BATON ROUGE – The LSU volleyball program received National Letters of Intent from Khourtni Fears, Cati Leak and Katie Lindelow to continue their careers with the Tigers Thursday as announced by head coach Fran Flory.
All three members of the class will enter as freshmen for the 2012 season and are ranked among PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces Top 100 in addition to the 2011-12 AVCA Under Armour High School All-America Watch List.
“We are absolutely thrilled with the addition of Khourtni, Cati and Katie to our program and the LSU volleyball family,” Flory said. “All three are outstanding student-athletes and will have an immediate impact on our program, both on and off the court. They are committed student athletes who will represent our program and our university in a first-class manner.”
Fears, a 6-2 middle blocker from Bellaire High School in Texas, was a three-time All-District 20-5A First-Team selection from 2009-11. She also garnered MVP status as a junior in 2010.
Fears [Houston, Texas] checked in at No. 27 on PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces and was among the organization’s Top 50 juniors. She plays club volleyball for Houston Juniors Volleyball.
“Khourtni is one of the fastest and most dynamic players in the 2012 class,” Flory said. “Her speed and agility will fit right into our offensive system. She is a natural middle blocker who will be a terminating player both offensively and defensively.
Leak, a 6-2 outside hitter from Guntersville High School in Alabama, was named State Tournament MVP after leading her team to its third straight Class 2A championship. She also secured 2010 Gatorade State Player of the Year along with a 2010 PrepVolleyball.com High School All-American selection.
Leak [Guntersville, Ala.] was tabbed No. 84 on PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces ratings and listed among the organization’s Top 50 juniors. She plays club volleyball for the Rocket City Volleyball Club. In the classroom, Leak is the National Honor Society’s Vice President and honor roll recipient.
“Cati is a true volleyball player and a powerful attacker that is well-balanced in all phases of the game,” Flory said. “Her ability to play each of the front and back row positions will give her the opportunity to make an immediate impact in our program.”
Lindelow, a 5-11 outside hitters from Mandeville High School in Louisiana, earned multiple All-District, NOLA.com All-Metro and All-State selections during her prep career. She also racked up 2010 Gatorade State Player of the Year and tallied 2010 PrepVolleyball.com High School All-American accolades.
Lindelow [Covington, La.] was ranked No. 70 on PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces list . She plays club volleyball for the Louisiana Volleyball Club. Off the court, Lindelow is a student government representative and a member of the honor roll.
“Katie is a tremendous athlete and a fierce competitor,” Flory said. “She is a physical, six-rotation player who possesses the ability to make the big play when it is needed most. Her competitiveness drive combined with her volleyball skill set has made her a winner at every level of play. We’re excited to have the top player from Louisiana join our program.”
LSU returns home Friday to face No. 17 Florida for Senior Night. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. inside the Maravich Center. Admission is free courtesy of the Advocate’s Geaux Free program. After the match, the Tigers will honor Lauren Waclawczyk and Michele Williams for their contributions to the program.
Live video and live stats also are offered inside the Geaux Zone on LSUsports.net. In-match updates also are available via the program’s social media outlets at http://twitter.com/lsuvolleyball or LSU Volleyball on Facebook. KLSU 91.1 FM will carry the match live in the Baton Rouge area.
The Florida contest marks the final of four Friday Night Meal Deals featuring broiled Fish, rice pilaf and ratatouille. The meal is available for $7 starting at 6 p.m. inside the Courtside Club located at the Northwest Corridor entrance of the arena. Fans can reserve the meal in advance by emailing promotions@lsu.edu or by contacting Katie at (225) 578-5050.
For every home match, LSU volleyball will be collecting books as part of its season-long book drive, “Geaux Books”, to benefit the Everybody Reads Program through Volunteer in Public Schools. Fans are asked to bring new or used elementary level books to help local students.