La Crosse, Wis. – Viterbo University volleyball Head Coach, Ryan DeLong, announced today that Imani Mansfield (Minneapolis, Minn.) has signed a letter of intent to play for the V-Hawks in the fall of 2013.

"This is a very exciting time for me as I am super excited to make my decision today to be a part of the V-Hawk family," commented Mansfield. "This is something I have worked hard for since I was a freshman and it truly is a dream come true for me to receive a scholarship academically and athletically to play volleyball."

"We are excited that Imani has committed to be a part of the V-Hawk volleyball family, stated Coach DeLong. "Imani brings great skill, has played at a high level already, and has so many intangibles that will allow her to have success right away. Imani is very versatile and brings a great skill set that we are excited to see her use at the college level. I have high expectations for Imani as a player and a teammate; I feel she will have tremendous success here at Viterbo."

Mansfield will join the V-Hawk volleyball program after finishing her high school career at Southwest Minneapolis High School. At Southwest, Mansfield has been a member of the varsity team since her freshman season. During her junior season, Mansfield was named to the All-City team and served as a team captain. She helped lead her team to a 21-11 overall record and a perfect 10-0 record in the Minneapolis City conference.

"Viterbo is a beautiful campus and I really feel it is a perfect fit for me both academically and athletically and I believe I will have plenty of success in the classroom and on the court," stated Mansfield. "Coach DeLong and the players made me feel a part of the V-Hawk family the minute I was on campus and that was a very important factor in my decision. Family is so important to me and I saw that from Coach DeLong that he values his immediate family and his V-Hawk family."

Mansfield has not only had success playing volleyball for her high school but also for arguably one of the top club programs in Minnesota. Mansfield has been playing for Mizuno Northern Lights for three seasons and is currently playing for the 17 black team of Northern Lights. During her 15 year old season, Mansfield's team finished second at nationals and won the Northern Lights Qualifier. This year they won the prestigious Omaha President's Day tournament and will be playing at the AAU nationals in Orlando, Fla. in late June.

Mansfield becomes the first player to commit for the 2013 season. Coach DeLong and his staff have been working hard recruiting for the 2013 season as they will have big holes to replace. The V-Hawks will graduate five seniors after next season with all five players projected to be in the starting line-up this fall. Coach DeLong is hopeful to have 3-4 commitments by August and believes Mansfield is a great start.

"It is obviously exciting to get a commitment early and we feel Imani is a great start for our 2013 class," commented Coach DeLong. "She really has the tools, both volleyball wise and personality wise, to be a cornerstone for this recruiting class and the V-Hawk volleyball program."