Nov. 12, 2009

DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis women's volleyball signed three prospective student-athletes to National Letters of Intent (NLI) during the 2009 fall signing period, it was announced by head coach Jamie Holmes Wednesday. Alphabetically, the prospects are Valerie Brain of Glendora, Calif.; Mary Schroeder of La Cañada, Calif.; and Jenny Woolway of San Diego, Calif. All three are seniors at their respective high schools and are expected to enroll at UC Davis in the fall quarter of 2010.

"I'm extremely excited about this recruiting class. UC Davis is bringing in players who have had good, solid, elite-club experience," said Holmes. "They have been exposed to higher levels of play, and make big contributions to both their high school and club programs. It is always nice to add players who have played with, and against, some of the top juniors in the country."

Woolway, a 5-foot-10 setter for Torrey Pines High School, helped quarterback her Encinitas Wave 16 squad to a gold medal in the Open Gold Division at the 2008 Junior Olympics, then a bronze medal this past summer. This season, she has helped the Lady Falcons capture a share of the Avocado League championship and claim a No. 1 seed in the upcoming San Diego Section playoffs. Woolway previously garnered second-team All-CIF-SDS and first-team All-Avocado League honors as a junior, plus second-team all-league distinction as a sophomore. Additionally, she was selected among PrepVolleyball.com's "Senior Aces" in 2009.

"Jenny Woolway is a setter for a highly decorated team in the Encinitas WAVE club," said Holmes. "She plays very free and is really competitive. I am anticipating that Jenny will bring a steadiness to our offense which I'm really excited to have in our gym. Jenny is someone who thinks the game through and runs an offense as opposed to just distributing the ball. To have a freshman who is mentally prepared to run an offense is something I've very excited about."

Valerie Brain, a 5-foot-11 middle blocker for her Glendora High School team, earned All-Sierra League honorable mention as a sophomore then picked up first-team accolades as a junior in 2008. She also picked up her team's Best Offensive Player award and won first-team Academic All-League honors with her 4.0 grade-point average last year. In the club circuit, Brain helped the San Gabriel Elite Roshambo 17 team to a bronze medal in the 2009 Junior Olympics American Division.

"Valerie is fun to watch," Holmes said. "She's fast in her arm swing, fast in transition and she's crafty in her game. She's what you want in a middle. When we recruited her, one of the things that stood out to me was that she is a fiery competitor. Val will be a good one - she is somebody who can pump up a team and bring an edginess to our side of the court."

Schroeder is a 6-foot-3 opposite for nationally ranked Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and a teammate of Brain's on the San Gabriel Elite Roshambo 17 squad. In varsity play, she has hit .319 on 222 kills offensively while posting a team-best 53 blocks defensively. As a junior, she captured her second All-Mission League nod and Glendale News Press All-Area merit as a middle blocker. In club ball, Schroeder was a member of SG Elite's bronze-medal Roshambo 17 team at last summer's Junior Olympics American Division. Furthermore, she was selected to the Southern California High Performance teams from 2006 through 2008.

"Mary Schroeder was actually our first commitment to UC Davis when I got here. She has a super-heavy arm and will bring a presence at the net," said Holmes. "I would love to see her develop into a six-rotation player because she can attack really heavy balls out of the back row. She could be an outside or an opposite."

"As we continue to go forward in Division I, it refreshing to see the many high-level athletes having interest in our young program," Holmes added. "UC Davis is an amazing university, located in a prime location, which is a true college town. Our players love it at UC Davis, and it is fun sharing this gem of a program, university and community, with prospects. Our 2010 class will bring to our volleyball program an expectation of high level volleyball. It is for this `type' of volleyball experience that they chose to be Aggies. As a group, they wanted a volleyball team that is focused on developing champions, both on and off the court. They understand that champions are made behind the scenes and out of sight. It is this group mentality that I am mostly excited about.

UC Davis women's volleyball is enjoying its finest season since beginning its transition to NCAA Division I membership (completed in 2007). The Aggies enter this weekend's action with an 18-9 record, the program's highest total since 2000, and share second place in the Big West Conference with UC Santa Barbara.

UC Davis Aggies Women's Volleyball

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