill mark this season, said she has known she would attend SMSU since last year. She said she grew up watching the Mustangs play for as long as she can remember and is happy to stay at home in Marshall.

"I knew that Mr. Culhane was a good coach and had the same values as we do," she said. "I knew it'd be an easy transition for me and that I'd know what I need to do to get on the court."

Westby will be following in the steps of her parents, who both graduated from SMSU. Her father, Dan Westby, is the head coach at MHS and said he thinks Culhane will have a positive impact on his daughter in her development as a volleyball player.

"Terry is well respected as both a coach and someone who is a great communicator with kids," Dan Westby said. "We felt that that was something that was important when looking for a school."

Rachel Westby and the Tigers will look to add to their 2007 state title when they open the 2009 state tournament today at 5 p.m. against Wadena-Deer Creek at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Along with Rachel Westby, the SMSU volleyball team inked two other high school standouts for the 2010-11 season.

Ellen Degler, a 6-foot outside hitter, will graduate from Chaska High School this spring. She was named All-Metro second team and earned all-state honors last year. She will also play basketball at SMSU.

Maggie Lindow, a 5-foot-9 middle blocker/outside hitter, is a senior at Nevis High School. She earned Class A All-State Honors as a junior and senior and passed 1,000 career kills this past year.

"Ellen is front row player capable of playing six locations. She is very competitive and understands what it takes to win," Culhane said. "Maggie has been a successful player at the high school level and we think she can be successful here. She's very explosive off the floor and has a powerful swing on the ball."

Men's Basketball

SMSU men's basketball head coach Brad Bigler announced Wednesday that guard Vinard Birch and center Nick Smith have signed letters of intent to play for the Mustangs.

Birch, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound point guard from Eagan, is a senior at Eastview High School in Apple Valley. He is a three-year letterwinner for the Lightning and finished his junior season averaging a team-high 14.7 points per game while leading his team with 62 steals. Birch, who was named all-conference last season, owns his school's record for assists (158).

"The thing about Vinard is he fits our system," Bigler said. "He can defend 94 feet and really has a fast motor. Those are some good qualities you look for that can translate to the college game. He had some good options, but when it came down to it, it paid off and he went with us."

Smith, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound center, is a senior at Johnston High School in Johnston, Iowa. Last season he averaged 10.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and swatted a Class 4A state-high 102 blocked shots. He also shot 51.6 percent from the field, 75.4 percent from the free throw line. The big man also showed his range, making 12 3-pointers.

Smith was named all-conference, all-district and Class 4A all-state by IowaPreps.com.

"Nick Smith is a skilled 6-foot-9 kid who has soft hands," Bigler said. "He can score around the rim and has some range and can be an impact player for us."

With the Mustangs losing five seniors following the 2009-10 season, Bigler said Birch and Smith will likely see quality time on the court for SMSU as freshmen.

"With our depth and overall roster, they're going to be forced to play early," Bigler said. "The thing about it is they're both intelligent kids and have logged a lot more games than the average player because of their time playing on the AAU circuit."

Women's Basketball

SMSU women's basketball coach Mike Jewett announced the signing of four student-athletes for the 2010-11 season on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period for NCAA women's basketball programs.

Breanna Holleman from Hancock, Hannah Beeler from Indianola, Iowa, Jessie Watts from Omaha, Neb., and Ellen Degler from Chaska have all signed letters of intent to play for the Mustangs.

Holleman, a 5-foot-8 guard, has been a go-to scorer during her time at Hancock High School. She is a four-time all-conference performer and a two-time all-state honoree. During her junior year last season, Holleman was named the most valuable player of the Pheasant Conference after averaging 22.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. She holds her school's record for points and assists in a season and with 1,782 career points, she's on pace to break Hancock's all-time scoring record.

Beeler, a 5-foot-11 forward, is a two-time all-conference selection and all-district honoree. She averaged 12.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game as a junior last season at Indianola High School.

Watts, a 6-foot wing/forward, averaged nine points per game last season as a junior and shot 53 percent from the field. She was named all-state honorable mention in 2009.

Degler, who will also play for the SMSU volleyball team, averaged 10.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a junior at Chaska High School. She was also named an All-Lakes Conference performer.

Wrestling

Southwest Minnesota State University wrestling coach Jesse Nelson announced Wednesday that Ethan Hildebrandt, from St. James, has signed a letter of intent to continue his career with the Mustangs.

Hildebrandt, a senior at St. James High School, has 145 career wins (51 coming by fall). He is a four-time state qualifier and three-time conference and two-time section champion.

Hildebrandt is projected to wrestle at 133 pounds for SMSU. He earned a second-place finish at state in 2008 and was third in 2009. He has a cumulative grade point average of 3.97 and was named Academic All-State first team.

Hildebrandt wrestles for his father, Gene, at St. James High School. Gene Hildebrandt coached Nelson when he was in high school.

Softball

SMSU softball head coach Shawn Semler announced the signing of four student-athletes for the 2011 season on Wednesday.

Jordan Iverson, from Hitterdal, Jennifer Johnson from Papillion, Neb., Ashely Gigax from Omaha, Neb., and Samantha Arlt from Norfolk, Neb., have all signed letters of intent to play for the Mustangs.

Iverson, who is a senior at Hawley High School, has been a letterwinner with her softball program since seventh grade. As a junior, Iverson batted .475 with six home runs. She is a two-time all-conference outfielder and all-selection performer and was an honorable mention all-state honoree last season.

Johnson finished her career at Papillion LaVista South High School with a .400 batting average, 40 hits, 25 RBIs and 29 runs. Johnson, who plays second base, was a Nebraska All-State Class A first team selection her senior year.

Gigax is a four-year letterwinner at Mercy High School in Omaha. The infielder set the Nebraska Class B state record for triples in a career.

Arlt, a senior at Norfolk High School, was a three-year letterwinner. The catcher is a two-time all-conference honoree and was named Nebraska All-State Class A honorable mention.