NEW MEXICO
Sophomore Year | 2014: Finished the inaugural season of New Mexico beach volleyball with a 6-8 record, primarily playing the No. 4 position with Ashley Newman … Split the opening weekend against LSU and TCU, beat the Horned Frogs’ No. 3 team 21-12, 21-12 … Subsequently fell in six straight matches, including a three-set loss to Grand Canyon in UNM’s home opened on March 21 … Finished the season winning five of their last six, however, including two wins vs. Arizona and a pair of winning vs. Colorado State
HIGH SCHOOL
A 2013 graduate of Sauda Vidergående Skole, department ToppVolleyball Norway – a volleyball-focused institution in Sand, Norway…competed for ToppVolleyball Norway for three seasons under coach Magnus Borge Johansen in the Norwegian 1st Division…helped her team finish fifth overall in their division in 2012-13 and second overall in 2011-12…in addition to attending and competing for ToppVolleyball Norway, has over three years experience playing on Norwegian national teams…was a member of the U17 national team that placed third at the Northern European Volleybal Zonal Association (NEVZA) Championships in 2010…was a setter and captain of the Norwegian U19 national team that placed second at the NEVZA Championships in 2012…also served as a setter/outside hitter for two club teams: KFUM Stavanger U19 and UiS Volleyball (an elite team that competes in the highest division of club volleyball in the country)…helped KFUM Stavanger place second at the 2012 Norwegian Championships while her UiS Volley team finished fifth in the Norwegian Elite League in 2013…named MVP in three matches within the Norwegian Elite League in 2013.
PERSONAL
Born May 20 in Stavanger, Norway to Kirsten and Terje Rugland…her name is pronounced, “Lee-say Roog-lund”…has three older siblings: Ingvar, Haakon and Karina…enjoys spending time with friends and family, walking her dog, listening to music and watching TV series…favorite athletes are Yoshie Takeshita and Marit Bjorgen…favorite food is Tandoori Chicken… lists The Blind Side as her favorite movie…her high school counselor had been to Albuquerque and encouraged her to look into attending New Mexico.