BATON ROUGE — Head coach Fran Flory announced the signing of Desiree Elliott, Shelby Pursley, Avery Striebel and Nicole Willis Wednesday to National Letters of Intent to continue their volleyball careers at LSU. To view the four players signing their NLI’s, click on the photo gallery to the right.
The quartet will enter as freshman for the 2010 season. Elliott, Striebel and Willis are ranked among the PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces Top 150.
“This is a vital class to the future of our program as we replace four tremendous seniors,” head coach Fran Flory said. “All four of these signees possess outstanding athleticism and great character. They represent another step forward for our program and will be outstanding additions to our program both on the court and in the classroom.”
“We absolutely love the level of competitiveness that this group will bring into our gym,” Flory said. “They have a great desire to help this program continue to win championships. That passion will not only make our program better, but it will make all of the players in our program better.”
Elliott, a 6-0 middle blocker from Cypress Woods High School in Texas, has racked up multiple All-District and All-State accolades during her prep career. She also has garnered Newcomer of the Year and Most Valuable Hitter awards. As a freshman, her junior varsity team recorded a 31-0 season.
Elliott [Cypress, Texas] is ranked No. 90 among PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces and plays club volleyball for the Texas Tornados. She also won a gold medal in addition to a pair of bronze medals and was selected to All-Tournament Team at multiple Junior Olympics. In the classroom, Elliott is an All-District Academic Honor Roll selection.
“Desi is a physical athlete who brings power, speed and explosiveness to our team,” Flory said. “She is amongst the faster players in the 2010 class and her attributes fit directly into our system.”
Pursley, a 6-0 setter from Winter Springs High School in Florida, has earned three All-Conference selections, including first-team honors in 2008 and 2009. Over the last two seasons, she has served as a team captain and passed out 1,028 assists. She plays club volleyball for TVA of Winter Springs.
Pursley [Winter Springs, Fla.] is a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist and a member of the National Honor Society. She was one of 18 students chosen to attend the 2009 Florida Governor’s School for Science, Mathematics and Space Technology at NASA.
“Shelby will be a great addition to our setting position,” Flory said. “She is not only gifted as an athlete, but is a tremendous student. I have no doubt that she will make her mark both on the court and in the classroom for our program.”
Striebel, a 6-0 outside hitter for Cardinal Gibbons High School in North Carolina, recently picked up 2009 Carolina 3A Conference Player of the Year. Her team racked up a 114-8 overall record over her four-year career and won state championships in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
Striebel [Raleigh, N.C.] is in the Top 150 among PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces and plays club volleyball for the Triangle Volleyball Club. She is a member of the National Honor Society.
“Avery is an athlete who has all of the attributes, we, as coaches, look for in a recruit and is made to play our sport,” Flory said. She knows how to win and succeed after having played for one of the top high school teams in the country.”
Willis, a 6-2 outside hitter for Needham Broughton High School in North Carolina, notched All-Conference First-Team and picked up Chapel Hill Classic All-Tournament Team accolades from 2007-09. Her team won the CAP7 conference championship in 2006 and 2008. She powered home 1,012 kills during her high school career.
Willis [Raleigh, N.C.] is ranked No. 66 among PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces and plays club volleyball for NC Elite. Her team played in the USAV Junior Olympics Tournament from 2005-09 and finished tied for 11th in the American Division in 2009. She also played for the USAV High Performance Girls Youth National A2 squad in 2008. Off the court, she is a member of her high school service club and honor roll.
“Nicole will increase the level of athleticism of our team,” Flory said. “She is a talented lefty that will provide added versatility to our offensive system. Her ability to play above the net both offensively and defensively will definitely impact our team.”
LSU opens the second leg of a four-match road swing Friday at No. 10 Florida. The Tigers and Gators enter the match tied for second place and both are a half-match behind Kentucky in the overall SEC standings. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. CT and live stats will be available on LSUsports.net.
The match will be televised by Fox Sports Net Florida but is unavailable in the Baton Rouge area. Fans also can follow in-match updates of the five-time SEC Western Division champions via www.twitter.com/lsuvolleyball.