Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Volleyball Signs Five for 2020 Class
November 13, 2019 | Volleyball
By Austin Coats, Graduate Assistant/Communications
STARKVILLE – Three 2019 AVCA/Under Armour All-Americans highlight a group of five student-athletes that signed to play for Mississippi State volleyball on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
The 2020 MSU volleyball signing class includes a pair of outside hitters, Akacia Brown and Shania Cromartie, opposite hitter Francesca McBride, setter Skylar Buckley and libero Lilly Gunter.
"The five young women that make up this 2020 recruiting class are extremely special to me," MSU volleyball head coach Julie Darty said. "I think that this class will have an immediate impact on our program, and I can't wait to get them to Starkville.
"This group is defined by elite athleticism, top-notch character and infectious enthusiasm. We have taken the time to get to know them in order to make sure they are the right fit, culturally, for our program. These young ladies are truly remarkable."
Brown earned Under Armour third-team All-America laurels following her senior season, while Buckley and Cromartie were each named honorable mention All-Americans. Gunter was an AVCA All-Region honoree.
Additionally, four of the five signees were named "senior aces," PrepVolleyball.com's ranking of the top 150 players in the class of 2020. Brown, Buckley, Cromartie, and McBride all earned the distinction.
Akacia Brown | 6-2 | Outside Hitter | Waterloo, Iowa/Cedar Falls
"Akacia is a smart attacker who knows how to win," Darty said. "She has a special arm, is a physical attacker and blocker, and finds different ways to score."
In back-to-back seasons as a junior and senior, Brown set new single-season kills records at Cedar Falls High School. She was named the Mississippi Valley Conference Player of the Year and first-team all-state following her junior campaign.
In earning 2019 senior all-star honors, Brown averaged 4.44 kills per set on a .404 hitting percentage and 2.68 digs per set.
On the club circuit, she helped Eastern Iowa Extreme 17 win an AAU National Championship in 2019. Brown was also named to the AAU Nationals All-Tournament team three straight seasons from 2017-19.
"I love watching Akacia compete because she gets after it. She competes hard and celebrates hard. I am excited to get a hard worker like her on campus. She is going to push our pin attackers big time. I could see Akacia on the left or right for us and think that she is going to really benefit from coming early in January to start working on making the jump to the collegiate game."
Brown's sister is former Kentucky volleyball standout Kaz Brown, who earned All-SEC honors each of her four seasons as a Wildcat from 2014-17. Her brothers, Kalund and Kalehl, both played basketball at Southwest Baptist University.
Skylar Buckley | 5-9 | Setter | Raleigh, N.C./North Raleigh Christian Academy
"Skylar is going to raise our IQ immediately and raise the level in our gym too," Darty said. "She is one speed. Skylar goes hard, and she is a winner. She is exactly what I want in a setter – she is a leader, she is fearless and she is a problem solver."
For five straight seasons, Buckley started and played six rotations for North Raleigh Christian Academy in five consecutive state championships. The 2018 and 2019 Triangle Independent School Athletic Conference Player of the Year, she tallied 1,453 digs, 1,142 kills and 1,055 assists over her prep career, and led the state of North Carolina in kills during both her junior and senior seasons.
Buckley was also part of one of North Carolina's best beach volleyball teams at NRCA from 2015-18, as she helped her squad finished second in the state in 2015 and third in 2017.
"Skylar is coming to us to set and run the offense but the best part about Skylar is her all-around game. She plays outside, she plays beach and she is just a really good volleyball player. I am really excited for Skylar to come in and bring her personality on the court."
Buckley played club for Triangle Volleyball Club and was a team captain four consecutive seasons from 2016-19.
Shania Cromartie | 5-9 | Outside Hitter | Tallahassee, Fla./Leon High School
"Shania's size will fool a lot of people," Darty said. "She is a tiny powerhouse and I love her contagious energy. Shania brings it every single day and is a true competitor.
Cromartie helped lead Leon High School to three Final Four appearances in the state championship, including a runner-up finish her sophomore season. Over her career, she racked up 1,229 kills, 1,038 digs and 141 service aces. As a senior, Cromartie has led Leon to a No. 1 ranking in the state of Florida and a spot in the 6A state championship match.
Her athleticism was also on display in track and field, as Cromartie finished as the 2018 state high jump champion and was part of the school record-breaking 4x400 relay team.
