BATON ROUGE, La. – In the midst of another solid season, LSU volleyball staff and head coach Fran Flory today announced the addition of two talented incoming freshmen for the 2015 class in Olivia Beyer and Katie Kampen, who will continue their careers as Tigers beginning next fall.
After bringing in one of the top recruiting classes in the country last year, the Tigers are continuing to add some of the nation’s premier talent, with this year being no different in Beyer, a Michigan native, and Kampen, who hails from nearby Metairie, Louisiana.
“While this class may be small in number, it is large in talent,” Flory said. “We are very excited to have both Olivia and Katie join our LSU volleyball family. This will be a special class for our program.”
A 6-1 middle blocker from Canton, Michigan, Beyer joins the Tigers after a stellar four-year career at Plymouth High School under Sarah Marody where she accumulated over 1,000 kills with an above .300 hitting clip, while also blocking more than 200 shots during her tenure. Along with being a four-time academic all-state selection, she was a three-time first team all-association and all-region pick and a member of PrepVolleyball.com’s 150 Senior Aces.
She was just as accomplished on the club level as a member of Legacy Volleyball Club under coaches Jen and Ricky Cottrill, as in 2013 her team won the AAU national championship. Beyer will continue an athletic tradition in her family as her brother Brennen is currently a senior on the University of Michigan football team.
“Olivia is an elite level athlete, with the speed and agility to succeed in the SEC as a middle,” Flory said. “She is a proven winner, and a great team player and leader.”
A local standout that was just named a second team AVCA Under Armour High School All-American, Kampen is currently wrapping up her prep career in the LHSAA state tournament as a member of the Mount Carmel Academy Cubs under head coach April Hagadone, where her 43-2 team is ranked 16th in the nation by MaxPreps, the same organization that has twice named her an All-American in her four year career.
A state champion and two-time runner-up, the 5-11 outside hitter came into the season as the Times Picayune All-Metro/Large Schools Preseason Player of the Year as a senior, coming off of a junior year where she was named the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year among a slew of other accolades and accomplishments. With nearly 2,000 kills and 1,500 digs in her career, Kampen has earned close to a .500 hitting percentage, with over 280 blocks and 180 service aces as a Cub.
Kampen also honed her skills competitively on the club level, beginning with playing for the Crescent City Juniors under Danny Davis, where she starred as both an outside hitter and middle blocker, bringing that talent to Volleyball Baton Rouge this year. She will also be continuing an athletic tradition set in her family, as her father was one of three members of her family to play baseball at Tulane University.
“Katie will end her high school career as one of the most decorated prep volleyball student-athletes the state of Louisiana has produced,” Flory said. “Her volleyball skills are excellent, but it’s her leadership and competitive drive that surpass that excellence.”
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