By Layne Weitzel, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech volleyball head coach Jeannette Waldo and her staff have announced eight signees to round out its first Golden Eagle recruiting class.
Waldo, Peter Green and Zach Weinberg scoured the country to bring in these eight future Golden Eagles, who will join the team in the coming months to start their first season at Tech in the fall.
"We bring in eight new Golden Eagles for our first season here as a staff. We could not be more excited for all of the talent that will be joining an already very cohesive group," said Waldo. "We bring in five front line attackers, one setter and two back court players. The numbers we will have in our gym on a daily basis will allow us depth and will force a very competitive environment. The future is very bright for Tech volleyball, and we can't wait for the fall!"
From Coach Waldo: "DJ has the ability to attack a first tempo set to beat the block with her speed as well as hit a higher ball on a pin. The options that she will allow us to have offensively will be fun to play with."
From Coach Waldo: "For our gym culture to stay competitive and gritty, we need active defenders like Alexa. She will constantly frustrate our offense by not allowing them to score, which will allow us to grow greatly. Since she has been supporting her sister KB (Kirsten Brugere) as part of the TTU crew, she knows what it will take to succeed here, and she is a great addition."
From Coach Waldo: "Taylor was in high demand but just hadn't found the right fit; luckily for us, TTU was exactly what she was looking for. Standing at 6'3", Taylor will have a presence in our gym immediately. We can't wait to see her block next to some of our pin attackers and see the wall that will form there."
From Coach Waldo: "Erica's overall athleticism makes her an exciting addition to our squad. She has played six rotations for her club team and has the potential to continue that role with us. She has a cannon for an arm and has the ability to score from anywhere on the court."
From Coach Waldo: "Even though the recruiting process at TTU was very quick for Ashley, we knew right away that she would be a perfect fit. She is a very talented setter, and she will be able to highlight our offense this fall in a major way."
From Coach Weinberg (who had previously recruited Hand at UNLV): "Ashley possesses all of the attributes needed to be a highly skilled Division I setter. She has great size, smooth setting hands and excellent location. Having known her for a number of years, I know how hard she has worked to become a great player and how hard she will continue to work every day once she arrives at Tech."
From Coach Waldo: "Aynsley has been all in on TTU since I first met her. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and she obviously loves the sport of volleyball. Aynsley will provide some much-needed depth to the middle position. Her length will make her a great blocker for us, and she has the potential to be a terminal attacker."
From Coach Waldo: "We expect for Lauren to come in and compete for the libero jersey right away. Her fast-twitch movements give her the potential of being an elite defender during her time at Tech. She will increase the level of play within our backcourt immediately with her great reading ability and desire to compete."
From Coach Waldo: "Ali was the first Golden Eagle to verbally commit after I took the job. She comes from a great program, so her volleyball IQ is very high. Her explosive leaping ability and her versatility as an attacker will have an instant impact on our team."
