Volleyball Announces Signing Class

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis volleyball head coach Sean Burdette announced Monday that Natalie Benson, Kaitlyn Gehler, Anna Palmer and Meredith Wallace are joining the Tigers program beginning in the 2018 fall semester.

The quartet joins Molly Murrihy as members of Memphis' 2018 class. Murrihy signed with the Tigers last November.

Head coach Sean Burdette comments on signing class
"I really like the mix of players we are bringing into the class. We have addressed several areas of need for the upcoming season. This class will raise the level of play in our gym and continue to build on the culture we've established since I got here in January. They will be good stewards of the volleyball program both on the court and in the classroom. I cannot wait to bring them together with our current group that has worked very hard in laying the foundation for future success."

The following are brief biographical sketches and Burdette's comments on each signee:

Natalie Benson
5-4/Libero
Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais HS

Played for head coach Kary Cram Dowling at Bradley-Bourbonnais High School … In her final campaign in 2017, earned Kankakee Daily Journal All-Area honors for a second-straight season … Named the team's MVP … Recorded 273 digs and added 39 assists and 21 aces … Helped lead Bradley-Bourbonnais to a 28-7 overall record and a 6-3 conference mark … Helped her squad advance to the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 4A Marist Regional, where it fell in the semifinal round … Had 19 digs and four assists in her final prep match …

As a junior, led the Boilermakers with 283 digs … Accumulated 205 points off her serves … Earned All-SouthWest Suburban Conference honors … Named to the Kankakee Daily Journal All-Area team … Led the Boilers to a 23-10 record and the IHSA Class 4A regional championship match … Had 16 digs in the regional title match …

Played for Ultimate Volleyball Club of Chicago.

Burdette comments on Benson: "Another Chicagoland native (along with Molly Murrihy, who signed in the fall), Natalie comes from a strong club program in Ultimate Volleyball Club. She has been a driving force as the program's libero and is very quick in the backcourt. She makes tough plays seem easy and is good at directing the back row defense. One of the things that stood out to me is her well-rounded game. It is not just about serve receive and defense for her, as she is great at taking the second ball if needed and putting hitters in a great position to score. She has a good serve and can cover a lot of space in the backcourt. We are fortunate to have two high-quality back row players in this class."

Kaitlyn Gehler
5-6/Libero
Waterloo, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran HS

Four-year starter (2014-17) and three-year team captain (2015-17) for the Warriors varsity volleyball program … Played in 435 career sets … Collected 2,240 career digs, the most in program history … Also had 344 career service aces … Had only 206 errors in 2,004 serve receptions … Helped Lakeside Lutheran High School to a combined 143-24 record in her four seasons … The Warriors also had a combined 39-1 Capitol-North Conference record and won four-straight league titles …

As a senior, helped lead Lakeside Lutheran to a 39-5 overall record and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Division 2 state championship, the first in the program's history … The Warriors overcame a 2-0 deficit to win the title match 3-2, marking the first time in WIAA Division 2 history that had happened … Had a match-high tying 27 digs and added five aces in the come-from-behind victory … Had 52 digs in the state tournament (five matches), a WIAA Division 2 record … Led her squad with 794 digs … Had 69 aces … Named to the 2017 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Under Armour Watch List … A Wisconsin State Journal/WisconsinPrepZone.com All-Area first team pick … Also earned Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association (WVCA) All-State honorable mention and All-Capitol North Conference first team (unanimous pick) accolades … Named to the WVCA All-Tournament Team …

Earned Wisconsin State Journal/WisconsinPrepZone.com All-Area honorable mention her junior season … Named to the AVCA Phenom List … Also received All-Capitol North Conference first team distinction … Had 659 digs and 76 service aces … Help the 2016 Warriors squad to a sectional championship – the program's first since 2000 – and a WIAA Division 2 state tournament appearance … As a sophomore, had 126 service aces and 421 digs … Named to the All-Capitol North Conference second team …

Played club volleyball with the Capital Volleyball Academy.

