Nov. 10, 2005
WACO, Texas - Baylor volleyball has signed Taylor Barnes, Anna Breyfogle, Katie Sanders, Lauren Keeton and Ashlee Cooper to national letters of intent, marking one of the best signing classes in school history, head coach Jim Barnes announced Thursday.
"This class is tremendously talented as players, but it is their character and competitive spirit that make them really special. They will help us continue to climb to the top of the Big 12, become a consistent top-25 program and build towards a national championship." Barnes said. "I couldn't be prouder of our first recruiting class and it couldn't have happened without the help of my coaching staff, Candice O'Brien, Geno Frugoli, our student assistant, Marisa Kersten, and all of our players who were instrumental in attracting these highly sought after recruits."
Taylor Barnes (no relation to Jim Barnes) is a 5-foot-11, left-handed setter from Martin High School in Arlington, Texas, who is ranked 55th overall and 13th at setter by prepvolleyball.com and was a finalist for the website's national player of the year award last year. Barnes earned back-to-back Fort Worth Star-Telegram player of the year awards as a sophomore and junior and was named first-team all-area by both the Star-Telegram and the Dallas Morning News both seasons. She was also named first team all-state by the Texas Girls' Coaches Association and lonestarvolleyball.com in 2003 and 2004. This season, the two-time defending District 7-5A most valuable player has led the Lady Warriors to a 31-7 record and a perfect 14-0 mark in district play to clinch the district title. Barnes participated in at the USA National Camp in 2002 and 2003 and attended the USA High Performance Camp in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
"Taylor was ranked as one of the top 10 players in the country her junior year in high school and I believe she is the top setter in the country." Barnes said. "She has the best setting touch I've ever seen from a high school player and her ability to be offensive and get kills at the setter position really sets her apart from any other setter in the nation."
Breyfogle, ranked among the top 250 seniors by prepvolleyball.com, is a 6-foot middle blocker/outside hitter from Hays High School in Buda, Texas. So far this season, she is leading the Austin area with 171 blocks, is averaging 4.5 kills per game and has recorded 60 aces. During the summer, she helped lead her Austin Juniors club team to the Girls 18 Junior Volleyball Gold Division National Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah. Breyfogle, a first-team all-district and academic all-district selection, was named one of the top 10 players in Central Texas by the Austin American-Statesman.
"Anna is a complete player who will make an immediate impact at either middle blocker or outside hitter," Barnes said. "She can hit the ball very hard and she has solid ball control skills and great leadership qualities."
Sanders, also ranked among the top 250 seniors, is a 6-foot-1 middle blocker/right-side hitter from Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, Texas. This year, she helped the Lady Cougars clinch the District 19-5A championship and was named to the Houston Chronicle's weekly honor roll. As a sophomore and junior, Sanders was a first-team all-district and TGCA all-state selection.
"Katie is very much like Anna in that she can hit very will and she has solid ball control skills," Barnes said. "She will likely play the opposite hitter position for us so we can take advantage of her lethal slide attack. She is a tough competitor and will also make an immediate impact on our team her freshman season."
Local product Keeton, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker/right-side hitter from Groesbeck High School in Groesbeck, Texas, will be the first player from the Central Texas area to suit up for the Bears since Clifton's Lexie Sanders played for Baylor from 1997-98. Last year, Keeton earned second-team all-state honors, was a Super Centex first team selection by the Waco Tribune-Herald, was the District 18-3A MVP and earned academic all-district honors for the third straight season. As a sophomore, Keeton earned all-state honorable mention and was named to the Super Centex second team and first-team all-district. As a freshman, Keeton was named district newcomer of the year and Super Centex honorable mention.
"Lauren is a tough, hard-hitting player who is going to surprise many people," Barnes said. "She will likely play middle or right-side. Lauren will need to develop her skills and consistently work hard to play at a Big 12 level, but she has all the tools to be a big-time player."
Cooper is a 6-foot-5 middle blocker from East St. John High School in Laplace, La., who has been growing an inch a year for each of the last four years. As a senior, she has led the Wildcats to an 18-6 record and a perfect 7-0 in district play to wrap up their second straight championship. As a junior, she earned first-team all-district honors and was named the River Parish MVP.
"Ashlee at 6-foot-5 has the potential to be an All-Big 12 player, but will have to develop her skills for our level," Barnes said. "She is tremendously competitive and jumps over 10-feet-4. She will likely play the middle position, which is a position where we will be very thin."
The 2006 class is arguably the best at Baylor since the 2000 class of Stevie Nicholas, Tisha Schwartz, Amy Wallace and Sarah Braga was ranked third nationally. Nicholas was a top-five recruit that year, while Schwartz and Wallace were each ranked among the "Fab 50." This year's crop of newcomers is already garnering national attention.
"The Bears will receive an infusion of talent the likes of which hasn't been seen in Waco in many years. The cornerstone piece is Barnes, who should be a four-year starter and multi-time all-conference player at the setter position," said John Tawa of prepvolleyball.com. "Barnes, who is left handed, has a dazzling array of offensive moves, a lethal jump serve and a deft setting touch that makes her hitters look good.
"Speaking of hitters, Baylor got two very good ones in the skywalking Breyfogle and the hard-working Sanders. Add tall, athletic Ashlee Cooper and Lauren Keeton in the middle and coach Barnes has the makings of a class that should rank easily among the nation's best, perhaps as high as top 10-15. This class has the ability to make Baylor a threat to win against any Big 12 opponent it encounters."
The 2006 class will help fill the void that will be left by this year's senior class of setter Emily Huston, middle blocker Stella Odion, outside hitters Kelly Spriggs and Melanie Hamerly and defensive specialist Maggie Chlebana.
2006 BAYLOR VOLLEYBALL SIGNING CLASSName Ht. Pos. Hometown (High School)Taylor Barnes 5-11 S Arlington, Texas (Martin HS)Anna Breyfogle 6-0 MB/OH Buda, Texas (Hays HS)Ashlee Cooper 6-5 MB Laplace, La. (East St. John HS)Lauren Keeton 6-2 MB/RS Groesbeck, Texas (Groesbeck HS)Katie Sanders 6-1 MB/RS Katy, Texas (Cinco Ranch HS)
