Women's Volleyball | 11/25/2015 1:25:00 PM
ABILENE – Abilene Christian volleyball head coach
Jason Bibler today announced the signings of five Texas high school seniors to a National Letter of Intent. The recruits will begin competing in time for the 2016 season, knowing there are three available starting positions following the departures of four-year starters
Madison Hoover (libero), Jennie Loerch (outside hitter) and
Sarah Siemens (setter).
The additions give the Wildcats a 16-woman roster for next season that includes 11 letterwinners. Three of ACU's returners are listed as either liberos or defensive specialists. There are also four returning middle blockers and four outside hitters; however,
Kendall Bosse is the only Wildcat with any experience at setter.
Bosse delivered 21 assists in her lone start vs. No. 17 Arizona but was positioned at outside hitter the rest of the season, averaging 2.25 kills per set. The All-Southland Conference nominee could continue her development at this position going into the offseason or compete for the starting setter job against incoming freshman Makenzie Kesler.
Regardless, Bosse is sure to find a starting role somewhere on the court after playing all but three sets last fall for the fourth-place Wildcats.
Bibler didn't bring in any outside hitters as part of this recruiting class even though Kesler can double as a right-side hitter and there's already some depth provided by part-time starters
Jacey Smith and
Dorothy Swanson. The team also is hopeful
Stephanie Schoelman will be healthy by the start of next season. Schoelman was a highly decorated high school competitor at Georgetown (Texas) who has seen each of her first two seasons depleted by injury.
Courtney Miller and Marybeth Sandercox are being added to an already talented mix at middle blocker. From this position the Wildcats received 103 blocks from former Southland Conference honorable mention
Lexi Mercier plus an amazing first-year stat line from
Lauren Walker, who averaged 2.12 kills and 0.91 blocks per set in addition to a team-best .286 hitting percentage.
At libero, Hoover left the Wildcats with the second highest career dig total in program history and it will be intriguing to see who's next to don the alternate-color jersey.
Lillian Drever started in place of Hoover twice last season as a freshman, averaging 1.89 digs per set, and she's expected to see direct competition from Pearland High School product Amanda Chapa.
Sofia Resendiz was brought in as a defensive specialist and will be challenging
Gabrielle Grindele and
Jennifer Mendez for time along the back row.
With five driven youngsters coming to camp looking to prove themselves against a promising sophomore core and an untapped crop of upperclassmen the stage is set for what should be a competitive training camp.
"We're really excited about this group coming in next year," said Bibler. "They have lots of talent and athleticism in addition to being very motivated. They each have a strong desire to see this program succeed at the highest level and they're in a hurry to get here and help the Wildcats take another step forward as we progress through this D1 transition."
Biographies of each of the five recruits are listed below in alphabetical order.
Amanda Chapa | 5-5 | L | Pearland, Texas / Pearland HSAs someone who has registered close to 1,500 digs and led her high school team to a 157-31 record over the past four seasons, Chapa has been a deserving recipient of multiple postseason accolades staring with a spot on the
AVCA / USA Today Under Armour All-America Team.
She's also made
VYPE Magazine's Fab 50 List, the
Texas Sports Writer Association's All-State Team not to mention the title of Defensive Player of the Year at the district level.
"Amanda will be able to come in and make an impact right away for us in the back court," said Bibler. "She is quick and has great vision for where the ball is going … and has a lot of intangibles that just add to her skill set as a volleyball player."
A four-year varsity starter at Pearland, Chapa has led her school to back-to-back 16-0 district seasons and helped her club team AVA ROX to a pair of national open bids. She was team captain this past year, earning the third of her three First Team All-District Citations while finishing with 116 career service aces.
Additionally, Chapa has made an adidas TVI all-tournament team and was voted most valuable defensive player of the Spring Branch Tournament.
Lonestar Volleyball also put her on its All-Texas Special Recognition team.
Chapa is a three-time All-Academic honoree and her classroom endeavors include taking part in the National, Spanish and Science honor societies. She intends to major in sports psychology at ACU.
Makenzie Kesler | 6-0 | S/RS | Coppell, Texas / Trinity Christian AcademyKesler's versatility on the court allowed her to produce 18 triple doubles and career totals of 1,239 assists, 804 kills, 723 digs, 143 blocks and 135 aces.
She is a two-time MVP and last season she made second team all-state in addition to first team all-district and region. In the two years previous she was a second team all-district and region honoree.
Kesler's teams went 66-47 during her three letter winning seasons, and finished as high as third place in the state in 2013.
"Mak is a great setter and athlete that will add a presence for us in the front row," said Bibler. "We'll hopefully get her to set and hit for us in the future as she is definitely a dual threat kind of player."
Kesler is on her school's Cum Laude Honor Roll. She plans to major in business at ACU.
Courtney Miller | 6-0 | MB | San Antonio, Texas / James Madison HSMiller has made second team all-district each of the past two seasons, and during her sophomore year she and her high school teammates made it to the postseason for the first time in 13 years.
Her career totals on MaxPreps.com include 295 blocks since her sophomore year plus 77 aces, 263 digs, 390 kills and a .280 hitting percentage. She hit .292 as a senior with 1.6 kills per set.
"Courtney is a very physical and fast player," said Bibler. "On her block and with her kills, you definitely know that she is there. She has a lot of power and shows it on the court."
Miller comes from an athletic family, which includes mother, Ruby, who played basketball at UT San Antonio, and brother, Aaron, who played football for Mary Hardin Baylor.
An academic all-district selection, Miller plans to major in business management at ACU.
Sofia Resendiz | 5-7 | DS | San Antonio, Texas / Incarnate Word HSA two-time all-district selection Resendiz has been part of one of the winningest TAPPS programs at Incarnate Word High School. Her junior-year team place fifth at state and the year previous reached the regional final four. This season Incarnate Word reached the district championship match for the third consecutive year.
Resendiz has averaged 6.04 digs and 2.64 assists per set in her career to go along with a .294 hitting percentage.
"Sofia is very fast … she loves hitting the floor playing defense and brings a great deal of energy," said Bibler. "She is one of the athletes that will set the standard for how hard everyone else has to work."
Resendiz has been on her school's high honor roll each of the last three years and is a member of the National Honor Society. The All-State Academic honoree plans to study kinesiology at ACU.
Marybeth Sandercox | 5-11 | MB | Lubbock, Texas / Frenship HS Sandercox totaled 418 kills and 68 blocks from the middle blocker position during her senior season to finish her career with 1,229 kills, 230 blocks and 321 digs. This year she also made the
Lubbock Avalanche Journal's Preseason All-South Plains First Team, was selected as the
State Farm Player of the Week, and was featured as the September/October Player of the Month in the Reagor Dykes Auto Group's
Let's Roll magazine.
She additionally made this year's all-tournament team in Mansfield, Texas, and won her school's tournament's outstanding hitter award.
"Marybeth has great speed pin to pin and you add that to her naturally ability to block balls and she will contribute defensively for sure," said Bibler. "She additionally has great jumping ability and a quick arm which will help in our offensive system next season."
Sandercox was tabbed to the
Lubbock Avalanche Journal's Superteam following her junior year, and was its Athlete of the Week during her sophomore campaign. That season she also made the All-District 4-4A First Team and was voted onto the Canyon All-Tournament Team.
Sandercox, who also played varsity basketball and competed on the track team at Frenship, plans to major in sports psychology at ACU. Her mother, Elizabeth, was a track and field athlete at Kansas State.
