Cooks, Murr and Stamatis join the Darty Party for 2018.
Darty Adds Three Familiar Faces To 2018 Roster
April 10, 2018 | Volleyball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Embarking on her first recruiting class since being hired, new Mississippi State coach Julie Darty has started with familiarity by signing three of her players from her previous stop at Jacksonville.
Middle blocker Amarrah Cooks, setter Alleah Stamatis and libero/defensive specialist Kendall Murr will be joining the Darty Party for the 2018 season.
"For me, bringing in Alleah, Amarrah and Kendall was a no-brainer," Darty said. "It is so much more than strictly volleyball. These three are going to come in and help create the type of culture that we must have here. The standards are changing. The expectation is changing. There is a lot of change.
"These three players know me and know who I am and what I am about. I think having them here will show the players that I might not know as well that I am going to care about them a lot. Whether it be on the court or off the court, this is an all-in kind of thing for me."
The remainder of this year's signing class will be released at a later date.
Amarrah Cooks, 5-10, Middle Blocker from Columbia, S.C.
"Amarrah is a tremendous athlete and has really come to embrace her skill set as a middle blocker. She made a huge jump from her freshman campaign to sophomore year, and she will only continue to grow and flourish here at MSU. Amarrah has an infectious energy about her that everyone around her can feel; she is lights out. She is full of life and that energy and passion that she brings every day is contagious. I am expecting Amarrah to come in and help us from the first day she steps into the gym." — Julie Darty, coach
"Growing up, I've always wanted to play volleyball at the collegiate level. I chose Mississippi State because I wanted to be part of a bigger school and have the experience of playing in the SEC. Home is where the Darty is." — Amarrah Cooks
2017 (Sophomore)
2016 (Freshman)
High School
Personal
Alleah Stamatis, 5-10, Setter from Lexington, Ky.
"Alleah is by far the toughest competitor I have ever been around, and her volleyball IQ is through the roof. Alleah is coming to MSU as a setter. However, she has experience playing a variety of positions, and that is what makes her unique. She is the type of teammate that pushes you to your absolute limit because she knows that you have the potential. She makes those around her better. I am so excited for Alleah to join our program here at MSU because she has been instrumental in helping create and maintain a competitive gym. Alleah is like having a coach on the floor, which is exactly what our team needs." — Julie Darty, coach
"Growing up around a SEC environment, it's always been my dream to play at this level. When I got to Starkville, it reminds me of home. I'm really excited to be there and get started." — Alleah Stamatis.
2017 (Sophomore)
2016 (Freshman)
High School
Personal
Kendall Murr, 5-8, Libero/Defensive Specialist from Yorktown, Ind.
"Kendall is a terrific student of the game. She has done a great job transitioning into a role that she probably didn't expect to play, and has really come into her own as a libero and defensive specialist. Kendall sees the game very well and she is a fantastic passer and defender. Kendall is a high-character person and a wonderful teammate. She is a hard worker and just a joy to be around. Kendall will help us immediately with our ball control and first contact, but big picture, she will help us continue to develop the culture on and off the court that we are trying to build here at Mississippi State." — Julie Darty, coach
"Mississippi State is a dream school of mine. It gives the small-town feel at a big SEC school. It gives me a chance to take my volleyball career to the next level. The second I stepped onto campus, I couldn't stop smiling. The atmosphere and the vibe of the campus and town is unlike any other. The volleyball coaching staff is the best around. They truly care about us as individuals and also our success." — Kendall Murr
2017 (Freshman)
High School:
Personal
For more information on Mississippi State volleyball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateVB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
Middle blocker Amarrah Cooks, setter Alleah Stamatis and libero/defensive specialist Kendall Murr will be joining the Darty Party for the 2018 season.
"For me, bringing in Alleah, Amarrah and Kendall was a no-brainer," Darty said. "It is so much more than strictly volleyball. These three are going to come in and help create the type of culture that we must have here. The standards are changing. The expectation is changing. There is a lot of change.
"These three players know me and know who I am and what I am about. I think having them here will show the players that I might not know as well that I am going to care about them a lot. Whether it be on the court or off the court, this is an all-in kind of thing for me."
The remainder of this year's signing class will be released at a later date.
Amarrah Cooks, 5-10, Middle Blocker from Columbia, S.C.
"Amarrah is a tremendous athlete and has really come to embrace her skill set as a middle blocker. She made a huge jump from her freshman campaign to sophomore year, and she will only continue to grow and flourish here at MSU. Amarrah has an infectious energy about her that everyone around her can feel; she is lights out. She is full of life and that energy and passion that she brings every day is contagious. I am expecting Amarrah to come in and help us from the first day she steps into the gym." — Julie Darty, coach
"Growing up, I've always wanted to play volleyball at the collegiate level. I chose Mississippi State because I wanted to be part of a bigger school and have the experience of playing in the SEC. Home is where the Darty is." — Amarrah Cooks
2017 (Sophomore)
- Named second-team All-Atlantic Sun Conference.
- Participated in all 28 matches and 108 sets played.
- Led the team and was fourth in the ASUN with a .306 hitting percentage.
- Finished second on the team and 12th in the ASUN with 245 kills.
- She totaled a block in 25 of 28 matches and had multiple blocks in 20 contests.
- She also had at least one block in every match against ASUN opponents, as 59 of her 88 total blocks came in league play.
- Her 2.27 kills per set put her in 18th place within the ASUN.
