Aug. 15, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" The 2017 edition of Auburn volleyball brings a roster full of new faces to The Plains and the middle blocker position claims the most with four newcomers. However, it is also an area that boasts the most depth.
Leading the pack are returners Macy Reece and Gwyn Jones. The pair brings a wealth of experience in addition to strong leadership and will be relied upon to guide the youthful group.
"We always like to run a lot of our offense through the middle and I think we will have a lot of options this year," head coach Rick Nold said. "Macy and Gwyn provide a great amount leadership to this group and our newcomers bring a lot of athleticism to the position that I'm very excited about.
Reece, who had spent her first two seasons on the outside, stepped up for the Tigers in the middle after injuries left an opening in the starting lineup last year. She finished as one of the team's top blockers, while also providing offensive numbers. The 6-2 senior from Hendersonville, Tenn., started 20 matches at middle in 2016, totaling three matches in double-digit kills and setting a career-best seven blocks on two occasions.
"Macy's experience as both a middle and outside will allow us a lot of flexibility this season," Nold said. "She brings a lot of experience to the position and does a great job of making the simple plays. She has added a lot more power to her game this spring so we look forward to featuring her a lot more in our offense."
Jones, a SEC All-Freshman Team member in 2016, spent her first season with the Tigers on the right side. However, her wealth of experience at the middle along with her strong leadership will make her a valuable member of the group. Standing at 6-3, the Greenville, Ind., product was second on the team last year in kills at 321 and totaled double-digit kills in all but two SEC match.
"Gwyn won a captain position during the spring with the work she put in and will be much more explosive this year," Nold said. "She has always been an effective slide hitter, but has really improved off two feet which will give us some flexibility when it comes to lineups and how we want to attack teams."
Joining the pair are freshmen Anna Stevenson and Shea McNamara with sophomore transfer Shaina White and junior transfer Isabella Thompson.
"I think if there is a skill we have a chance of improving it could be blocking," Nold added. "We will have the option of putting more height on the floor with our newcomers which will give us more options on how we want to defend teams."
White, a 6-1 transfer from Northeastern, had a successful first year for the Huskies and was named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie Team. She totaled 203 kills in 2016 with a 1.92 average, while finishing third on the team in blocks.
"Shaina is someone we were fortunate to find late in the recruiting season," Nold said. "She has a year of collegiate experience and is a long athlete. She comes from a really strong club system so she will be ready for fast paced systems we will see in the SEC."
Stevenson comes to The Plains after enjoying a much decorated high school career. Hailing from Laurens, S.C., the 6-1 newcomer earned Under Armour High School All-America honors and was placed on the PrepVolleyball Senior Ace list. She brings an explosive attack and a great deal of height to the court for Auburn.
"Anna will be an exciting athlete for our fans to watch throughout her career." Nold said. "She is the highest jumper we've ever had here at Auburn. She can play a variety of tempos and will be an imposing threat for opponents."
Adding depth and skill on the defensive end of the position are McNamara and Thompson. McNamara comes to Auburn from Cumming, Ga., and, standing at 6-1, played a major role that led to a lot of success for both her high school and club teams.
Thompson joins the team after spending two seasons at Santa Barbara City College. The 6-0 student-athlete hails from Stockton, Calif., and had a successful final season with SBCC, totaling 50 solo blocks and 70 overall.
"Shea is a great athlete that I expect to develop in a number of areas throughout her career," Nold said. "She may be the best system blocker we have in the gym already, which is impressive.
"Isabella is a really good athlete and we expect that she will develop into a very good blocker and could play multiple positions for us," Nold added.
Fans can get a first glimpse of the team Saturday, Aug. 19, as Auburn hosts UAB in an exhibition match. The Tigers and the Blazers face off at 1:30 p.m. CT in Auburn Arena and admission is free.
The Tigers open the 2017 season in Atlanta, traveling to Georgia Tech's Hyatt Regency Invitational, Aug. 25-26. Auburn opens with a match vs. the Yellow Jackets Friday and follows with tilts against No. 17 Michigan State and Furman Saturday.
Stay tuned as AuburnTigers.com will take a look at the defensive specialists Wednesday, Aug. 16!