BATON ROUGE — LSU head volleyball coach Fran Flory has announced that the Tigers will add Louisville transfer Samantha Dabbs to the roster for the 2008 season.
Dabbs will join signees Michele Williams of Magnolia, Texas, and Lauren Waclawczyk of Floresville, Texas, as the newcomers to the LSU program next season.
“Sam will be a tremendous addition to our program,” said Flory. “We are thrilled to have her join us. She brings a wealth of experience and will be a great asset on and off the court for our program.”
A sophomore from San Antonio, Dabbs guided the Cardinals to a 22-8 record last season while at Louisville. The 6-foot-tall setter led the team with 11.11 sets per game, while guiding the Cardinals to a .282 team hitting percentage and 15.87 kills per game. In addition, Dabbs was third on the team with 30 service aces, while also posting 1.89 digs per game and 0.79 blocks per game.
During the summer between her freshman and sophomore season, Dabbs spent her time as a member of the A2 Junior National team, playing in Croatia and becoming the first American team to win the Global Challenge. As a freshman, she led Louisville with 1,098 assists with 148 kills and 39 aces, which was second on the team.
The highest-ranked volleyball recruit to ever sign with the Cardinals, Dabbs was ranked the 22nd-best high school senior in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com. She led Churchill High School to the regional final and earned the Texas Outstanding Setter Award from Lonestar-volleyball.com. In addition, she was a high school All-American, first-team all-state selection and her team’s Most Valuable Player.
The19-year-old daughter of Dale and Darlene Dabbs, Samantha was majoring in equine business while at Louisville. Playing for the Alamo Volleyball Club for seven years, she earned three bronze medals, helping her team with a national title in the open division of the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic. She was named the Most Valuable Player for the 15-Open Division and was an all-tournament selection for the 16-Open Division.