Wobbema commits to LRSC for volleyball

Lora Wobbema, a senior at New Rockford-Sheyenne, has officially committed to Lake Region State College (LRSC) to continue her volleyball career.

The signing ceremony was held on Friday, Dec. 8 in the lobby of the NR-S Gymnasium, where friends and family gathered to support Wobbema as she committed to the next chapter of her career.

Of course, also in attendance on Friday was LRSC volleyball coach Steve Waddell.

"The coach and team are why I chose LRSC," said Wobbema. "You can tell how much Steve cares about his players and that was one of the things that was a big factor in my decision. I wanted to be with a coach who not only helps his players be better but also cares about their well-being."

This past season Waddell's team earned a 19-17 overall record, and he's hoping Wobbema's addition will help LRSC improve on that winning record next season and in the years to come.

"She's a phenomenal blocker and she's gotten to be a really strong hitter throughout the last two years that I've watched her," he said, "so I'm excited to see where she can go from here."

Waddell said he's had the pleasure of working with Wobbema on several occasions already – at a prospects' camp a year ago and while she participated in Lake Region club volleyball last season.

"The biggest thing that I've noticed about her is that she just constantly wants to learn and get better every single day that she's in the gym," said Waddell. "Which is what we do, that's our focus for our volleyball program."

Waddell said he's been keeping an eye on Wobbema throughout her high school career, and has been impressed by what she's displayed on the court.

For the past two seasons, he's seen Wobbema help the Rockets achieve historic success.

As a junior in 2022 she helped NR-S earn their first-ever region championship and their first trip to the state tournament in program history.

She played an even bigger role in her team's success a year later, earning a second straight region championship and another appearance at the state tournament.

For her career, Wobbema has amassed 40 aces, 35 assists, 106 blocks, 114 digs and 322 kills, with the majority of those stats being earned during her senior season.

Now that she's committed to continuing her volleyball career, Wobbema said she's looking forward to playing at a higher level. She also expressed her gratitude for everyone who helped her get to where she is.

"My family and friends have been a huge help in getting me to where I am," said Wobbema. "They always showed up to my games and cheered me on. Having so much support has helped to make me a better and more confident player.

"... My coaches were always getting on me about how I could be better and it pushed me to get better every single day and my teammates were a huge help on the court. They kept me out of my head and in the game when we had difficult games. They also helped me to learn to enjoy and love the game of volleyball."

Lora Wobbema is the daughter of Chad and Amy Wobbema.