MOORHEAD, Minn. (MSUM Athletics) – Minnesota State University Moorhead head women’s basketball coach Karla Nelson has announced the signing of five student-athletes for the 2021-22 season.
Signing National Letters of Intent are Raegan Alexander of St. Louis Park, Minn., Lizzie Berkvam from Lakeville, Minn., Macy Holtz of Plainview, Minn., Natalie Jens of Beaver Dam, Wis., and Allisa Knight of Brooten, Minn.
“We went into our 2021 class looking for very specific needs and we feel that each one of our signees fit perfectly into what we are building towards,” Nelson said. “This is an incredibly talented class who all have a winning pedigree. We are truly honored that all five student-athletes have chosen to dawn the Dragon jersey.”
Here is a look at the Dragon signees:
Raegan Alexander (F, 6-0, St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park HS)
1,000-point scorer…all-conference and team MVP…average d16.9 points and 9.0 rebounds…played AAU ball with Minnesota Stars for five years and won state title…three-year letterwinner…also lettered in volleyball.
“Raegan is a dynamic post player that can do it all. She is able to rebound the ball and take it the length of the floor,” Nelson said. “She can shoot the 3, put it on the floor and score from both blocks. She fits our mold of athletic post players and her game will only continue to improve as she gets stronger.”
Lizzie Berkvam (G, 5-8, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS)
Part of section championship team in 2019…set single-season assist record at Northfield as a sophomore…all-conference honorable mention as a junior after being second on the team in assists and third in scoring…plays for former Dragon Shelly (Soule) Clemons.
“Lizzie is a type of player who plays with a ton of energy and can play multiple positions on the perimeter,” Nelson said. “She was recently named as a captain for Lakeville North. She has all the intangible to be a great leader and help in whatever way she needs to make our team better.”
Macy Holtz (G, 5-7, Plainview, Minn./Plainview-Elgin-Millville HS)
First-team Post Bulletin All-Area…three-time all-conference…1,000-point scorer…averaged 22.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 4.7 steals per game…six-year letterwinner…also lettered in soccer and track.
“Macy reminds us of former Dragon guard, Jacky Volkert, in some ways. She has a tremendous floor vision with an excellent pull-up jumper,” Nelson said. “She also has a very smooth aspect to her game and comes from a very athletic family as well. We are excited to see where she can take her game in our program.”
Natalie Jens (G, 5-7, Beaver Dam, Wis./Beaver Dam HS)
Two-time team captain…all-conference first team selection as a junior…WCBA and AP All-State honorable mention…Daily Citizen All-Area first team in 2019-20…averaged 13.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists and steals per game as a junior…four-year letterwinner…part of two state title teams and has a career record of 75-6.
“Natalie is a game changer for us on the perimeter. She is a physical guard who does a fantastic job of getting to the rim and has the ability to score from all three levels,” Nelson said. “Alongside that, she has tremendous floor vision and she is a winner having won two state championships and only lost six games in her entire high school career!”
Allisa Knight (F, 5-11, Brooten, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa HS)
All-area and all-conference first team as a junior and helped team to first state tournament appearance in school history…averaged 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game that year…all-conference second team as a sophomore…career-high is 27 points (twice)…team MVP…two-year letterwinner.
“Allisa is another post player that fits our program. She has excellent hands, great touch on the offensive end, and is a great leaper,” Nelson said. “She has all the skills from both blocks and a smooth stroke out to 16-17 feet. Her potential is untapped and we cannot wait to work with her on a daily basis.”