Burdette comments on Gehler: "Kaitlyn is a superb passer and defender and has an infectious personality. She immediately connected with the players on the team as well as the other incoming players. Kaitlyn is someone that can turn around a match not only with her play but with her 'never-give-up' attitude, as evidenced in her state championship match this past fall when her team was down 0-2 and she helped rally them to a 3-2 come-from-behind victory. She makes others around her better by engaging and challenging them and keeping the mood light when needed; but she is one of the more competitive players I have recruited in years. She has a great feel for what is needed on the court to get her teammates to play at the highest level."

Anna Palmer
6-2/Outside Hitter
Louisville, Ky./Assumption HS/Seattle University

A transfer from Seattle University … Played for the Redhawks in 2017 … Named to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) All-Freshman Team … Saw action in 26 matches (80 sets) and made 14 starts as a freshman … Fourth on the squad in both kills (129) and digs (128) … Also had 21 service aces and 52 assists … Came on strong in league play with 88 of 129 kills and 97 of 128 digs in conference matches … Posted three double-doubles (kills-digs) … Had five double-figures kills matches and six double-digit digs performances … Recorded a season-best 15 kills in a win over Bowling Green … Had a season-high 14 digs in a victory at Utah Valley … Posted three double-figures assists matches and had a season-best 17 helpers in a road win at Chicago State …

Played her prep career at Assumption High School in Louisville, Ky. … Three-year varsity member for the Rockets … Helped lead the program to a 101-19 record in her three seasons … Had nearly 300 kills and 100 digs for her career … Also totaled over 60 aces and 50 blocks …

Member of the Kentucky-Indiana Volleyball Academy (KIVA) club program … Earned All-Tournament Team honors at the 2017 National Junior Classic in Chicago, Ill. … Helped lead her club squad to a third-place finish at the 2016 AAU national tournament.

Burdette comments on Palmer: "Anna is a very versatile player that brings collegiate experience at multiple positions. Having spent her first season at Seattle, she was able to garner WAC All-Freshman Team honors after having played several different positions for the Redhawks. Anna has played at an extremely high level in both her club (KIVA) and high school programs (Assumption). Her competitiveness, volleyball IQ and skill set are what jump out at you when you watch her play. She sees the court well and is a true 6-rotation player with great ball control and shot-making ability."

Meredith Wallace
6-1/Outside Hitter
Knoxville, Tenn./Webb School of Knoxville

Four-year varsity starter for the Webb School of Knoxville (2014-17) … Also played on the Lady Spartans varsity team in the 2013 postseason as an eighth grader … Member of Lady Spartans teams that won five-straight Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Division II-A state championships from 2013-17 … 2017 team was ranked No. 14 nationally in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 preseason poll …

Two-time Tennessee Sports Writers Association Division II All-State Team selection in 2016 and 2017 … Also a two-time all-region and all-district honoree … Earned 2017 All-PrepXtra second team accolades … Named as a PrepXtra Player to Watch in the 2017 preseason … Served as team captain her senior campaign … Posted career statistics of 1,097 kills, 929 digs, 317 service aces and 205 blocks … Recorded a majority of kills (810) and digs (685) her final two campaigns in 2016 and 2017 … Set school single-season record for hitting percentage … Also posted the school's all-time record for passing rating …

Played club volleyball for K2 Volleyball.

Burdette comments on Wallace: "Meredith is another player that has experience in multiple positions and has a great ceiling for growth at the next level. She is an outside hitter that brings length and a competitive fire to the position. Another 6-rotation player that can be a weapon in the both the front row as an attacker and blocker but also producing points out of the backcourt with her serve and back row attacking. Meredith has good pop on the ball and, as she continues building strength, she will become a dominating attacker. It is also great that we were able to keep one of the best players from the state of Tennessee home to become a Tiger!"

University of Memphis Athletics

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