Nov. 14, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State volleyball head coach Sharon Dingman has reiterated numerous times this season that the Redbirds' team athleticism would be an element that would help them win their fair share of Missouri Valley Conference matches. After Dingman released the details of her 2007 recruiting class, it is apparent that she is focused on bolstering the team's size and depth up front for next season when she announced the signings of Katie Culbertson, Hailey Kelley and Mallory Leggett.
All three recruits played their high school volleyball in the state of Illinois, and stand over six-feet tall.
Culbertson is a 6-3, right side hitter that led Hononegah High School to the super sectional title Monday night with a three-game win (25-21, 19-25, 25-23) over St. Charles North. The Indians will play in the state quarterfinals against Belleville Friday at 7 p.m. at Redbird Arena. The Rockton, Ill. native plays for the Milwaukee Sting Club, and currently resides in Beloit, Wis.
"In Katie, we're getting a player that is coming from a great high school program, and that has great club training," said Dingman. "She has played with and against some of the best players in the country coming from the Milwaukee Sting. We're absolutely thrilled to have signed Katie. She's physical, hits the ball hard, and is very serious about the game of volleyball. I think she'll remind our fans a lot of Laura Doornbos. They are built the same way, and have a very similar mentality out there on the court."
Culberton's high school coach, Julian Jacques, said that her game could translate to the college level early in her tenure at Illinois State.
"Katie is a big, physical presence," said Jacques. "She's always been strong, but over the past three or four years, has really turned into a smarter player. I think she can step in and contribute early on, because of her ability to block and attack. She definitely hits the ball hard, and can run a variety of sets. She really possesses a lot of the assets of the game of volleyball."
Kelley is a Chicago Heights native, and attended Bloom High School. The 6-2 middle blocker has only been playing organized volleyball since 9th grade, but has "loads of potential" according to Dingman.
"Hailey is a really nice athlete," Dingman said. "She reminds me a lot of M.C. (Richmond) in that the game is somewhat new to her, but her passion for the game is unquestioned. There's so much joy surrounding her when she's out there playing, and she is ultra competitive. Hailey is going to be a great volleyball player, but also a great student-athlete for Illinois State. That's something we are very excited about. She is a great person, and will bring a lot to this student body and the community."
Kelley was impressed by Illinois State's volleyball tradition and said it felt like the "perfect fit."
"On my very first visit, Illinois State's staff made me feel warm and at home," said Kelley. "I really enjoyed the team environment, and besides that, Illinois State is a great academic school. The coaching staff is great. I really think Sharon (Dingman) can help me go far in my volleyball career."
Leggett has been a recruiting target for Dingman and her staff for the past three years. She verbally committed to Illinois State last January. The 6-0 outside hitter attends Maroa-Forsyth High School, and plays for the Illini Elite, where she played club volleyball with current freshman middle blocker Katie Seyller.
"We expect Mallory to be a special player for us in the next four years," Dingman said. "She is a legit, 6-1 outside hitter. Her size on the outside is something we haven't had for a while. She's been playing outside for three years now, so she knows the position, and knows how to play it well. It's going to be nice to have her size and athleticism in the front row."
Maroa-Forsyth head coach Jeannie Hill said that Leggett's level of talent is rare to see at the high school level.
"In the front row, she is one of the most talented players I have ever seen at the high school level," Hill said. "If she gets a good set, she can kill the ball at the 10-foot line, which is very rare for a high school player."
Leggett, who also drew interest from LSU, Alabama and Saint Louis, has always wanted to play college volleyball and further her education at Illinois State.
"Since I was a little girl, ISU has always been my dream school," said Leggett. "Having my family being able to watch me play was a huge factor in my decision, and ISU is very close to home. They also have a great coaching staff."
Dingman said that while the past two Redbird recruiting classes (2006 and 2007) have differed with regards to physical attributes, they parallel each other when considering what it takes to build a solid program in the highly competitive Missouri Valley Conference.
"Last year's recruiting class (Mary McGinnis, Peggy Riessen, Katie Seyller and Kasey Mollerus) was about as athletic of a group as we have recruited since I've been here, but they weren't the biggest class in the Valley by any means. I love the quickness and athleticism of that group, and now we're taking that next step by adding height and strength to our team. That's been our recruiting game plan for the past couple of years, and is the direction we need to go in order to compete in the Valley. Every team is getting bigger and more physical."
