AUBURN, Ala. – Diversity is the word for the 2018 group of outside hitters. With a solid corps that can contribute both offensively and defensively, the crew is going to bring a wealth of options to the court throughout the season.
"We are going to be able to go a lot of different directions with this group this season," head coach Rick Nold said. "We have diversity on the outside and it's going to be a big benefit to us as the year progresses. Each athlete brings something different to the table and we're going to have the option of bringing someone off the bench to make an impact."
Leading way on the outside is senior Brenna McIlroy. A 5-11 junior from Garland, Texas, McIlroy has been the team's top attacker on the outside since her freshman season. In addition, her growth defensively in the back row will be a valued skill for the young Tiger team.
"Brenna has been our go-to on the outside since she came here," Nold said. "But what I'm really excited about is her ability in all rotations. She was one of our best passers throughout last year and it's a skill we're really going to rely on."
McIlroy enters her final campaign on the Plains needing just 24 kills and 174 digs to reach 1,000 in each category. She can become just the seventh Tiger to achieve both milestones in a career.
Joining McIlroy with collegiate experience is junior Enija Bidzane. The Talsi, Latvia, product missed 2017 with injury, but saw a wealth of playing time as a freshman in 2016.
The pair will be joined by three freshmen in Taylor Rowland, Val Green and Tatum Shipes. The trio are a part of the nation's No. 7-ranked recruiting class.
Rowland was an early enrollee for the Tigers this past spring and brought a plethora of accolades with from her prep career. Ranked the No. 30 overall player on the 2018 Senior Aces list, Rowland was a two-time Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year. Standing at 6-3, the Charlotte, N.C., native has also spent time with the USA Volleyball High Performance program.
Shipes comes to Auburn from Buford, Ga., and stands at 6-4 on the court. The No. 34 player overall on the Senior Ace list, Shipes was the 2017 8-AAAAA Region Player of the Year and is a multiple All-America honoree.
Green continues the trend of height for the outsides, standing at 6-2 from Oxford, Ohio. She is a three-time Southwest Ohio Conference Volleyball Athlete of the Year.
With the combination of well-rounded experience and talented height coming in, this group is going to provide diversity to assist the team in many situations throughout the year.