Raider volleyball team adds seven freshmen for 2016 7/8/2016 2:10:00 PM SOU Sports Information ASHLAND – With an accomplished core already in place, Southern Oregon University volleyball coach Josh Rohlfing didn't necessarily need a recruiting class comprised of players ready to enter the rotation immediately, but he may have gotten some anyway. Rohlfing, whose Raiders are coming off back-to-back appearances at the NAIA national tournament and have gone 33-5 in Cascade Conference play over the last two seasons, this week announced the signings of seven freshmen who will arrive in Ashland at the end of the month: middles Taylor Callahan and Makayla Hoyt, outside hitters Gretchen Litzsinger and Haleigh Wagman, defensive specialists/liberos Madisen Eusted and Emma Ryan, and DS/libero/setter Kelsey Weber. "This group improves our depth and competition in many different phases of the game," Rohlfing said. "We graduated skilled players with very high volleyball IQs in Laura Morse and Tyana Andrews, but I feel we've accomplished a great deal with this class. As is always the case, it has exemplary students, and they're as strong a group as we've signed in regard to their embodiment of high character, intelligence, self-motivation, coachability and an off-the-charts competitive drive." The freshmen will join 12 players who were on last year's roster, including three senior all-stars: third-team NAIA All-American setter Lauren McGowne, all-conference middle Emma Gasman and all-conference outside hitter Corynn Kopra. SOU went 26-6 overall in 2015 and finished No. 13 in the final national poll for the second year in a row. TAYLOR CALLAHAN | 6-0, Middle | Yreka High (Yreka, Calif.) About: Callahan, the first Yreka volleyball player to receive a scholarship out of high school in at least a decade, is a two-time Northern Athletic League first-team selection. She helped her team to two division IV title games while leading in kills and blocks. MAKAYLA HOYT | 6-2, Middle | El Dorado High (Placerville, Calif.) About: Hoyt ranked eighth in the state in blocks, leading her team to a perfect league season as a senior and a second straight title as its most valuable player. Her athleticism was also apparent on the track, where she notched the second-best high jump mark in school history and the third-fastest 300-meter hurdles time. Rohlfing on Callahan and Hoyt: "The two middles are unbelievably athletic and could contribute right away. Both are long and exceptional jumpers; each has touched 10 feet or higher. Most importantly, they'll contribute with great work ethic and a positive court presence." GRETCHEN LITZSINGER | 5-10, Outside Hitter | Eagle High (Boise, Idaho) About: At Eagle, Litzsinger was her conference's player of the year and a state Gatorade Player of the Year nominee after her team advanced to the state tournament. Among the highlights of her senior season, she was named an Idaho Statesman Journal player of the week after totaling 88 kills and 76 digs at a tournament in Salt Lake City, highlighted by a 19-kill, 13-dig performance in a sweep. HALEIGH WAGMAN | 5-11, Outside Hitter | North Valley High (Phoenix, Ore.) About: Wagman, a four-time all-conference player, blossomed into the Skyline's player of the year as a senior. She was a second-team all-state selection after helping North Valley to ninth place in the state and was recognized as a scholar athlete. In addition, she was the Skyline's 100-meter hurdles champion and an all-state wrestler. Her father, Adam Wagman, is a former SOU assistant coach, and Rohlfing once served as the coach of her 14U club team. Rohlfing on Litzsinger and Wagman: "They're very similar to one another in size and experience, and both are above-average ball-handlers and very intelligent at the net. Gretchen is physically strong, very smart, and her ability to play at a high level consistently through tournaments and matches demonstrated to us that she would be a good fit in this competitive environment. Haleigh is a competitor on and off the court. I love her drive and ability to shape her teams to win. She's very self-motivated and, most importantly, she's a leader." MADISEN EUSTED | 5-4, DS/Libero | Creswell High (Creswell, Ore.) About: Eusted was named the Lane County Sportstown female student-athlete of the year by Eugene's RG Media Company this spring. She was the Mountain Valley Conference co-player of the year, a first-team all-state selection in volleyball and basketball and an honorable mention all-state performer in softball while maintaining a 3.96 grade-point average. EMMA RYAN | 5-5, DS/Libero | Lebanon High (Lebanon, Ore.) About: Ryan earned Mid-Willamette Conference player-of-the-year accolades and was named to the all-state first team as a senior. Her Lebanon teams were top-six finishers at the state tournament all four years, highlighted by a third-place finish at the 5A tournament in 2015 following its second straight undefeated league record. She was also third at the 5A state track meet in the triple jump as a junior and plans to compete for the SOU track and field team. Rohlfing on Eusted and Ryan: "Emma and Madisen will bring awesome serve-receive skills and competition to our DS/libero positions. Emma has great high level club experience for North Pacific Juniors and is a phenomenal athlete. We love how hard she fights for every ball defensively and she has the ability to contribute right away. If Madisen can have a modicum of success that she had as a three-sport star at Creswell she will be outstanding for us. She's truly a well-rounded athlete. We're excited to get her here to fine tune her volleyball skills and see her potential realized." KELSEY WEBER | 5-8, DS/Libero/Setter | Vale High (Vale, Ore.) About: An all-conference and all-state performer, Weber also got accustomed to team success at the prep level: her team won the state title at Idaho's Fruitland High when she was a freshman, and she won another state title at Vale as a senior. She was a three-sport standout athlete, exemplifying the versatility that makes her stand out on the volleyball court. Rohlfing on Weber: "Kelsey is like a Swiss army knife. She can do it all: hit, play defense and set. She's such an awesome all-around volleyball player. She will contribute to us in two main positions (Libero and Setter). She's highly competitive and I've seen her make sacrifices her entire career to help her team win. That is 'Raider Ball.'"