SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana softball head coach
Gretta Melsted announced the signing of five incoming athletes for the 2026 season, welcoming Kierra Lubovich, Tierney Schramm, Teya Speltz, Eva Taybior and Susie Tollefson.
Coach Melsted on the class: "Our 2025 signing class is outstanding! An extremely talented class this class has a little bit of everything. They bring speed, power to plate, lefty power to plate and lefty speed to the plate, athleticism, pitching, and all have played high level softball. This class is exactly what we had hoped for and they check all the boxes that we want in our players. All five of them are strong students, motivated athletes who like to compete, and most importantly they are extremely good people who will uphold the Augustana Softball tradition."
Kierra Lubovich | First Base/Catcher/Outfield | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Lincoln High School
High School: Lubovich is a three-year letterwinner and two-year starter with three consecutive state championships. She's a three-time first team All-Metro Conference and All-State selection and earned first team All-Tournament and Offensive Player of the Year distinction as a junior.
Personal: Kierra is the daughter of Joel Lubovich and Maria Zafft and is planning to major in nursing while at Augustana.
Coach Melsted on Lubovich: "Kierra has incredible hand/eye coordination. A strong athlete, Kierra is a force to reckon with at the plate. She puts the ball in play, puts it in play extremely hard, and can mishit a ball 275 feet. The speed and force that she hits the ball is outstanding and will only get better the stronger she gets during her collegiate career. She is a power hitter who will fit in very well with our style of play. She is a monster at the plate and defensively can be used in multiple places."
Tierney Schramm | Utility | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Washington High School
High School: Schramm is a three-year letterwinner and starter who received All-Metro conference recognitions in 2023 and 2024. She also helped her team to a fourth-place finish in the 2024 state tournament, accruing an All-State selection. Schramm has also played with the South Dakota Renegades for the last eight years.
Personal: Tierney is the daughter of Lisa and Dustin Schramm and plans to major in nursing with minors in psychology and nutrition while at Augustana.
Coach Melsted on Schramm: "Tierney is flat out an athlete. She is just starting to realize what she can do and be as a softball player. Tierney has great range at shortstop yet can track down balls in the outfield. She is a lefty power hitter who also has speed on the bases and a strong arm to go with it. Tierney is a complete player yet has her best days in front of her."
Teya Speltz | Pitcher | Van Meter, Iowa | Van Meter High School
High School: Speltz has spent two summers playing for the Nebraska Echoes, recording 454 strikeouts in the most recent 2024 season with an ERA of 1.56. She also added in a .356 batting average with a 44-11 pitching record.
Personal: Teya is the daughter of Luke and Tona Speltz and is planning to major in either business or mathematics with a minor in Spanish while at Augustana.
Coach Melsted on Speltz: "Teya is the prototypical pitcher/hitter that our program has traditionally been known for. Pitching wise, Teya gets a lot of "swing and misses" from hitters. She keeps hitters off balance and is extremely effective. She will make an immediate impact on our pitching staff. Offensively she hits with power and I'm excited to have her be able to do both in college."
Eva Taybior | Outfield | St. Louis Park, Minn. | St. Louis Park High School
High School: Taybior is a four-year letterwinner and starter following a junior year campaign that ended with All-State, All-Conference and All-Section honors. She recorded a .474 batting average and .896 fielding percentage in the 2024 season and was named as a captain of the varsity team.
Personal: Eva is the daughter of Jessica and DarQuie Taybior and plans to major in nursing while at Augustana.
Coach Melsted on Taybior: "Eva is another player who has her best days in front of her. A speedy outfielder, Eva is able to use her speed defensively and offensively. At the plate, the lefty can do a little bit of everything from short game to hitting for power. Look for Eva to really become an offensive threat that stymies defenses at the collegiate level throughout her career."
Susie Tollefson | Third Base/First Base | Chanhassen, Minn. | Chanhassen High School
High School: Tollefson is a four-year letterwinner and starter heading into her senior season with 2024 All-Conference and All-State recognitions. She also earned conference honors in her sophomore and freshman seasons and has logged three straight team "Best Base Runner" awards.
Personal: Susie is the daughter of Deb and Andrew Tollefson and is undecided on a major at Augustana.
Coach Melsted on Tollefson: "Susie is another complete player. She is very strong defensively in the infield and we look for her to be a corner in college. She also can swing it. She is a tough out and has incredible power. Susie is also a threat on the bases with her speed yet combines it with her power at the plate. She is very fundamentally sound."
