Volleyball Adds Three In 2019 Class

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis volleyball head coach Sean Burdette announced Thursday that Sabria Cooper, Anna Hayes and Caitlin Schultz are joining the Tigers program in 2019.

"It's an exciting time to bring these young women into the program and be potential impact players for us," said Burdette, who is in his first season at Memphis in 2018. "Being able to get out and watch people play for extended times, evaluate them and get through a full cycle is exciting. We're continuing to move forward and build the program daily. We're out recruiting and trying to get players that will come in, compete for spots and make us better.

"This is a great class. We've addressed a lot of needs with this class. We're getting a little more physical, along with getting more experience as well."

The following are brief biographical sketches and Burdette's comments on Cooper, Hayes and Schultz:

Sabria Cooper
MB / 6-2
Oklahoma City, Okla. / Westmoore High School
Club: Oklahoma Peak Performance

Four-year varsity starter for head coach Kacia Sandburg at Westmoore High School … Played in more than 200 career sets and registered 578 kills, 187 total blocks and 45 aces … Had a .258 hitting percentage for her career …

Best season was her junior campaign with 285 kills and 99 total blocks … Her best hitting percentage came in her senior season (.321) … Missed some of her senior season due to injury … Named Westmoore High School's Offensive Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017 …

Named to the Academic Oklahoma All-State Team in 2017 … Earned Oklahoman's All-City honorable mention accolades in 2016 and 2017 … Named to the 2017 All-Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference first team … Selected to the 2016 All-Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference second team … Two-time all-district first team pick in 2015 and 2016 …

In January 2017, selected to PrepVolleyball.com Watch List for the Class of 2019 … Earned PrepVolleyball.com's Highest Honorable Mention on the Sophomore 79 List in 2016 …
In 2017, led Oklahoma Class 6A in blocks … Was tops on her 2017 team in kills, hitting percentage and blocks …

Played club volleyball for Oklahoma Peak Performance … In junior high school, competed in the long jump on the girls' track and field team.

Coach Burdette's comments on Cooper: "Sabria is a dynamic middle blocker. She is a one who is good at both attacking and blocking. She can attack in front of the setter off two feet and can also get behind really quickly. Sabria can be a game changer in the middle for us."

Anna Hayes
OH / 6-1
Hartsburg, Ill. / Hartsburg-Emden Junior-Senior High School
Club: Illini Elite Volleyball Club

Four-year starter for the Hartsburg-Emden Junior-Senior High School Stags from 2015-18 … Wrapped up her career with 1,807 kills, 230 total blocks, 599 digs and 155 aces … Her 1,807 kills rank second in Illinois state volleyball history … Posted a career hitting percentage of .377 … Helped lead the Stags to a four-year overall record of 105-31-2 … Team also had a 24-2 Tomahawk Volleyball Conference record over those four seasons … The Stags won Tomahawk Volleyball Conference championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018 …

Career honors include: Two-time team captain (2017, 2018) … 2017 News-Gazette All-State first team … 2016 News-Gazette All-State Special Mention 50 … Three-time Tomahawk Valley All-Conference (2016, 2017, 2018) … Two-time Pentagraph All-Area first team (2016, 2017) … Two-time all-region pick (2016, 2017) …

Helped Hartsburg-Emden to an Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 1A state runner-up finish in 2018 … The Stags posted a 36-5 overall record and a 7-0 conference mark … Second in kills (527) and ninth in hitting percentage (.339) among the Illinois high school state leaders …

Coached by her mother, Jennifer, at Hartsburg-Emden … Played club volleyball for Illini Elite Volleyball Club … Teammate of current Tiger Kate Hoerdemann with the Illini Elite.

Coach Burdette's comments on Hayes: "Anna comes from a volleyball family, and she plays for her mom in high school. Anna has a high-level volleyball IQ. She has great ball control. Anna can bring the heat and hit the ball hard and mix up other shots as well. Anna is a six-rotation player who has a good all-around game."

Caitlin Schultz
OH / 6-4
Port Washington, Wis. / Port Washington High School
Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Club: Wisconsin Volleyball Academy

Graduate transfer from Milwaukee … Played three seasons at Milwaukee from 2015-17 … Saw action in 67 matches (229 sets) and made 37 starts … Logged 587 kills and 75 total blocks in those three campaigns …

Posted career-highs for kills (20) and attempts (58) vs. Bradley her sophomore season in 2016 … Registered a career-best .588 hitting percentage at DePaul as a junior … Tied her career-high in blocks (4) vs. Idaho State her junior season … Named the 2016 Pepsi Panther Invitational MVP … Had 41 kills in the three-match Pepsi Panther Invitational … Earned Horizon League Academic Honor Roll distinction five of her six semesters at Milwaukee …

Prior to Milwaukee, was a three-year varsity starter at Port Washington High School … Career statistics included: 623 kills, .300 hitting percentage, 135 total blocks and 52 aces … Played in 244 career sets … Had career-bests of 289 kills, .374 hitting percentage and 65 solo blocks her junior season … Named team MVP and All-North Shore Conference second team as a junior ... Earned All-North Shore Conference honorable mention distinction her sophomore and senior campaigns …

Played club volleyball for the Wisconsin Volleyball Academy.

Coach Burdette's comments on Schultz: "She is a player I know well having coached against her while she was at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which was a conference opponent of Green Bay where I previously coached. Caitlin is a physical attacker at 6-foot-4. She brings a lot of kills per set and a blocking presence. She also brings leadership and is someone who's already been through the Division I experience."

University of Memphis Athletics

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