LA GRANDE, Ore. – A pair of teammates from Skyview High School in Nampa, Idaho have signed Letter of Intents to play Volleyball at Eastern Oregon University in 2014. Emily Nay and Isabelle Statkus are the first signees for head coach Kaki Morehead's 2014 recruiting class.
"I am very excited about the signing of these two players and the true impact that they will make on our team right away," said head coach Kaki Morehead. "They will bring a level of maturity as well as real volleyball ability to our program. They also come from very successful teams both in the club volleyball and high school world. We are so excited about the future of these two players at EOU and think they will be the ones to carry on EOU's traditions into the future."
Nay and Statkus were three year varsity members of Skyview's Volleyball team. During those three years, Skyview won district three years in a row and also placed third place or above in the 4A Idaho State Championships. While playing on Boise Volleyball Club 17's, Nay and Statkus placed fifth at Junior Nationals.
Nay, a 6-1 middle blocker, started three years for Skyview. During her club team season, Nay helped her team to a third place finish at the Denver Classic. She has earned All-State Second Team and All-State Honorable mention while at Skyview.
"Emily has that immense raw ability to be dominant at the net both offensively and defensively," said Morehead. "After a successful high school season, at a program that is one of the best in Idaho, she will be able to make that transition from high school to college fairly quickly and we are excited about that."
During her three years on varsity, Statkus, a 6-0 right-side hitter, earned All-Conference honors each year. As a sophomore, Statkus was named Second Team All-Conference. Her junior and senior season, Statkus earned First Team All-Conference Honors. She was also named Second Team All-State during her senior season.
"When Belle, came on her visit, she knew that Eastern was the spot for her and we felt the same way," said Morehead. "With coming from the same high school, Belle brings that winning way with her. She is such a positive player and will truly peak here at EOU."
Not only did Nay and Statkus excel on the court but also in the classroom. Nay maintained a 3.9 grade point average, while Statkus earned Academic honors all four years of high school. Nay and Statkus led Skyview to Academic State Award during their senior year.