COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M head coach Laurie Corbelli announced the signing of four heralded student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to play volleyball for the Aggies. All four signees are mentioned in PrepVolleyball.com's top 250 list of the Class of 2017 Senior Aces, including three who are in the top 100.
"All four bring in top-level club experience, and they have been on teams that have been very successful both at the high school and club level," Corbelli said. "They are so well trained, experienced and skilled at their individual positions and what they are being brought in to do. Whether it is middle blocking, outside hitting or setting, likely they'll all be able to contribute very early in their careers at their positions."
Conner is a decorated four-year starting setter at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas. The lefty is No. 94 in PrepVolleyball.com's national list of "Senior Aces" and was named to the website's 2016 Pre-Season High School All-American Watch List. She also received American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/Under Armour All-America honorable mention.
Coached by Farah (Mensik) Holder, who also played setter for Corbelli and the Aggies from 1994-97, Conner helped lead Seven Lakes to the 2016 District 19-6A championship and a spot in the state high school regional semifinals. A four-time member of the academic all-district team and a three-year team captain, Conner was named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association Class 6A All-State first team as a junior and also was tabbed the District 19-6A setter MVP for the second consecutive year after leading the Spartans to the regional finals.
Conner has helped her club teams qualify for the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships (GJNC) in three of the last four years. Last summer she was named to the USAV GJNC 17 Open Division all-tournament team while representing Houston Skyline Juniors, coached by Holly (Clay) Jones, who played for Corbelli at Texas A&M from 2002-05. Conner won a gold medal in the 2014 USAV High Performance Girl's National Youth Division.
"Many of our fans will remember our left-handed setter, Allie Sawatzky, who did a lot of attacking, and Camille is left-handed and brings the height," Corbelli said. "She also has been an attacker, and what stands out when watching Camille play is her intensity and her leadership. She is a great communicator and loves to be in charge on the floor, and those are great qualities for your setter. And the fact that she will be attacking a ton just opens up the offense and adds another dimension."
Davis is a star two-sport athlete at Bishop Moore Catholic High School in Orlando, Fla., having excelled in both volleyball and basketball. Ranked No. 84 in PrepVolleyball.com's list of "Senior Aces" and a member of the website's All-American Watch List, Davis led the 2016 Bishop Moore volleyball team to a 32-1 record and a second consecutive state championship. Coached by Tanya Jarvis, the Hornets were No. 8 in the nation entering the state tournament, where Davis hit 1.000 in the championship match, collecting 12 kills in 12 attempts.
Davis plays club ball for Top Select Volleyball Academy, and last summer her team won the AAU national championship in the 17 Open Division and placed third at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships.
Davis, who didn't start playing volleyball until her sophomore year of high school, is a four-year starter and two-time State of Florida District 5A Player of the Year in basketball. She received several scholarship offers to play collegiate basketball, including an offer from LSU prior to deciding to pursue volleyball.
"Morgan is one of those fiery, passionate players who is very deliberate with her training and brings a great block," Corbelli said. "Her high school team has won state and her club team has won AAUs, so she has been on championship teams and has played major roles on championship teams. She was little bit of a late bloomer in volleyball because she was so advanced in basketball at the same time, but when she decided to play just volleyball, it was a no-brainer that she could help us. She has a great build, is really strong and has a nice arm. She is going to be really, really good."
Patterson is a 2016-17 AVCA Under Armour First-Team All-America selection and is listed No. 97 in PrepVolleyball.com's list of Senior Aces. A three-year starting middle blocker and four-time district champion for coach Lamar Bryant at Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, Patterson completed her high school career by leading the Gators to their second consecutive state runner-up finish and a No. 28 national ranking. As a junior the 6-3 middle was named all-state second team, and she earned all-state honorable mention as a sophomore.
Patterson plays club ball for Arizona Storm. Coached by Terri Spann, Patterson helped lead the team to a second place finish in the 17 Open Division at the 2015 USAV GJNC and a third place finish in the 18 Open Division at the 2016 USAV GJNC.
