Queens volleyball is proud to announce the signing of eight elite student-athletes for the 2010 season. In her second recruiting class, head coach Angela McGuire continues to rebuild the Royals’ program through youth and skill.
Six new recruits will join early signees
Brittney Barren and Avery Moore as the eight freshmen who fill out the 12 underclassmen on the 16-player roster. The incoming class consists of three outside hitters, two middle hitters, two setters, and a libero.
Outside Hitters
Ashlyn Dibrell comes to Queens from Arlington, Texas. The 5-8 outside hitter/defensive specialist was
the recipient of the 2007 Top Server award as well as Lamar High School’s Best Offensive Player award in 2008 and 2009. Also a member of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram All-Area Second team, Dibrell was name to the First team for District 4-5. To cap off her high school career, Dibrell received Lone Star’s Volleyball All-Texas High School team Special Recognition. Ashlyn is a member of the Texas Advantage Club 18 VB Rags Black for head coach John Sample. A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, she plans to major in pre-dental.
McGuire believes the Royals have a unique talent in Dibrell.
“Ashlyn really is a special kid for us. We’ve known her since last summer and always felt that it was going to be a perfect fit not only for her, but for us. She will come in the fall and push for a starting outside hitter position. She has a dynamic approach and arm swing; combined with her consistency and speed in the back row, she will no doubt be a force in the conference as she grows into a strong college player.”
A Bradenton, Fla. native, Erin Mooney is one-of-two recruits coming from the Sunshine State. The
three-sport star played softball in the spring after captaining the volleyball and basketball teams at Cardinal Mooney High School en route to being named the Most Valuable Player for each team. Mooney played club volleyball for Suncoast Volleyball Club for four years. A board member of the Key Club, her major is undecided.
“Erin is such a fun player to watch. While recruiting, we were looking for a certain personality to compliment the rest of the team, and she fit the bill perfectly. She is energetic and explosive, and her desire to compete and win will no doubt help bring our team to the next level. She will move from being a middle hitter in high school to competing for time on the outside for us in the fall.”
Rounding out the trio of outside hitters is Alexa Sparrell.
Coming to Queens from Orlando, Fla., she led Winter Park High School to two District Championships, a Regional Championship, and was the State runner-up in 6A while being named to the All-Metro Conference First team. She excelled behind the line, recording 233 service aces – second all-time at Winter Park. She spent her offseason playing club volleyball for TVA out of Winter Springs. A member of the National Honor Society, her major is undecided.
“As coach (Emily) Carrara and I were looking to finish out our 2010 class, we saw Alex at a qualifier in Atlanta. We knew immediately what a great athlete and person she was. She plays with such passion and has an innate ability to control the speed and flow of the match every point. She can read a block, hit around it for the kill, then go back to the service line and serve five straight aces with her jump serve. One of Alex’s goals for her first year is to be part of a Royals volleyball team that hangs its first-ever conference championship banner in the Oven. She has well-laid plans for such a young player. She will be an immediate contributor on the outside for us and I am looking forward to her next four years here at Queens.”
Middle Hitters
In-state product Anna Gibbs comes to Queens from Hickory, N.C. The four-year letterman was named to
the Catawba Valley All-Conference First team in 2008 and Northwestern Conference 3A/4A First team in 2009 while helping lead her team to the 3A/4A conference championship. She led Hickory High School to a semifinal finish and an Elite Eight finish in ’08 and ’09, respectively, on her way to being named her team’s 2009 Co-Player of the Year. She was also named the 3A/4A Most Offensive Player. In 2008, Gibbs played for the High Performance International team. She comes from a strong athletic background, as her mother served as a three-sport star at Albright College while her brother is a pitcher at West Point. A member of several academic clubs, including the National Society of High School Scholars, she plans to major in nursing.
“Anna loves Queens, the city of Charlotte, and the volleyball program. She brings to us a strong presence in the front row with her long arms and quick blocking skills. When she is in the front row she is extremely tough for a hitter to hit around and I except her to step up on the right side and compete from the start.”
Setters
Setter Taylor Riley comes to Queens from Lynchburg, Va. As a four-year letterman at E.C. Glass High
School, she earned a variety of individual awards. During her junior year, she was named to the All-District First team and was the recipient of the Boosters Club Excellence award. A team captain as a senior, she was named to the All-District and All-Region First teams as well as the All-State Second team. Voted Max Preps State of Virginia Player of the Week, she participated in the Virginia High School League All-Star game. Proving her strength behind the line, she served out a game with 25 consecutive points. She also led her team to the state semifinals in 2009 en route to being named the Lynchburg News & Advance All-Area Player of the Year. A member of the National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, her major is undecided.
“Our setter position is going to be very young this year. In addition to signing Taylor and having signed incoming freshman Avery Moore early in the fall, we spent the latter half of spring training junior Erica Mazur as well. While being young, these girls are still very capable of running a highly competitive offensive and each of them possesses the ability to lead a team. Taylor has terrific hands and can put a ball anywhere for her size (5-6) and comes from a highly competitive and supportive family. The first day I met her I knew that she was going to be a fighter and extremely competitive. To be a setter you have to have those instincts. She is a wonderful addition to our family and I look forward to seeing her flourish in her four years here.”
Libero
Serving as the second libero on the team, Jocelyn Kellinger hails from Roanoke, Va. The Cave Spring
High School alumnus is a proven talent, holding the all-time record for digs in a season while ranking third all-time in career digs in Virginia high school history. She progressed during her career, earning All-District Honorable Mention as a sophomore, All-District Second team as a junior, and being named to the All-District, All-Region, and All-State First teams as a senior. A member of the Lamp of Knowledge, her major is undecided.
“As we continued to bring in position players to help strengthen our front row, we knew we needed to bring in another defensive player as well. That is where Jocelyn comes in. She is quick, very agile and has proven great success at the high school level. She will come to Queens in the fall and train at the libero position and will have a chance to see significant playing time as she learns our defensive system.”