SOU Volleyball Recruits, from left to right: Motade Atanda, Jordan Crossley and Katie Thompson
SOU Volleyball Signs Three More for 2012 Recruiting Class
ASHLAND – Three more student-athletes have signed to join the Southern Oregon volleyball program for the 2012 season, SOU head coach Josh Rohlfing announced.
Transfer Motade Atanda and high school seniors Jordan Crossley and Katie Thompson will join the Raiders’ four prior signees to form the 2012 recruiting class as the Raiders look to build on a 2012 season that ended in the final 12 bracket at the NAIA National Championships.
“It may sound cliché when speaking of the student-athletes within our program and the new signees, but each of these student-athletes bring incredible intelligence, work-ethic, community mindedness and athleticism to the Raider volleyball team,” Rohlfing said. “Our depth in each position is imperative for the high standards we are aiming to accomplish at a national level.”
Atanda, a 5-8 junior from San Jose, Calif., graduated from Presentation High School and spent time at Butler University and Foothill Junior College. She was a three-year letterwinner at middle blocker in high school and earned honorable mention recognition in the San Jose Mercury News as a senior. She appeared in 11 matches as a freshman at NCAA Div. I Butler and led Foothill in kills 11 times last season as the Owls finished 20-7. She plans to major in communication.
“Tade is a highly accomplished volleyball player,” Rohlfing said. “She is such a fantastic athlete to watch and is a very nice fit for our program with her explosive jumping abilities and quickness. At 5-8, she touches an impressive 10 feet. She fills a need for us in our junior class for all of the front row position and will allow for flexibility in what we are able to accomplish on the court.”
Crossley is a 5-10 outside hitter from Napa, Calif. She is a two-year volleyball letterwinner at Napa High School and received first-team all-league recognition as a junior and senior. During her senior year she helped lead the Indians to a league championship and the second round of the playoffs, earning team MVP and offensive player of the year awards. She plans to double-major in business and economics.
“Each person that we talked to about Jordan raved about her character and athleticism,” Rohlfing said. “When we were able to get her on campus and meet her firsthand, we knew that she could be a special athlete for us into the future. She is a very explosive and strong lefty who can hit in multiple positions.”
Thompson is a 5-7 setter and defensive specialist from Bend, Ore. She is a three-year volleyball letterwinner at Mountain View High School, where she is a two-time honorable mention all-state honoree. During her prep career, the Cougars never finished lower than ninth at the state tournament, finishing as high as fourth during her junior season. She plans to major in psychology at Southern Oregon.
“Katie is a tremendously driven athlete, and she continues to make great strides in her setting and defensive abilities,” Rohlfing said. “She attended our camps the past couple summers, and we’ve watched her flourish as a player. She will bring toughness, tenacity and intelligence to our program and will be able to play multiple positions for us.”
Atande, Crossley and Thompson will join previous signees Tyana Andrews, Abbie Hanser, Taina Kanar and Tiffany Miller to form a seven-player recruiting class for the Raiders. To read more about the earlier signees, click here.
“With the 2012 signees we feel like we’ve given ourselves the ability to challenge in each position and foster growth,” Rohlfing said of the seven-player class. “We cannot wait to get on the court in the fall!”