Tigers Volleyball Announces 2017 Signing Class

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis volleyball head coach April Jauregui announced the Tigers' 2017 signing class Tuesday.

"The 2017 class is our most comprehensive group we have put together," said Jauregui. "We are bringing in players for every position, which will add depth and competition for our program.

"We are entering year No. 5 in The American in 2017, and we can see the direction the conference is going. The level of play is continuing to improve across the board. Our goal is to be at the top of the conference and competing for league championships and NCAA Tournament berths. We are putting the pieces together to be very successful."

The members of the 2017 class, their biographical sketches and Jauregui's comments follow:

Kelsea Bivins
OH/RS • 5-11
Pelham, Ala. • Thompson HS • Wallace State Community College
Club: Southern Performance

A junior college transfer from Wallace State Community College … Played two seasons for the Lions in 2015 and 2016 … Helped lead Wallace State to back-to-back Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) championships … The 2016 title was the program's 10^th-straight league crown … The Lions have a combined 77-10 (39-8 in 2015; 38-2 in 2016) overall record and a perfect 29-0 ACCC mark the last two seasons (2015, 2016) … Wallace State advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) tournament both seasons …

Named the 2016 ACCC Player of the Year … Led conference in total kills (429) and kills per set (3.73) … Second in the league in hitting percentage (.412) … Played in all 40 matches … As a freshman in 2015, had 434 kills (3.44 kps) and a .298 hitting percentage … Saw action in 42 matches …

Played her prep career at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Ala. … Named to the 2014 Al.com All-State Team … Earned Al.com Birmingham All-Metro Team accolades as a senior … Also played basketball for the Warriors and was an all-region pick in hoops.

Coach Jauregui's comments on Bivins: "Kelsea hasn't had the easiest road. Life has thrown her some definite curve balls, but she is a fighter. She is a great athlete with a lot of power. Kelsea will bring immediate scoring options from the left pin. She currently ranks among the top-20 attackers at the NJCAA level. She will bring that experience of being a 'go-to' player to our roster. I expect great things out of Kelsea."

Hannah Flowers
OPP/OH • 6-2
Wildwood, Mo. • Lafayette HS
Club: High Performance STL

Four-year performer at Lafayette High School … Member of four-straight Missouri State High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 4 state championship teams … The Lancers had a combined record of 122-21-3 over those four seasons … Had a perfect 37-0 mark in league action …

Earned Class 4 All-State honors as a senior … Also picked up all-region and all-district accolades … In 2016, played in 77 sets and recorded a team-high 241 kills and a .334 hitting percentage … Also had 60 total blocks … Had 30 total kills in the state tournament …

As a junior in 2015, named to the All-Suburban West Conference second team … Posted 128 kills and 59 total blocks in 75 sets played ... Named Lafayette High School's Best Offensive Player as a sophomore and Best All-Around Player as a freshman.

Coach Jauregui's comments on Flowers: "Hannah knows what it takes to win. Her high school team has won six-straight Missouri Class 4 state championships. That type of experience is invaluable. Hannah brings a lot of size and power on the pin. She has improved so much just in the past year. She has worked hard to develop all areas of her game to become a six-rotation player. She has a very effective serve and has the ability to take over a match."

Kate Hoerdemann
OH • 6-1
Bloomington, Ill. • Bloomington Central Catholic HS
Club: Illini Elite

Helped lead the Bloomington Central Catholic High School team to the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 3A final four Nov. 11-12 … The Saints placed fourth in the state's Class 3A tournament … Bloomington Central Catholic High School finished 2016 with a 31-7 overall record … School moved to Class 3A in 2016 after competing in Class 2A in 2015 … Helped lead Central Catholic to the ISHA Class 2A state title in 2015 … The Saints finished with a 35-5 record in 2015 …

Named to PrepVolleyball.com's 2016 preseason All-America Watch List … Earned 2015 All-State distinction … Four-time All-Corn Belt Conference selection, including three first team honors from 2014-16 … Earned honorable mention recognition as a freshman in 2013 … Two-time Pantagraph All-Area Team selection (first team, 2015; second team, 2014) … Named team MVP in 2014 and 2015 …

Also played basketball for the Saints … Helped her squad to a third-place finish in the 2014 IHSA state tournament … Earned All-Corn Belt Conference honorable mention accolades for the 2014-15 season.

Coach Jauregui's comments on Hoerdemann: "Kate is a true six-rotation player. She can play on either pin and brings immediate depth to our team. She is an excellent passer and defender and is incredibly smart on the court."

