April 27, 2005

BEAUMONT - The Lamar volleyball team will have several new faces on the court for the 2005 season, as first-year head coach Justin Gibert announced the signing of five players to national letters of intent on Wednesday.

Incoming freshmen Lakreshia Harmon of Silsbee and Ashley Todd of Corpus Christi signed during the fall of '04 early signing period, while Meagan Adams, Kaera Baltrip and Lauren Rush signed with Lamar earlier this month.

"As a coaching staff and a team, we set the goal of making the (Southland) conference tournament next season, and we've made roster changes and recruiting decisions to help us reach that goal," Gibert said. "I feel like with this group of new players we're definitely on track to accomplish that goal and to be very competitive next year."

As one of two recruits from Silsbee, Harmon joins the Lady Cardinals after a standout career at Silsbee High School. The 5-9, two-sport athlete played both middle blocker and outside hitter for the Lady Tigers, while also competing in track. She earned first team all-district honors, all-tournament team honors in Jasper, and the Channel-12 athlete of the week award.

Also from Silsbee is Baltrip, a 5-10 outside hitter who signed with LU after two seasons at Seward County Community College. Baltrip graduated from SHS in 2002, before heading to the Kansas junior college. She was a two-time first team all-conference and all-region selection at Seward. Baltrip also earned second team all-American honors in 2003 as a sophomore. She posted school records in her '03 season with the fourth-highest single-season kill total (538) and the third-best kills per game average (4.19).

Adams, a 5-11 outside hitter from Bastrop, will join the Lady Cardinals after a stellar career at Bastrop High School. A top 250 recruit, according to PrepVolleyball.com, Adams was a three-time first-team all-district and academic all-district selection. She also took home three team MVP awards and was twice named to the All-Central Texas team. Adams selected Lamar over Oklahoma, SMU, Oregon State, Tulsa, New Mexico and SLC foe Texas State.

Rush signed with Lamar after earning three letters at J.J. Pearce High School in Garland. The 5-11 outside hitter earned a truck-load of awards during her prep career, including district 10-5A `Most Outstanding Hitter' and Dallas Morning News `Player of the Year.' She was a first team all-city and all-district selection, along with the J.J. Pearce team MVP, after leading the squad in kills, digs and aces.

Rounding out the Lady Cardinal signees is Todd, a 5-8 setter from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi. A four-year varsity starter, Todd helped guide FBHS to a pair of district championships and an appearance in the regional semi-finals. She was a four-time all-district selection and a four-time All-South Texas Region honoree. As a senior, she was named district MVP and All-South Texas Region MVP.

"Our recruiting effort this year was designed to address specific needs we have on our team, and I feel like with this group, we've done that," Gibert added. "I think they're (the recruits) exactly what we needed."

2005 Lamar Volleyball Signing Class
Meagan Adams - 5-11, Outside Hitter, Bastrop, TX (Bastrop HS)
Kaera Baltrip - 5-10, Outside Hitter, Silsbee, TX (Seward County CC)
Lakreshia Harmon* - 5-9, Outside Hitter, Silsbee, TX (Silsbee HS)
Lauren Rush - 5-11, Outside Hitter, Garland, TX (J.J. Pearce HS)
Ashley Todd* - 5-8, Setter, Corpus Christi, TX (Flour Bluff HS)

* - Denotes early signees