Kirsten Bernthal Booth with former top-50 recruit Jaali Winters
Photo by: Joe Willman
Volleyball Recruiting Class Named 25th-Best Nationally
5/24/2017 11:55:00 AM | Volleyball
Bluejay class features three talented newcomers
OMAHA, Neb. -- For the second time in three years, Creighton Volleyball's recruiting class has been named one of the nation's top 25 classes by PrepVolleyball.com.
This year's class, which features Steph Gaston (Papillion, Neb.), Naomi Hickman (Lawrence, Kan.) and Alexa Roumeliotis (Atherton, Calif.), has been ranked 25th-best in the country.
PrepVolleyball.com ranks Hickman as the No. 98 recruit in its Senior Ace listings, one spot ahead of Gaston. The duo join other top-100 recruits on the Bluejay roster such as Taryn Kloth, Jaali Winters and Lydia Dimke.
Two years, ago, a class featuring top-50 recruits Kloth and Winters was named 11th-best in the country. Both women were named First Team All-BIG EAST and Honorable-Mention All-Americans a year ago while helping the team reach the Elite Eight for the first time.
Creighton previously has earned "highest honorable-mention" for its recruiting classes four times (2008, 2009, 2011, 2014), "high honorable-mention" three times (2010, 2012, 2016), "honorable-mention" once (2005) and "best of the rest" once (2004) in the PrepVolleyball.com recruiting rankings.
Creighton finished the 2016 season with a 29-7 record, going 18-0 in BIG EAST play and then sweeping two matches to win a third straight BIG EAST Tournament title. The Bluejays became the first club in history to win its first three NCAA Tournament matches in five sets en route to advancing to the Elite Eight. Coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth, CU was ranked ninth in the year-end AVCA poll and the Bluejays will be the nation's only team to return five All-Region performers in 2017.
Below is the write-up from PrepVolleyball.com on Creighton's recruiting class:
25. CREIGHTON: Steph Gaston, 6-5 RS, Papillion-La Vista (Papillion, Nebraska); Naomi Hickman, 6-4 MB, Free State (Lawrence, Kansas); Alexa Roumeliotis, 5-7 libero/DS from Menlo-Atherton (Atherton, California)
COMMENT: What Creighton's class lacks in size in numbers it more than makes up for it in size at the net. Hickman, who stands 6-4, recently wrapped up a senior year with a national championship at the 18 Open level with KC Power. No. 98 in PrepVolleyball.com's Senior Aces, Hickman, who would be rated much higher were the list re-done today, will bring a physical presence at the net and the ability to score in front of the setter with her heavy arm. Gaston, who stands 6-5 and is Senior Ace No. 99, has the ability to score at the right side position with her high reach and contact point over almost any block put in front of her. Both bring a big block and high level club experience to Omaha. Roumeliotis was a late find for the Bluejays. Originally committed to Army, she had to reopen her recruiting after an injury derailed those plans. Creighton emerged the winner, as Roumeliotis is a natural leader who brings ball control to a program coming off an Elite 8 appearance and primed to fight for a first Final Four appearance in program history.
To view the complete list, visit https://prepvolleyball.com/rankings/top-recruiting-classes/the-top-30-collegiate-recruiting-classes-of-2017-nos-30-21/354936. A subscription may be required.
This year's class, which features Steph Gaston (Papillion, Neb.), Naomi Hickman (Lawrence, Kan.) and Alexa Roumeliotis (Atherton, Calif.), has been ranked 25th-best in the country.
PrepVolleyball.com ranks Hickman as the No. 98 recruit in its Senior Ace listings, one spot ahead of Gaston. The duo join other top-100 recruits on the Bluejay roster such as Taryn Kloth, Jaali Winters and Lydia Dimke.
Two years, ago, a class featuring top-50 recruits Kloth and Winters was named 11th-best in the country. Both women were named First Team All-BIG EAST and Honorable-Mention All-Americans a year ago while helping the team reach the Elite Eight for the first time.
Creighton previously has earned "highest honorable-mention" for its recruiting classes four times (2008, 2009, 2011, 2014), "high honorable-mention" three times (2010, 2012, 2016), "honorable-mention" once (2005) and "best of the rest" once (2004) in the PrepVolleyball.com recruiting rankings.
Creighton finished the 2016 season with a 29-7 record, going 18-0 in BIG EAST play and then sweeping two matches to win a third straight BIG EAST Tournament title. The Bluejays became the first club in history to win its first three NCAA Tournament matches in five sets en route to advancing to the Elite Eight. Coached by Kirsten Bernthal Booth, CU was ranked ninth in the year-end AVCA poll and the Bluejays will be the nation's only team to return five All-Region performers in 2017.
Below is the write-up from PrepVolleyball.com on Creighton's recruiting class:
25. CREIGHTON: Steph Gaston, 6-5 RS, Papillion-La Vista (Papillion, Nebraska); Naomi Hickman, 6-4 MB, Free State (Lawrence, Kansas); Alexa Roumeliotis, 5-7 libero/DS from Menlo-Atherton (Atherton, California)
COMMENT: What Creighton's class lacks in size in numbers it more than makes up for it in size at the net. Hickman, who stands 6-4, recently wrapped up a senior year with a national championship at the 18 Open level with KC Power. No. 98 in PrepVolleyball.com's Senior Aces, Hickman, who would be rated much higher were the list re-done today, will bring a physical presence at the net and the ability to score in front of the setter with her heavy arm. Gaston, who stands 6-5 and is Senior Ace No. 99, has the ability to score at the right side position with her high reach and contact point over almost any block put in front of her. Both bring a big block and high level club experience to Omaha. Roumeliotis was a late find for the Bluejays. Originally committed to Army, she had to reopen her recruiting after an injury derailed those plans. Creighton emerged the winner, as Roumeliotis is a natural leader who brings ball control to a program coming off an Elite 8 appearance and primed to fight for a first Final Four appearance in program history.
To view the complete list, visit https://prepvolleyball.com/rankings/top-recruiting-classes/the-top-30-collegiate-recruiting-classes-of-2017-nos-30-21/354936. A subscription may be required.
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