Alyssa Kronberg
DS/L • 5-3
Palatine, Ill. • Palatine HS
Club: Rolling Thunder 16 Blue

Three-year varsity letterwinner at Palatine High School … Three-time Daily Herald All-Area selection as a sophomore, junior and senior … For her career, saw action in 259 sets and compiled 1,683 digs, 105 service aces and 1,428 serve receptions (only 83 errors) …

Captain of the Daily Herald All-Area Team in 2016 … The 2016 Mid-Suburban League (MSL) Player of the Year … Served as the Pirates' team captain her senior season … As a senior, led Palatine High School to a 32-6 record and the regional title … The Pirates lost in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 4A/Glenview Sectional finals … Collected a school record 576 digs in 2016 …

Earned All-State honorable mention her junior campaign in 2015 … Helped lead Palatine High School to a 24-13 record and the MSL West championship (10-1 league mark) as a junior … The Pirates fell in the regional finals round of the Libertyville Sectional.

Coach Jauregui's comments on Kronberg: "Alyssa is a fireball. She plays with such energy and passion. Her greatest skill is in her ability to cover hitters. She can cover the court extremely well and is very quick on her feet. It isn't something that shows up on a stat sheet, but it is an invaluable asset and will have a great impact on our team and offensive system. Our goal is to put together a solid ball-control team, and she will complement our current backcourt and returning players."

Daija Lowe
OH/RS • 6-2
Memphis, Tenn. • Lausanne Collegiate School
Club: Memphis Metro

Four-year varsity performer … Played final two seasons at Lausanne Collegiate School after transferring from Southwind High School …

Served as captain of the Lynx squad in 2016 … Earned all-region honors her senior campaign at Lausanne in 2016 … Also was an all-region performer in 2014 while at Southwind …

Following her sophomore season at Southwind, earned the highest volleyball performance index (VPI) score from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) combine held in Nashville in March of 2015 … Had a 583.9 score at the combine … A 2015 AVCA Phenom List pick.

Coach Jauregui's comments on Lowe: "Daija is a local player who we've had the chance to watch grow and develop the last couple of years. Not only does she have big size (6-2) and a big jump (10-3), but the best part is she has a big, big heart. It is her passion to be the very best. Her ability to connect with teammates and the constant smile on her face will have the most impact on our team. She has tremendous upside and will only continue to improve as she plays at a higher level."

Adjuwa Osborne
MB/OH • 6-0
Deer Park, Texas • Deer Park HS
Club: Absolute Volleyball Academy of Texas

Played the last two seasons for Deer Park High School … Helped lead the Lady Deer to a combined record of 46-34 in her two seasons … The Lady Deer had a perfect two-year league mark of 26-0 (12-0 in 2015; 14-0 in 2016) … Squad advanced to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A Region III bi-districts both seasons …

As a senior in 2016, led Deer Park High School in kills (319), hitting percentage (.406) and blocks (88) … Played in 118 sets … Team's lone senior in 2016 … Fifth on team in both kills (117) and hitting percentage (.376) her junior season … Saw action in 91 sets … Led the Lady Deer squad in blocks (54) ...

Family moved to United States from Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, when she was 13-years-old … First moved in with family in Maryland for her eighth and ninth grade years before relocating to Texas.

Coach Jauregui's comments on Osborne: "Adjuwa is a tremendous athlete. She is fast twitch and has amazing foot speed. We are very excited to incorporate Adjuwa into our offensive system. She brings a totally different dynamic that works really well with our vision for the tempo of our offensive system. She is still pretty young to the game, but she is an extremely fast learner and very coachable. She has the raw talent to be a force in this conference."

Joze Smith
L • 5-2
Millington, Tenn. • Tipton-Rosemark Academy
Club: Memphis Juniors

Saw time on the varsity squad all four seasons at Tipton-Rosemark Academy (TRA) in Millington, Tenn. … Played in 285 career sets … Posted 1,122 receptions (only 88 errors), 834 digs and 124 service aces in her four varsity seasons …

Earned Commercial Appeal Best of the Preps honors her sophomore and junior seasons … Also named Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) All-West Division II-A the past two seasons (2014, 2015) …

In 2016, helped lead the Lady Rebels to a 24-15 overall record and a 7-5 TSSAA West Division II-A mark … TRA placed fifth in the TSSAA West Division II-A standings and earned a state tournament berth … The Lady Rebels fell in the TSSAA West Division II-A Sub-State.

Coach Jauregui's comments on Smith: "Joze is another local player we've had the chance to watch develop the last couple of years. We first noticed her a few years back at our team camp. Our coaching staff was very impressed with how she played, her speed and the joy she had for the game. We are excited to have Joze join the Tigers family."

University of Memphis Athletics

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