UB Volleyball Signs Four To National Letters Of Intent
11/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BUFFALO, NY – First-year head volleyball coach Blair Brown Lipsitz has signed four players to National Letters of Intent and the four players will join the Bulls for the upcoming 2016 season. The class is very diverse as it hits players from each position on the floor.
Isabella "Scout" McLerran is a 5'10" setter from Friendsville, TN, who plays for Webb School out of Knoxville, TN and plays for the K2 Volleyball Club. An extremely accomplished prep player, McLerran is a three-time Division II-A State Champion at Webb School, where she played both setter and on the right side. During her senior season, she set the career assists record at her school and was awarded the Webb School Spartan Award. She has been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Phenom List each of the last two years. In 2014, McLerran was also named an AAU Academic All-American.
"Scout is a competitive athlete with a great Volleyball IQ, who has played at a high level her entire career," said Lipsitz. "Her accomplishments in her beach career make her an extremely well-rounded player. Scout has also won three consecutive state championships, which show she knows how to win and is comfortable in pressure situations."
Taina Benitez will join the Bulls from Cincinnati, OH where she played for Lakota East High School and for the Cincy Classics, the same club as former UB volleyball setter Dani Reinert. Benitez is a 6'0" outside hitter, who was named first-team All-Conference last season and second team All-Conference in 2013 when she led the conference in kills. This past year, Benitez led Lakota East to a 22-4 record and the 12th best program in Ohio according to MaxPreps.
"Taina will bring speed and physicality to our offense and has the ability to be a force at the net," said Lipsitz. "She will be a great all-around player for us and bring stability and consistency into the gym. Taina has had a decorated high school career and she is a great kid who wants to get better and is ready to do whatever it takes to improve each and every day."
Kristina Curcin comes to the Bulls from north of the border. The 6'2" middle blockers plays for Richview Collegiate Institute in Toronto as well as the Etobicoke 381 Volleyball Club. She becomes the first player in the 10 year history of her club to commit to an NCAA Division I volleyball program.
"Kristina has a natural athletic ability and she brings a great physical presence to the front row with the ability to hit pin to pin," said Lipsitz. "She has a great demeanor on the court and is an excellent student. She will continue to uphold that academic tradition at UB."
Hannah Watson is a 5-8 defensive specialist from Cleveland, OH where she plays for Glen Oak High School and The Academy for Volleyball Cleveland. Watson won the 17 Open Division at the AAU Nationals this past year and she has been named first-team All-District, first-team All-Stark County and first-team All-Federal League in each of the last three years. She has surpassed 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs during her high school career at Glen Oak.
"Coming off a great win at Nationals, Hannah is another highly-competitive athlete who will bring consistent intensity to our gym," said Lipsitz. "Her ball control is one of her best attributes, and her training as an outside hitter in club and high school make her an even better defender. Her character and overall love for the game and this program are some of my favorite things about her."
