Texas State Volleyball Announces One Of The Top Signing Classes In Bobcat History
“This year’s senior class has dwindled a bit due to other circumstances, but we stayed the course with our recruiting plan and were able to add this amazing group of young women,” Tracy Smith, associate head coach, said.
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State Volleyball Coach Karen Chisum announced Thursday one of the top-rated signing classes in school history.
The eight newest Bobcats who officially committed during the early signing period include seven Texans and one Florida native. The class has four pin hitters, two defensive specialists, one middle blocker and one setter.
“We knew when we started building this class three years ago that we were going to need to replace some special talent in Jaliyah Bolden, Erin Hoppe, Lauren Kirch, Jordan Kohl and Alex Silver,” associate head coach Tracy Smith said. “This year’s senior class has dwindled a bit due to other circumstances, but we stayed the course with our recruiting plan and were able to add this amazing group of young women.”
Jillian Slaughter committed to Texas State as a sophomore, and Smith said that laid the groundwork for what has become one of the top recruiting classes in Bobcat history.
Following Slaughter’s commitment were Emily DeWalt and Lauren Teske. The duo are the third and fourth TXST signees in school history that were also named AVCA High School All-Americans, joining current Bobcats Megan Porter and Effie Zielinski.
“We were so excited to be able to get Jillian, Emily and Lauren,” Smith said. “They have already played so much together for the San Antonio Magic, which is one of the top club programs in the state.”
The coaching staff had already comprised a top class, but the talent kept pouring in. Two more standout hitters came next as the Bobcats added Sarabi Worsley-Gilbert and Janell Fitzgerald. Worsley-Gilbert is the lone signee from outside the state of Texas, and Fitzgerald competes for one of the top clubs in the country, Texas Advantage Volleyball.
To round out the 2018 class and provide ball control and finesse, the final three commitments came in the late spring/summer with the additions of Kayla Granado, Kaylie Koenen and Mallory Pittman. These three will provide additional depth at defensive specialist and outside hitter.
“This class might be the best recruiting class that we’ve had in a very long time. All will be ready to step on the court next year and contribute which, added to what we have returning, puts us in a great position to stay in the top three of the Sun Belt Conference,” Chisum said. “All of our newcomers are very good in the classroom. They are also solid individuals, and, most importantly, they are all in love with Texas State University and this volleyball program. This class will serve as the core group to advance Texas State volleyball into the NCAA Championship Second and Third Rounds and help push us into the top 50 in the nation.”
Emily DeWalt – S – 5-10 – Helotes, Texas (Louis D. Brandeis HS)
Emily DeWalt is the nation’s No. 44-ranked recruit, according to the Senior Ace List compiled by PrepVolleyball.com. She was also recently honored as a 2017 AVCA Under Armour Girls High School All-American. The Helotes, Texas, native is a four-year letterwinner for Madeline Williams at Brandeis High School. She helped lead the Broncos to a 130-43 record during her career, which included a District 28-6A Championship in 2016 (17-1 record). They compiled a 31-12 overall record this season with a 14-4 mark in district play. She is a four-time all-district player, twice being named to the San Antonio Express News All-Area team. In 2017, she was named all-state by both the Texas Girl’s Coaches Association and the Texas Association of Volleyball Coaches, while also being a member of the TGCA All-Star Team. DeWalt twice led her San Antonio Magic club team to the USA Division Championship (2014-15), while being named MVP in 2015. She was named to the all-tournament at the 2017 Junior Olympics in the Open division, leading her team to a fifth-place finish. DeWalt was also selected as an academic all-district honoree three times during her career. She is the daughter of Scott and Lori DeWalt, and she has one younger sister, Amy.
Coach Chisum on DeWalt: “Emily DeWalt is one of the best setters in the country. She has great technique and a high volleyball IQ. Emily is a competitor, thrives in the hard times and loves to be challenged. She has a knack of making everyone around her better, which is ideal in a setter. Her drive to be the best at everything she does sets her apart from others in her position. She will be a great asset to this program.”