"Shania is an extremely athletic player," Darty said. "She is going to wow you with her incredible leaping ability and athleticism, but she is also a savvy, smart volleyball player who doesn't just rely on jumping high to score. Shania is the total package – she can play six rotations and attack out of the front and back row. She is a tenacious defender and also has a really aggressive serve.
"I have known Shania for a long time. It has been really fun to watch her grow up and become the player and person she is today. I have really high hopes for Shania, and I am so excited she chose to join us here at Mississippi State."
Cromartie's uncle, Antonio Cromartie, played wide receiver for 11 seasons in the NFL from 2006-2016.
Lilly Gunter | 5-8 | Libero | Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo
"Lilly makes it look easy," Darty said. "She is one of those defenders who just finds ways to get it done. Lilly is going to help us from the second she steps on campus."
As a junior in 2018, Gunter captained a state championship Oviedo High School squad that ranked No. 8 in the country. While leading Oviedo to three district titles in four seasons, she finished as the school's career leader in digs (1,882) and service aces (149). She also holds the single-season digs record (594; 2019), single-season aces record (62; 2019) and single-match digs record (39).
In 2018, she helped Top Select Volleyball Academy win the USAVolleyball 18 Open National Championship, one of five national championships in her club career.
"Lilly is one of the calmest volleyball players on the court. She keeps her composure, does her job and is just a great constant for her team. Lilly is going to help our first contact tremendously. She has played at a high level, both in high school and in club, and has been trained by some wonderful volleyball coaches. She is a student of the game and does a great job reading and processing what is happening across the net so she can make the play."
Francesca McBride | 6-3 | Opposite Hitter | Troy, Mich./Troy
"Francesca is a talented blocker and has a whippy arm," Darty said. "I am so excited that Fran is joining us in Starkville because she is a sweet, driven, highly-motivated athlete who is excited about competing at a high level, and she certainly is the type of athlete we need in this conference."
Francesca McBride has led Troy High School to three consecutive district championships from 2017-19. In 2018, McBride was named a Top 50 junior by PrepVolleyball.com. That season, she was also ranked as the top right-side hitter and the No. 9 overall player in Michigan by Detroit News.
"She is a long, lean athlete, has so much potential and I am really looking forward to seeing what Fran does as she transitions to the collegiate level. I think that she will come in and our team will immediately feel her presence in the gym. We are really excited to have someone like Fran within our program."
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.
STARKVILLE – Three 2019 AVCA/Under Armour All-Americans highlight a group of five student-athletes that signed to play for Mississippi State volleyball on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
The 2020 MSU volleyball signing class includes a pair of outside hitters, Akacia Brown and Shania Cromartie, opposite hitter Francesca McBride, setter Skylar Buckley and libero Lilly Gunter.
"The five young women that make up this 2020 recruiting class are extremely special to me," MSU volleyball head coach Julie Darty said. "I think that this class will have an immediate impact on our program, and I can't wait to get them to Starkville.
"This group is defined by elite athleticism, top-notch character and infectious enthusiasm. We have taken the time to get to know them in order to make sure they are the right fit, culturally, for our program. These young ladies are truly remarkable."
Brown earned Under Armour third-team All-America laurels following her senior season, while Buckley and Cromartie were each named honorable mention All-Americans. Gunter was an AVCA All-Region honoree.
Additionally, four of the five signees were named "senior aces," PrepVolleyball.com's ranking of the top 150 players in the class of 2020. Brown, Buckley, Cromartie, and McBride all earned the distinction.
Akacia Brown | 6-2 | Outside Hitter | Waterloo, Iowa/Cedar Falls
"Akacia is a smart attacker who knows how to win," Darty said. "She has a special arm, is a physical attacker and blocker, and finds different ways to score."
In back-to-back seasons as a junior and senior, Brown set new single-season kills records at Cedar Falls High School. She was named the Mississippi Valley Conference Player of the Year and first-team all-state following her junior campaign.
In earning 2019 senior all-star honors, Brown averaged 4.44 kills per set on a .404 hitting percentage and 2.68 digs per set.
On the club circuit, she helped Eastern Iowa Extreme 17 win an AAU National Championship in 2019. Brown was also named to the AAU Nationals All-Tournament team three straight seasons from 2017-19.
"I love watching Akacia compete because she gets after it. She competes hard and celebrates hard. I am excited to get a hard worker like her on campus. She is going to push our pin attackers big time. I could see Akacia on the left or right for us and think that she is going to really benefit from coming early in January to start working on making the jump to the collegiate game."
