Priest River's Taylor Stewart signs with Eastern.
LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University volleyball team announced the signing of a pair of recruits for the 2010 season.
Katie Showers and Taylor Stewart will be Mountaineers next season. Showers, from Missoula, Mont., is an incoming freshman at EOU. She played basketball at Big Sky High School for four years and volleyball for three.
Showers was Academic All-State in both sports for three years. In basketball she was named Most Improved Player in her junior season. That year Showers was also second team All-State. She was captain of BSHS her senior year and finished second team All-State. Big Sky won the state title in 2008 and 2009.
In volleyball she was Most Improved Player her sophomore season along with All-Conference Honorable Mention. Showers was named the Best Defender on the team her junior year and Second Team All-Conference. The daughter of Kathy & Charlie Showers, was Captain, Best Offensive Player and Second Team All-State her senior season.
“When I took my visit to EOU, the University really set itself apart from other schools I took trips to,” Showers said. “I really loved the Coach, the players, and I felt very comfortable right away. I knew EOU was the right school for me.”
Recently Showers went to the Emerald City Classic tournament with her club team at the University of Washington. Her team won the top division and she got MVP of the tournament. The other middle on her team has signed with the University of Montana with a full scholarship.
Priest River, Idaho’s Stewart comes to Eastern after leaving quite a legacy at Priest River Lamanna High School. The incoming freshman was a member of the volleyball, basketball, and track and field teams for four years.
Stewart was named All-league in basketball all four years in high school, and three times in volleyball. She was named a Northern Idaho Female Athlete of the Year nominee in volleyball, basketball, and track on multiple occasions. The daughter of Kim and Gary Stewart was the league MVP in basketball her junior and senior seasons, and volleyball league MVP her senior year.
“Winning the basketball state championship title for the first time in school history my senior year has to be my favorite sports memory so far,” Stewart said. “My dad was the coach and my sister was one of my teammates as well.”
Stewart was awarded with the Outstanding Individual Scholastic Award, which is an IHSAA 3.75-4.00 GPA in classroom work while actively participating in Interscholastic Activities.
“I’m very excited with the signing of these two players,” EOU head coach Hailey Pearce said. “The caliber of play that they are use to will definitely benefit our team. They will be a big impact for us next season.”