BATON ROUGE – Head coach Fran Flory announced the signing of Helen Boyle, Marissa Maas, Madi Mahaffey and Malorie Pardo Thursday to National Letters of Intent to continue their volleyball careers at LSU.
The quartet will enter as freshman for the 2011 season and all four are ranked among PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces Top 150.
“This is one of the most outstanding and balanced classes we have signed at LSU,” head coach Fran Flory said. “These four players will provide an outstanding foundation for our program for the next four years. Each is from highly successful high school and club teams. They are physical, dynamic and competitive athletes who have a great deal of volleyball experience beyond the high school and club levels. We expect this group to have an immediate impact and we couldn’t be happier.”
Boyle, a 5-11 outside hitter from St. Joseph’s Academy in Missouri, is a two-time All-State and St. Louis Post Dispatch All-Metro First-Team honoree. Her team won the 2008 and 2010 state championships. She also secured PrepVolleyball.com’s High School All-American Highest Honorable Mention in 2009.
Boyle [Eureka, Mo.] checked in at No. 86 among PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces and was a part of the 2010 US Women’s Junior A2 Program. She plays club volleyball for the Rockwood Thunder, who finished 10th at the USAV Nationals in the 17 Open Division.
“Helen is an amazing all-around player,” Flory said. “She prides herself on ball control and defense, but no one should discount her ability to be an offensive weapon. She brings a wealth of experience and understanding of the game to our program. She is one of those players who always finds her way onto the court and seems to make the big play when needed.”
Maas, a 6-2 middle blocker from Travis High School in Texas, was a member of the 2010 Greater Houston All-Preseason Team after picking up a pair of 23-5A All-District selections. In the classroom, Maas has won an Academic Excellence award for her efforts.
Maas [Richmond, Texas] earned PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces and plays club with Absolute Volleyball Academy. Her team finished in ninth place at the USAV Nationals in the 17 Open Division.
“Marissa is a physical, multi-dimensional player,” Flory said. “She has the ability to play every position on the front row and has developed her ball control skills throughout her high school season this fall. Her physical abilities fit right into our system. She is always the stabilizing force for her team and is the one who is relied upon to finish plays.”
Mahaffey, a 6-4 middle blocker from Vestavia Hills High School in Alabama, was a big part of her team making a run to the 2010 6A Final Four. For her efforts, Mahaffey secured 6A All-State First-Team and All-Tournament Team status.
Mahaffey [Vestavia Hills, Ala.] was selected to the US Youth Olympic Team and US Women’s Junior A2 program in 2010 after participating on the USA Continental Team during 2009. Her mother, Kris, played basketball at Ole Miss, while her father, Mike, ran track at Mississippi State.
“Madi is an outstanding athlete with great size,” Flory said. “She will be a true blocking force and a terminator at the net. Her ability to play above the net will set her apart. She will develop into one of the most physical players on our team.”
Pardo, a 5-10 setter from Pearland High School in Texas, has been showered with a variety of awards during her prep career highlighted by 2009 & 2010 TGCA All-State, 2009 District MVP and 2008 District Newcomer of the Year accolades. In the classroom, Pardo has garnered a trio of All-District Academic Team picks.
Pardo [League City, Texas] was tabbed No. 74 among PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces and plays club with Maas as part of the Absolute Volleyball Academy. She also had the opportunity to play at the 2008 USA Girls Youth Team High Performance Championships.
“Malorie is the ultimate competitor which is one of the most important qualities you look for in a setter,” Flory said. “She is an exceptional athlete who is fierce and always ready for action. Her physical abilities, along with her leadership qualities, will make her an outstanding setter in our system.”
LSU heads into the home stretch of the regular season and meets No. 22 Tennessee for a rare Friday afternoon tilt in Knoxville. First serve is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT.
Live stats are available on LSUsports.net inside the Geaux Zone. Fans also can follow live in-match updates on the team’s official blog at http://lsuvolleyball.posterous.com.