Kali Robinson
Sports Editor
With three prep standouts of the five new signees, the Aggie volleyball team prepares to take down the competition. Head volleyball coach Douglas Tabbert said that he is looking forward to getting things going.
In the Fall 2013 Lone Star Conference pre-season polls, the Lady Aggies volleyball team lands a berth at the eighth seed out of nine primary teams. Eastern New Mexico, who the Aggies are playing for their first home game, was chosen as the ninth seed.
Tabbert, who took a team picked 11th in the conference preseason polls in 2011 to a their first Lone Star Conference Tournament berth in three years as the sixth seed, says that he is not concerned.
“Pre-season polls tend to reflect how the season ended up,” Tabbert said. “We are different than we were last year.”
This fall, the Aggie volleyball team acquired five new signees from Texas, three of whom are prep standouts.
Kayla Hebert, a 5’8” setter from McKinney, Texas, graduated from Heritage High School and intends to study medicine after graduating from Cameron.
“There is an ‘it’ factor to how she plays the position that is hard to describe, but easy to see,” Tabbert said.
Paige Holt, a 5’9” middle hitter from Granbury, Texas, graduated from Granbury High School and intends to major in either Early Education or Psychology while she is attending Cameron.
Tabbert said, “Paige is a dynamic athlete that certainly is capable of playing bigger than her actual size suggests.”
Maci Terrell, a 5’10” outside hitter from Missouri City, Texas, graduated from Hightower High School and intends to study medicine after graduating college.
Tabbert said that Terrell has demonstrated some quality skills that should translate very well to success at the collegiate level.
Ashley Smith, a 5’5” Libero/DS from Aledo, Texas, graduated from Aledo High School. Smith intends to major in Business Administration or Marketing.
Tabbert describes Smith as an athletic and high-energy ball-control specialist who has experienced plenty of success as both a high school and a club player.
Kelsie Coplen, a 6’1” middle hitter from Peaster, Texas, came to Cameron after graduating from Peaster High School. She intends to major in Biology during her time as an Aggie.
“Kelsie brings a nice combination of size, strength and athleticism to the middle hitter position,” Tabbert said. “She certainly has the potential to be a solid contributor very early in her collegiate career.”
Tabbert expects the new recruits to catch up pretty quickly, popping the new Aggies in with the rest of the team.
“We’re not doing anything unique,” Tabbert said before meeting for another practice.
The Aggie volleyball team is set to play their first two of eight away games on Friday, Sept. 6, against Christian Brothers University and the University of Central Oklahoma. They will compete against Eastern New Mexico University at 7 p.m. on Sept. 17 in the Aggie Gym.