"Makena is a great student with an athletic background," Corbelli said. "Her dad was a basketball player at UCLA, and she has been around sports her entire live. She is really long, has great length at the net and has a really smooth arm swing, which has become really important in recruiting because arm swings are so much of a natural thing. I love her arm swing, and she hits high, she hits hard and she plays high."
Samantha Sanders, who led Waco Midway to a No. 1 state ranking earlier this season, is a member of PrepVolleyball.com's 2016 Senior Aces "The 150" and she was named AVCA Under Armour All-America honorable mention. As a junior, Sanders was the 2015 District 12-6A most valuable hitter and also was a member of the Super Centex Volleyball first team. The 6-2 outside hitter also earned all-district first-team honors as a freshman and sophomore.
Sanders, who will play her final year of club ball for TAV-Dallas, previously played for Waco Juniors Volleyball Club. She was named to the all-tournament team in the 16 American Division at the 2015 national championships after leading her team to a fifth-place finish. Her Waco Juniors team also won the 15 American Division in 2014.
"Samantha definitely brings size and power," Corbelli said. "She has a big arm swing on the outside, and she loves to go up and rip the ball. She has good vision and gets good position with the ball. She is a great team player, is very enthusiastic and very aware of her role as an outside hitter on the team and what the outside hitter needs to do. She also has a knack for the back row and is a future six-rotation player.
"All of these kids coming in are athletic and will allow us to play at a high point above the net," Corbelli summarized. "It's just a really complete group. If you can't compete at the net with size, power and speed, it is going to be really difficult, and I think this group does bring the total package in terms of size, speed and power, as well as experience.
"I also like the fact that not only are they great students, but Texas A&M was a great fit for all of them."
The Aggies will be losing five seniors at the conclusion of the 2016 season, including All-American middle blocker Jazzmin Babers, who has started every match of her career, as well as setter Kaysie Shebeneck and outside hitter Emily Hardesty.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram by following @AggieVolleyball.
Vote daily for Jazzmin Babers for Senior CLASS Award at seniorclass.com
| NAME | POS. | HT. | HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL | CLUB TEAM |
| Camille Conner | S | 6-1 | Katy, Texas | Seven Lakes HS | Houston Skyline |
| Morgan Davis | MB | 6-4 | Orlando, Fla. | Bishop Moore Catholic HS | Top Select |
| Makena Patterson | MB | 6-3 | Phoenix, Ariz. | Xavier College Prep. | Arizona Storm |
| Samantha Sanders | OH | 6-2 | Waco, Texas | Midway HS | Waco Juniors |
"All four bring in top-level club experience, and they have been on teams that have been very successful both at the high school and club level," Corbelli said. "They are so well trained, experienced and skilled at their individual positions and what they are being brought in to do. Whether it is middle blocking, outside hitting or setting, likely they'll all be able to contribute very early in their careers at their positions."
Conner is a decorated four-year starting setter at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas. The lefty is No. 94 in PrepVolleyball.com's national list of "Senior Aces" and was named to the website's 2016 Pre-Season High School All-American Watch List. She also received American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/Under Armour All-America honorable mention.
Coached by Farah (Mensik) Holder, who also played setter for Corbelli and the Aggies from 1994-97, Conner helped lead Seven Lakes to the 2016 District 19-6A championship and a spot in the state high school regional semifinals. A four-time member of the academic all-district team and a three-year team captain, Conner was named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association Class 6A All-State first team as a junior and also was tabbed the District 19-6A setter MVP for the second consecutive year after leading the Spartans to the regional finals.
Conner has helped her club teams qualify for the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships (GJNC) in three of the last four years. Last summer she was named to the USAV GJNC 17 Open Division all-tournament team while representing Houston Skyline Juniors, coached by Holly (Clay) Jones, who played for Corbelli at Texas A&M from 2002-05. Conner won a gold medal in the 2014 USAV High Performance Girl's National Youth Division.
"Many of our fans will remember our left-handed setter, Allie Sawatzky, who did a lot of attacking, and Camille is left-handed and brings the height," Corbelli said. "She also has been an attacker, and what stands out when watching Camille play is her intensity and her leadership. She is a great communicator and loves to be in charge on the floor, and those are great qualities for your setter. And the fact that she will be attacking a ton just opens up the offense and adds another dimension."
