Jackson Hole Volleyball standout Ridgway commits to Black Hills

Jackson Hole High School senior Jade Ridgeway plans to continue her volleyball career at the next level as she signed a letter of intent Thursday to play for Black Hills State University.
Ridgway paced the Lady Broncs all season with a team-leading 2.7 kills per set. Coach Tera Yantzi praised Ridgway’s athleticism and competitive fire, but she saved her biggest accolades for the intangibles the outside hitter brings to her teammates.
“Jade is a true athlete, a competitor. She is all around just a high-flying competitive kid with great work ethic and determination,” Yantzi said.
Ridgway’s flexibility on the court is what immediately stands out when you watch her play. She’s a dynamic hitter for sure, and getting better every set, but she is far from one-dimensional, coach Yantzi noted.
At 5’9”, Ridgway has good size combined with the kind of hops that prompted Yantzi to tag her ‘Air Jade’ since 7th grade.
“She’s really starting to hammer that ball now,” Yantzi glowed.
But Ridgway’s super power is her leadership style. How she creates buy-in from her teammates by putting team first. And, like all the great ones, she way she makes everyone around her better.
“She’s definitely a leader for us. The heart of the team that brings that fire to everybody,” coach Yantzi said. “Jade led the way in changing the whole mentality to a ‘we before me’ kind of mindset. You could see it out there on the court so many times this season—a team playing unselfishly. Jade was a huge leader in shifting that culture, for sure.”
Not surprising considering Ridgway said she would like to coach someday herself.
Ridgway joins six other athletes that committed on signing day to play for Coach Bree Davis and the Yellow Jackets at BHSU: Emma Kruger (Horizon HS, Thornton, Colorado), Elena Atkinson (Cheyenne Central HS, Cheyenne, Wyoming), Isabelle Saiki (Horizon HS, Thornton, Colorado), Kathelynn Mohrmann (Big Horn HS, Sheridan, Wyoming), Eden Schlinger (Bismarck State College transfer), and Mianna Cardenas (Kelly Walsh High School, Casper, Wyoming).

Next season, Yantzi will have her full attention on the business at hand coaching the Lady Broncs, but she admitted she’ll be keeping a special eye on one of her all-time favorite players.
“I’m already looking at adding some green and gold to my closet,” Yantzi said.
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Jade Ridgway (R) with Coach Tera Yantzi (L) on signing day. [Photo Courtesy JHHS]