Tuesday, December 04, 2007

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Dec. 4, 2007) - ETSU volleyball head coach Lindsey Devine announced Tuesday the signing of three Bucs to the 2008-09 class.

"I am very excited about these players coming into our program," Devine said. "All of these players have a great work ethic and love the game of volleyball."

            The Bucs signed Jennifer Neice (Allen, Texas), Jamie Stancliff (Advance, N.C.), and Kelley Coker (South Bend, Ind.). Coach Devine hopes that this class will help to strengthen a young team that is losing two outstanding players in Kaena Apana (Waianae, Hawaii) and Callie Kiselich (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Each of the three girls that have signed were recruited by some of the top colleges in the country.

"Each one of these players has the potential to make an immediate impact in our program," Devine said. "We have lost some key players due to graduation, and that is why it is a great opportunity to be joining this 2008 team."

Neice, a 5-foot-7 libero from Allen High School, has competed at the highest level as she is a five time Junior Olympic Nationals, and was a member of the TAV 17 Asics who placed 5^th at the Junior Olympic Nationals. She was named the Best Defender of the 2006 USAV High Performance Championships where her team finished third. In 2005 she was named the Best Passer at the USAV High Performance Championships. Neice tallied 457 digs in her senior season and was named to both the Lonestar Volleyball All-Texas Team and the PrepVolleyball.com Defensive Dandies. Neice also was named to the district 9-5A first-team as a libero.

"Jen's competitive attitude and high level experience will help us right away," Devine said. "She will be key component in our defense and ball control. From watching her play, she has that fiery attitude and vocal energy needed to be on the ETSU team."

Stancliff, a 6-foot middle blocker, is a multiport athlete at Ronald Reagan High School. Stancliff is a four-year letterwinner in volleyball and swimming, and a three-year letterwinner in cross country and track and field. Stancliff broke the school record for kills with 273 as a senior leading all players in her conference. The North Carolina native also has national playing experience, as she was a member of the IC Stars USA Volleyball team from 2005-07.

"Jamie has an athletic presence on the floor that mirrors the kind of intensity that's a perfect fit for our program," Devine said. "She has the desire to be better every time she steps out on the court."

Coker, a 5-foot-8 defensive specialist, is a four-year letterwinner at Riley High School. Coker was the team captain from 2005-07, and was the team MVP in 2006 and 2007. She was an All-Conference selection twice and was a member of the Dunes 18 Black who won the Girls' 18 American Tournament Gold Division Champion at the 2007 USA Junior Nationals.

"I like the versatility that Kelley brings to our team," Devine said. "She has been trained both as a setter and as a defensive specialist.  She will be that coachable player who will do whatever she can to make the team better."

Please visit www.ETSUBucs.com for more information on ETSU volleyball and all other Buccaneer athletic news.