Volleyball signs highly-rated class of five
Head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch yells and shows excitement toward the bench after winning 25-22, 20-25, 25-21, 28-26 against Oklahoma on Oct. 12, 2014.
November 14, 2014
The ISU volleyball team announced the signing of five incoming players for the 2015 season Nov. 14.
The class includes libero/defensive specialist Abigail Phillips, rightside hitter Hannah Bailey, middle blocker Grace Lazard, setter Hali Hillegas and setter Remi Bowman.
Phillips, a Marion, Iowa native, is a three-time all-conference libero for Marion High School. She has tallied over 1,800 digs in her high school career, along with having won two Junior Girls National Championships in club volleyball.
Bailey, left-handed rightside hitter, is ranked as the No. 33 prep volleyball prospect in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com. The Cameron, Wis. native was named a 2014-15 AVCA/Under Armour Second-Team All-American after hitting over .500 for the second consecutive season.
Lazard, who hails from London, England, is the first international recruit in Johnson-Lynch’s ten seasons coaching the Cyclones. Lazard was the leading scorer for England’s Junior National Team at the 2013 Youth Volleyball European Championship and in September made her Senior National Team debut on the sand volleyball circuit.
Hillegas, the only other Iowa native in the class, has led her Charles City High School team in a variety of statistical categories this season. She leads her team in aces and assists per set, while she sits at second on the team in kills per set and digs per set. Hillegas was named MVP of the 2014 Junior Girls National Championship, during which she and Phillips played for the same team.
Bowman, a Greenville, Ind. native, is ranked as the No. 22 prospect in the nation, according to PrepVolleyball.com, tying former ISU All-American setter Alison Landwehr as the highest-rated recruits to ever sign with the program. Bowman is a three-time All-State player and was named a 2014-15 AVCA/Under Armour Honorable Mention All-American.
While the players signed their National Letters of Intent Nov. 12, the ISU athletic department waited a day to make an official announcement to maintain focus on Wednesday night’s match at Oklahoma, which Iowa State won in five sets.
The ISU volleyball team returns to action at 4:00 p.m. Nov. 15 at Hilton Coliseum to face Texas Christian.
