Deciding to stay close to home, senior Danielle Dowdy signed her letter of intent to play volleyball at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth on Feb. 27, 2012. USM is a NAIA institution and is a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Dowdy, who will be coached by Conan Salanoa at Saint Mary, earned first team all-Frontier League honors and was a member of The Lawrence Journal World All-Area Team in 2011.