Janell Fitzgerald – OH – 6-1 – Mansfield, Texas (Mansfield Legacy HS)
Janell Fitzgerald is a four-year letterwinner for Mansfield Legacy High School, playing for Amanda Shingleton. She was named to the All-District 10-5A First Team all four years of her career, which included a District Hitter of the Year designation in 2015. She recorded 1,350 kills and 1,255 digs during her time with the Broncos. She was also an all-district academic first team selection from 2014-17. Fitzgerald competes during the spring for Texas Advantage Volleyball, and she helped her club team win the 14’s Open Division National Championship in 2015. The team finished runner-up at the national championship this past year and placed third in the event in 2014. She is the daughter of James Fitzgerald and Carnell Nickerson. She has two older siblings, Brandon and Brianna.
Coach Chisum on Fitzgerald: “Janell is a strong, solid player. She will be a big right side for us and should be a perfect replacement for Jaliyah Bolden. She has a fun personality and will be a fan favorite. She has a fierce slide attack to go with her infectious smile and personality. She is young for her grade, so she will get to compete for Ping Cao on the TAV 17 Black team this spring. That experience should carry over nicely into her court-readiness come August.”
Kayla Granado – DS – 5-4 – Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock HS)
Kayla Granado hails from Round Rock, Texas, and competes for Round Rock High School under the tutelage of former Texas State assistant coach Diane Watson. She helped lead the Dragons to a 28-12 record this season and a fourth-place finish in District 13-6A. She is an all-district performer and was twice named to the academic all-district team. She was also selected as the team’s defensive player of the year. Granado competes for Austin Junior Volleyball and helped lead her club team to a second-place finish at the 2017 Girl’s Junior Nationals. She was also selected to the all-tournament team at the junior national championships in 2016. She is the daughter of John and Rosalina Granado. Her older sister, Kiera, is currently a setter at UT-Permian Basin.
Coach Chisum on Granado: “Kayla is a quiet, calm, steady libero who will provide depth and challenge for court time immediately. She is an excellent passer with high-level training. She will compete all spring on the Austin Juniors top 18’s team who finished second nationally last season.”
Kaylie Koenen – DS – 5-4 – Seguin, Texas (Seguin HS)
Kaylie Koenen is a four-year letterwinner at Seguin High School competing for Kristi Stanley. The two-year captain has led her team to a 10-3 record in District 26-5A this season. She is a two-time all-district selection and was chosen in 2016 to both the Gazette News All-Area Team and the San Antonio News All-Area Team. She helped lead the Matadors to a bi-district championship her sophomore year. She is also a four-year member of the academic all-district team. Koenen competes at the club level for the San Antonio Force. She is also a defender for the SHS soccer team, where she was honored in 2016 as the district defensive player of the year. She was also chosen as the newcomer of the year in 2015 in both soccer and track. She is the daughter of Chuck and Carol Koenen, and she has one older sister, Lindsay.
Coach Chisum on Koenen: “Kaylie is the No. 1-ranked student in her class at SHS. She is a great passer, and she is an extremely reliable and consistent player who has excellent serve-receive skills. She has a quiet demeanor about her, but she is very driven and highly competitive. She will make a wonderful addition to our ‘littles’ defensive group, and she will compete for playing time right away.”
Mallory Pittman – OH – 5-11 – Bartonville, Texas (John H. Guyer HS)
Mallory Pittman will come to Texas State after wrapping up a successful career at Guyer High School. She had three coaches during her high school career, Addie Mack, Erin Harden and, most recently, Heather Van Noy. The Wildcats (31-14) were ranked by Max Preps this season at No. 29 in the state of the Texas and No. 172 in the country. They made a trip to the third round of the state tournament in 2014, which was the deepest run in school history. Pittman was chosen as the team’s offensive player of the year during her junior campaign, and she was also an academic all-district honoree. She plays at the club level for Texas Advantage Volleyball. She is the daughter of James and Laura Pittman, and she has one younger brother, Brant.