Davis is a star two-sport athlete at Bishop Moore Catholic High School in Orlando, Fla., having excelled in both volleyball and basketball. Ranked No. 84 in PrepVolleyball.com's list of "Senior Aces" and a member of the website's All-American Watch List, Davis led the 2016 Bishop Moore volleyball team to a 32-1 record and a second consecutive state championship. Coached by Tanya Jarvis, the Hornets were No. 8 in the nation entering the state tournament, where Davis hit 1.000 in the championship match, collecting 12 kills in 12 attempts.
Davis plays club ball for Top Select Volleyball Academy, and last summer her team won the AAU national championship in the 17 Open Division and placed third at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships.
Davis, who didn't start playing volleyball until her sophomore year of high school, is a four-year starter and two-time State of Florida District 5A Player of the Year in basketball. She received several scholarship offers to play collegiate basketball, including an offer from LSU prior to deciding to pursue volleyball.
"Morgan is one of those fiery, passionate players who is very deliberate with her training and brings a great block," Corbelli said. "Her high school team has won state and her club team has won AAUs, so she has been on championship teams and has played major roles on championship teams. She was little bit of a late bloomer in volleyball because she was so advanced in basketball at the same time, but when she decided to play just volleyball, it was a no-brainer that she could help us. She has a great build, is really strong and has a nice arm. She is going to be really, really good."
Patterson is a 2016-17 AVCA Under Armour First-Team All-America selection and is listed No. 97 in PrepVolleyball.com's list of Senior Aces. A three-year starting middle blocker and four-time district champion for coach Lamar Bryant at Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, Patterson completed her high school career by leading the Gators to their second consecutive state runner-up finish and a No. 28 national ranking. As a junior the 6-3 middle was named all-state second team, and she earned all-state honorable mention as a sophomore.
Patterson plays club ball for Arizona Storm. Coached by Terri Spann, Patterson helped lead the team to a second place finish in the 17 Open Division at the 2015 USAV GJNC and a third place finish in the 18 Open Division at the 2016 USAV GJNC.
"Makena is a great student with an athletic background," Corbelli said. "Her dad was a basketball player at UCLA, and she has been around sports her entire live. She is really long, has great length at the net and has a really smooth arm swing, which has become really important in recruiting because arm swings are so much of a natural thing. I love her arm swing, and she hits high, she hits hard and she plays high."
Samantha Sanders, who led Waco Midway to a No. 1 state ranking earlier this season, is a member of PrepVolleyball.com's 2016 Senior Aces "The 150" and she was named AVCA Under Armour All-America honorable mention. As a junior, Sanders was the 2015 District 12-6A most valuable hitter and also was a member of the Super Centex Volleyball first team. The 6-2 outside hitter also earned all-district first-team honors as a freshman and sophomore.
Sanders, who will play her final year of club ball for TAV-Dallas, previously played for Waco Juniors Volleyball Club. She was named to the all-tournament team in the 16 American Division at the 2015 national championships after leading her team to a fifth-place finish. Her Waco Juniors team also won the 15 American Division in 2014.
"Samantha definitely brings size and power," Corbelli said. "She has a big arm swing on the outside, and she loves to go up and rip the ball. She has good vision and gets good position with the ball. She is a great team player, is very enthusiastic and very aware of her role as an outside hitter on the team and what the outside hitter needs to do. She also has a knack for the back row and is a future six-rotation player.
"All of these kids coming in are athletic and will allow us to play at a high point above the net," Corbelli summarized. "It's just a really complete group. If you can't compete at the net with size, power and speed, it is going to be really difficult, and I think this group does bring the total package in terms of size, speed and power, as well as experience.
"I also like the fact that not only are they great students, but Texas A&M was a great fit for all of them."
The Aggies will be losing five seniors at the conclusion of the 2016 season, including All-American middle blocker Jazzmin Babers, who has started every match of her career, as well as setter Kaysie Shebeneck and outside hitter Emily Hardesty.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram by following @AggieVolleyball.
Vote daily for Jazzmin Babers for Senior CLASS Award at seniorclass.com