Dec. 1, 2016
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Auburn volleyball head coach Rick Nold announced Thursday the addition of three student-athletes for the 2017 season. Joining the Tigers will be middle blockers Shealyn McNamara and Anna Stevenson and defensive specialist Payton White.
"We are very excited about the impact that these three players will have on our program," Nold said. "They all have the ability to come in and contribute immediately and we expect them to help us reach our championship goals here on the Plains."
SHEALYN MCNAMARA
Hometown: Cumming, Ga.
High School: South Forsyth
Position: Middle Blocker
Height: 6-1
Club: A5
Highlights: Guided high school team to the state championship in 2015 and the state Final Four in 2016 ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ 2015 All-State honorable mention ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ 2015 All-Region first team ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ 2015 Breakout Player of the Year ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ 2014 All-County honorable mention.
Coach Nold on Shealyn: "Shea's inner drive is what sets her apart from most players. We've seen her consistently improve over the past few years and we expect that to continue once she joins us."
ANNA STEVENSON
Hometown: Laurens, S.C.
High School: Laurens District 55 High School
Position: Middle Blocker
Height: 6-1
Club: Upward Stars
Highlights: 2016 Under Armour High School All-America Third Team ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ PrepVolleyball Senior Ace ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ Helped 18U team win the 2016 AAU National Title ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ 2016 Index Journal Player of the Year ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ 2015 AVCA Phenom list ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ 2016 All-State ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ Three-time All-Region selection ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ Four-time team Most Valuable Player (2013-16).
Coach Nold on Anna: "Anna is a high flier that our fans will love watching the next four years. We focused on her early in the recruiting process and we feel like she will be a corner stone of our program the next few years."
PAYTON WHITE
Hometown: Zionsville, Ind.
High School: Cathedral
Position: Defensive Specialist
Height: 5-7
Club: Munciana
Highlights: Two-time AAU All-American ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ 2014 AVCA and PrepVolleyball All-America Watch List ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ PrepVolleyball Senior Ace ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ 2015 AVCA Phenom Watch List ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ Guided high school to back-to-back Indiana 4A State titles (2015, 2016) ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ Indiana Senior All-Star ÃÆ'¢Ãƒ¢'¬¦ All-City honorable mention.
Coach Nold on Payton: "Payton comes from a long line of elite liberos from the Munciana volleyball program. She will bring a championship expectation and be a big boost to both our ball control and serving."
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