Coach Chisum on Pittman: “Mallory is a very versatile hitter with the court vision needed to hit over and around blocks to score. She will be a great compliment to the other pin hitters in her class and will bring a different look and scoring ability needed for certain opponents. She is a hard worker and has a fun, outgoing personality. She also plays for club TAV and will receive great competition and training in her senior season.”
Jillian Slaughter – MB – 6-0 – San Antonio, Texas (James Madison HS)
Jillian Slaughter is a four-year letterwinner from James Madison High School, where she plays for Shannon Wolfe. She recently led the Mavericks to the playoffs and led District 26-6A in kills each of the last two years. The two-time team captain has twice been selected as a first team all-district honoree, and she has also been named a Texas Girls Coaches Association All-Star. Slaughter is also an academic all-district honoree. She’s played for club team San Antonio Magic for four years was honored as a prep volleyball All-American as a sophomore. During her freshman club season, she helped the team win the USA Division National Championship. She is the daughter of Todd and Sherri Slaughter. She has two older sisters – Lauren and Madison – who have both played volleyball at the collegiate level.
Coach Chisum on Slaughter: “Jillian is a strong blocker with a very fast arm swing. She is an explosive athlete with extreme offensive termination ability and will be a huge blocking threat for us. She will bring an immediate impact to the middle position and give us much-needed depth and blocking for 2018. She has a huge ceiling and future all-conference potential. She also has tremendous family support who are all so ready to be Bobcats. She committed first in this class as a sophomore and set the standard for future Bobcat volleyball.”
Lauren Teske – OH – 6-0 – Schertz, Texas (Samuel Clemens HS)
Lauren Teske was recently honored as a 2017 AVCA Under Armour Girls High School All-American. She has been a team captain at Samuel Clemens High School for the past three years playing for Texas State alumni Robyn Wunderlich. She recently led the Buffaloes to both a 40-6 record and their first playoff victory in 20 years. CHS is the No. 17-ranked team in the state of Texas and ranked No. 104 in the nation by Max Preps. Teske was also honored as the MVP of District 27-6A and is a three-time first team all-district honoree. She recorded 532 kills as a senior, which ranked No. 15 in the state of Texas. She was also named a Texas Association of Volleyball Coaches All-State member junior year. She has competed for the last four years at the club level for Tri-County Volleyball Association (TCVA). Teske is also a four-time academic all-district selection. She is the daughter of John and Lisa Teske. Her brother, Logan, plays baseball at Angelo State University.
Coach Chisum on Teske: “Lauren is a dynamic full-rotation hitter with great versatility and a very high athletic ceiling. She has tremendous work ethic and a great personality, making her the ideal teammate. We expect very big things from Lauren, and she will be a great addition to our pin hitter options. We are so excited she will play club this spring with SA Magic with other Bobcat signees Emily DeWalt and Jillian Slaughter to get ready for fall 2018.”
Sarabi Worsley-Gilbert – OH – 5-9 – Orlando, Fla. (Freedom HS)
Sarabi Worsley-Gilbert is the lone recruit outside the state of Texas. She will come to San Marcos after wrapping up her high school career in Orlando, where she competes for the Patriots of Freedom High School under the guidance of Barbara Lansing. The outside hitter is an all-metro, all-district first team performer who has also been selected as her team’s MVP. She was named an AAU All-American in 2015 as a member of the Orlando Tampa Volleyball Academy. She is the daughter of Joy Fry.
Coach Chisum on Worsley-Gilbert: “Sarabi is a great leaper with tremendous potential. She is a high-flying, fast and physical outside hitter that fans are going to love watching. She plays for one of the top clubs in the country in an Orlando area that gets amazing training and competition. She will add great depth and fire power to an already strong returning outside position as she learns to complete her full rotation skills behind upperclassmen Megan Porter and Amy Pflughaupt. She is a true competitor who loves the game and is so excited to be a Texan and a Bobcat.”