- Finished the season first on the team with 88 blocks.
- Within the ASUN, she finished third in block solos with 22 and 11th in blocks per set with 0.81.
- Her 300.0 points notched a second-place spot on the season.
2016 (Freshman)
- Saw action in 21 of the Dolphins' 28 matches.
- Was fourth on the team with nine solo blocks and 37 block assists for 46 total.
- Finished the season with 95 kills.
- Had a season-best seven blocks, including four solo blocks, at NJIT (Oct. 7)
- Had at least seven kills in seven different matches, including nine twice against Marshall (Sept. 16) and Kennesaw State (Sept. 30)
High School
- Three-year starter at Ridge View High School in Columbia, S.C.
- Led her team to an 8-2 regional finish and hosted a playoff game for the first time in school history
- Two-time All-Region selection
- Graduated in the Top 80 in her class
Personal
- Born April 21, 1998 in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Parents are Isatta Rockman and James Cooks
- Has four siblings — Ninah Cooks, James Cooks, Taaj Rockman, Zakkai Rockman
- Majoring in communications
Alleah Stamatis, 5-10, Setter from Lexington, Ky.
"Alleah is by far the toughest competitor I have ever been around, and her volleyball IQ is through the roof. Alleah is coming to MSU as a setter. However, she has experience playing a variety of positions, and that is what makes her unique. She is the type of teammate that pushes you to your absolute limit because she knows that you have the potential. She makes those around her better. I am so excited for Alleah to join our program here at MSU because she has been instrumental in helping create and maintain a competitive gym. Alleah is like having a coach on the floor, which is exactly what our team needs." — Julie Darty, coach
"Growing up around a SEC environment, it's always been my dream to play at this level. When I got to Starkville, it reminds me of home. I'm really excited to be there and get started." — Alleah Stamatis.
2017 (Sophomore)
- Named second-team All-Atlantic Sun Conference.
- Participated in all 28 matches and 108 sets played.
- Had 11 double-doubles on the season with aces and digs.
- Led the team and was second in the ASUN with 1,038 assists.
- Posted 50 or more assists in seven matches, including 60 or more twice.
- Finished third on the team in digs with 220 and averaged 9.52 assists per game. Also placed 18th within the ASUN in digs and 30th in digs per set with 2.02.
- Her 10 service aces were third on the team.
- Tallied 91.5 points.
2016 (Freshman)
- Saw action in 27 of the Jacksonville's 28 matches.
- Finished the season third on the team with 54 assists and fourth with 214 digs.
- Added 10 blocks for the Dolphins.
High School
- Attended Scott County High School in Georgetown, Ky.
- Set the record for assists in a season as a senior.
- Four-time team MVP.
- Four-time All-Tournament selection.
- Four-time All-District selection.
Personal
- Born July 21, 1998, in Lexington, Ky.
- Parents are Cy Stamatis and Eli Lyle
- Has five siblings, Arian Green, Briana Green, Dariane Lyle, Tay Stamatis and Nautica Stamatis
- Her sister, Briana Green, played basketball at UTEP from 2008-2012. Following her collegiate career, she played professionally in Spain, Mexico and the Czech Republic. Since 2016, she has been a member of the Harlem Globetrotters.
- Majoring in psychology.
Kendall Murr, 5-8, Libero/Defensive Specialist from Yorktown, Ind.
"Kendall is a terrific student of the game. She has done a great job transitioning into a role that she probably didn't expect to play, and has really come into her own as a libero and defensive specialist. Kendall sees the game very well and she is a fantastic passer and defender. Kendall is a high-character person and a wonderful teammate. She is a hard worker and just a joy to be around. Kendall will help us immediately with our ball control and first contact, but big picture, she will help us continue to develop the culture on and off the court that we are trying to build here at Mississippi State." — Julie Darty, coach
"Mississippi State is a dream school of mine. It gives the small-town feel at a big SEC school. It gives me a chance to take my volleyball career to the next level. The second I stepped onto campus, I couldn't stop smiling. The atmosphere and the vibe of the campus and town is unlike any other. The volleyball coaching staff is the best around. They truly care about us as individuals and also our success." — Kendall Murr
2017 (Freshman)
- Named to the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Freshman Team.
- Saw action in 28 matches and played in 95 sets.
- Her 219 digs put her in fourth place among her teammates.
- Tied for third and finished 20th in the ASUN with 10 service aces.
High School:
- Attended Yorktown High School in Yorktown, Ind.
- Led Yorktown to the 3A Indiana State Championship with a 37-1 record.
- Two-time Delaware County and Hoosier Heritage Conference champions (2015, 2016).
- Her team was ranked 11th in the nation by MaxPreps.
- Team co-captain her senior year.
- First Team All-State in 2016.
- Three-time All-Delaware County selection and three-time All-HHC Conference honoree.
- Also played club volleyball for Municana from 2011-17.
- Off the court, served as a member of Dance Marathon Executive team, Student Council, and co-president of Project Us—a club that works with students who have special needs.
Personal
- Born Oct. 21, 1998, in Muncie, Ind.
- Parents are Rhonda Wilson and Scott Murr
- Has a sister, Kylie
- Mother, Rhonda, played volleyball at Ball State from 1991-95
- Father, Scott, played baseball at Ball State from 1989-93
- Majoring in elementary education
For more information on Mississippi State volleyball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateVB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
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