NORFOLK, Va. – Interim Head Coach Brandon Duvall announced the signing of six players for the 2011 Norfolk State volleyball season, including a two-time district player of the year from the state of Virginia. Duvall also signed a three-time all-state high school player from Texas, a junior college player out of Kansas and added three walk-ons for the upcoming season as NSU looks to bolster its front row attack.
“All-together this is one of the strongest recruiting classes we've ever had here at Norfolk State,” said Duvall. “We've now got great depth at all positions, and that will allow us to make adjustments to our lineup without skipping a beat. All of these student-athletes will offer something different and force the upperclassmen to compete at a higher level in practice. It's going to be a dogfight for starting spots, and any one of these newcomers could find themselves in some sort of starting or top reserve role.”
Named the Battlefield District Player of the Year after her junior and senior seasons, Adriana Ramos was also a two-time all-region first-team honoree at Chancellor High School in Fredericksburg, Va. The 5-10 outside hitter earned first-team all-district honors all four years of high school and was selected to participate in the Virginia High School League Coaches Association all-star game in July. Ramos will compete right away for one of the outside hitter positions at NSU.
“Adriana is a very explosive hitter,” said Duvall. “She brings a great attitude and is a very competitive player. She absolutely hates to lose. She's got a lot of experience playing both club and high school volleyball. Adriana also has the potential to be good vocal leader for us.”
Another outside hitter, Beatriz Ferreira, will join NSU in 2011 after spending the 2010 season at Dodge City Community College. There, the 5-11 Ferreira averaged 2.78 kills per set and hit .354 for the season while also contributing 72 digs and 28 blocks in 37 matches. Ferreira, who hails from Contagem, Brazil, totaled 2.22 kills per set at Laredo CC her freshman year. She will have two years of eligibility with the Spartans.
“Beatriz brings the maturity that we need from our upperclassmen,” said Duvall. “She can set a very good example of what we need out of our outside hitters. She could potentially start right away, especially considering her game experience and the fact she's coached at the junior level. She has a very good volleyball IQ.”
The Spartans added size to their front court defense with the addition of 6-2 middle blocker Jasmin Flowers out of Lifegate Christian School in Seguin, Texas. Flowers was a first-team all-state performer her senior year in 2010 in the 1A Division of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS). She was a first-team all-state performer her junior year as well as the District 4 Most Valuable Player. Flowers earned all-state second-team honors her sophomore year and was a four-time all-district first-team honoree in high school. In addition, she ranks second in her class and holds a 4.0 GPA.
“Jasmin is her school's class salutatorian, and she's a great example of what we need from our players off the court,” said Duvall. “She is very disciplined but she is also very energetic. She definitely has the ability to play in the middle right away. That will allow us to open up our offense while giving us the size that we need up front.”
Duvall added a third attacker to the mix as Ashley Scott, a 6-0 opposite from Bridgewater College, joined the Spartans for the Spring 2010 semester as a walk-on. The South Riding, Va., native led Bridgewater with 3.80 kills per set and attacked at a .301 clip in 2010 while also adding 2.17 digs. In 2009 during her freshman year, Scott added 2.49 kills and 1.24 digs. She was a three-time all-district selection at Heritage High School and an all-region honoree as a senior. Scott will have two years of eligibility remaining with NSU.
“Ashley offers us the size we are looking for and will be a good presence on the right side in terms of our blocking needs,” said Duvall. “She could potentially be one of our best blockers.”
Taylerlee Baird, a 5-9 outside hitter out of Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, will also join the 2011 Spartan class as a walk-on. Last season's team MVP, Baird was a three-time All-Beach District honorable mention her sophomore, junior and senior years. In 2008, Baird was part of the Landstown team that advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament after winning the Eastern Region title. She ranks in the top 15 percent of her high school class and is a National Honor Society member.
“Taylerlee has good experience playing for one of the top junior clubs in our area,” said Duvall. “She's a hard worker, a great student, and brings a great attitude to our team. She'll provide a great supporting role for us as we build depth on the team. Her attitude in competition could very well help her earn a significant part-time role.”
A 5-7 defensive specialist, Megan Lavo arrives as NSU's third walk-on after spending two seasons at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif. She earned second-team All-Western State Conference honors as a freshman in 2009, leading the Cougars to a 16-7 overall mark and a 10-2 WSC record. Lavo totaled 2.83 digs and 1.96 kills per set in 2009 to go along with 58 assists, 29 service aces and 27 blocks. In 2010, Lavo totaled 251 digs, 160 kills and 30 aces as the Cougars finished 14-10 and 9-3 in the conference. Originally from Valencia High School in Calif., Lavo comes to NSU as an honors college student.
“Megan coaches two junior club teams, so that coaching experience provides her with a very good volleyball IQ, much like Beatriz,” stated Duvall. “She owns a lot of great game experience having played high school in the southern California area. Megan has a great mentality, is extremely competitive and is a very strong player. She knows how to get after it on the court.”
Duvall enters his second year leading the NSU program after earning MEAC Coach of the Year honors in 2010, taking over the program just weeks before the start of the season. The Spartans finished with a 5-3 MEAC record last year and a 13-20 overall mark, the most overall and conference wins for the Spartans in the Division I era.
