(Thursday, December 18; Sioux Center, Iowa) Ella Merriman, a senior at Beresford High School (South Dakota), has announced her intention to attend Dordt and join the Defender basketball program.
THE MERRIMAN FILE
- Previous School: Beresford (South Dakota)
- Hometown: Beresford, South Dakota
- Intended Field of Study: Kinesiology
- Parents: Heidi and Thomas Merriman
- Height: 5-6
- Position: Guard
- Honors & Highlights: Averaged 19.3 points per game in 2024-25 with 2.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 3.5 steals. She has 1,373 career points entering her senior season with 124 made three-point baskets. She earned first-team all-conference honors twice and third-team once.
Why Dordt: "As soon as I stepped on campus, I immediately felt at home. The school has a powerful faith-based atmosphere that I fell in love with right away. The team plays for each other instead of themselves and the coaches care about the players as people, not just athletes. The culture of the team is like none other, and I instantly gravitated towards it. I know this is a college where I can grow spiritually, academically, and athletically while pursuing my dreams.
About Dordt
Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive Christian college rooted in the Reformed tradition. The Defender athletic program is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA).
U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review all list Dordt on their best colleges lists. Dordt is home to approximately 1,500 students.
