Volleyball inks No. 1 and No. 5 recruits
Nov. 12, 2008 AUSTIN, Texas -- Consistently recognized for recruiting top national classes, Texas Volleyball head coach Jerritt Elliott has again landed one of the nation's top recruiting classes, signing two of the top-five prep players in the country to attend The University of Texas. Bailey Webster, a 6-3 outside hitter from Brooklandville, Md., and ShaDare McNeal, a 6-0 middle blocker/outside hitter from Fallbrook, Calif. will enroll at UT in the fall of 2009. Webster and McNeal are ranked as the No. 1 and No. 5 national recruits by PrepVolleyball.com, respectively. "We are extremely excited to add these two great young ladies to our program," Elliott said. "They are not only athletic, but incredible people who will add to our team chemistry and represent our program well throughout their careers." In July, Webster and McNeal helped the USA Women's Junior National Team win a gold medal at the NORCECA Continental Women's Junior Championships in Mexico. Webster, the nation's top-ranked recruit, attends St. Paul's School for Girls in Brooklandville and plays club volleyball for TCA in Baltimore. The current high school senior is a four-year letterwinner at St. Paul's and is the reigning Maryland Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year. Webster led her high school squad to three straight conference championships (2005-07) and was twice named Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland All-Conference. "Bailey is an exceptional athlete and with hard work she will develop into one of the premier players in the country," Elliott said. "We are excited to get her in our gym to begin the training process."
In 2007, Webster garnered PrepVolleyball.com and Mizuno/Volleyball All-America honors. During her All-America campaign she averaged 6.4 kills per-set and hit at a blistering .535 clip. Following the season she was tabbed Baltimore Sun All-Metro Player of the Year and Baltimore Examiner Player of the Year. McNeal, the fifth-ranked national recruit, attends Fallbrook High School in San Diego, while playing club volleyball for Epic. She is a versatile athlete who has the ability to play in the middle, on the left or on the right side. "We are excited about ShaDare," Elliott said. "Her lateral speed, great arm and overall experience will be a great addition in 2009. She continues to develop and we are excited to add ShaDare to our program." McNeal is a former club teammate of current Longhorn and 2007 AVCA National Freshman of the Year Juliann Faucette. At Epic, McNeal helped her team to first-place finishes at the Lone Star Classic Junior Olympic Qualifier and the Big South Junior Olympic Qualifier. Competing for Fallbrook, McNeal is a two-time All-Avocado league selection and earned a place on the North County Times All-Academic Team in 2007. In 2008, McNeal has averaged 3.5 kills per-set to date and is currently hitting at a .424 clip. "This is an incredibly athletic class that is very gifted and is going to help continue the success of our program here at Texas," Elliott said. "Bailey and ShaDare have great experience, having played with USA Volleyball and we are very excited about having both of these quality young women in our program." Texas' stellar recruiting class follows the second-ranked classes the Longhorns brought to the Forty Acres in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
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