Brown's sister is former Kentucky volleyball standout Kaz Brown, who earned All-SEC honors each of her four seasons as a Wildcat from 2014-17. Her brothers, Kalund and Kalehl, both played basketball at Southwest Baptist University.
Skylar Buckley | 5-9 | Setter | Raleigh, N.C./North Raleigh Christian Academy
"Skylar is going to raise our IQ immediately and raise the level in our gym too," Darty said. "She is one speed. Skylar goes hard, and she is a winner. She is exactly what I want in a setter – she is a leader, she is fearless and she is a problem solver."
For five straight seasons, Buckley started and played six rotations for North Raleigh Christian Academy in five consecutive state championships. The 2018 and 2019 Triangle Independent School Athletic Conference Player of the Year, she tallied 1,453 digs, 1,142 kills and 1,055 assists over her prep career, and led the state of North Carolina in kills during both her junior and senior seasons.
Buckley was also part of one of North Carolina's best beach volleyball teams at NRCA from 2015-18, as she helped her squad finished second in the state in 2015 and third in 2017.
"Skylar is coming to us to set and run the offense but the best part about Skylar is her all-around game. She plays outside, she plays beach and she is just a really good volleyball player. I am really excited for Skylar to come in and bring her personality on the court."
Buckley played club for Triangle Volleyball Club and was a team captain four consecutive seasons from 2016-19.
Shania Cromartie | 5-9 | Outside Hitter | Tallahassee, Fla./Leon High School
"Shania's size will fool a lot of people," Darty said. "She is a tiny powerhouse and I love her contagious energy. Shania brings it every single day and is a true competitor.
Cromartie helped lead Leon High School to three Final Four appearances in the state championship, including a runner-up finish her sophomore season. Over her career, she racked up 1,229 kills, 1,038 digs and 141 service aces. As a senior, Cromartie has led Leon to a No. 1 ranking in the state of Florida and a spot in the 6A state championship match.
Her athleticism was also on display in track and field, as Cromartie finished as the 2018 state high jump champion and was part of the school record-breaking 4x400 relay team.
"Shania is an extremely athletic player," Darty said. "She is going to wow you with her incredible leaping ability and athleticism, but she is also a savvy, smart volleyball player who doesn't just rely on jumping high to score. Shania is the total package – she can play six rotations and attack out of the front and back row. She is a tenacious defender and also has a really aggressive serve.
"I have known Shania for a long time. It has been really fun to watch her grow up and become the player and person she is today. I have really high hopes for Shania, and I am so excited she chose to join us here at Mississippi State."
Cromartie's uncle, Antonio Cromartie, played wide receiver for 11 seasons in the NFL from 2006-2016.
Lilly Gunter | 5-8 | Libero | Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo
"Lilly makes it look easy," Darty said. "She is one of those defenders who just finds ways to get it done. Lilly is going to help us from the second she steps on campus."
As a junior in 2018, Gunter captained a state championship Oviedo High School squad that ranked No. 8 in the country. While leading Oviedo to three district titles in four seasons, she finished as the school's career leader in digs (1,882) and service aces (149). She also holds the single-season digs record (594; 2019), single-season aces record (62; 2019) and single-match digs record (39).
In 2018, she helped Top Select Volleyball Academy win the USAVolleyball 18 Open National Championship, one of five national championships in her club career.
"Lilly is one of the calmest volleyball players on the court. She keeps her composure, does her job and is just a great constant for her team. Lilly is going to help our first contact tremendously. She has played at a high level, both in high school and in club, and has been trained by some wonderful volleyball coaches. She is a student of the game and does a great job reading and processing what is happening across the net so she can make the play."
Francesca McBride | 6-3 | Opposite Hitter | Troy, Mich./Troy
"Francesca is a talented blocker and has a whippy arm," Darty said. "I am so excited that Fran is joining us in Starkville because she is a sweet, driven, highly-motivated athlete who is excited about competing at a high level, and she certainly is the type of athlete we need in this conference."
Francesca McBride has led Troy High School to three consecutive district championships from 2017-19. In 2018, McBride was named a Top 50 junior by PrepVolleyball.com. That season, she was also ranked as the top right-side hitter and the No. 9 overall player in Michigan by Detroit News.
"She is a long, lean athlete, has so much potential and I am really looking forward to seeing what Fran does as she transitions to the collegiate level. I think that she will come in and our team will immediately feel her presence in the gym. We are really excited to have someone like Fran within our program."
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateVB.
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