McFatrich Signs Seven In First MSU Volleyball Recruiting Class
STARKVILLE, Miss. – After months on the recruiting trail, Mississippi State volleyball coach David McFatrich has assembled his first Bulldog recruiting class, signing seven newcomers for the 2015 season, he announced Wednesday.
McFatrich will add Khristian Carr, Savannah Cressman, Jazmyn Johnson, Katie Nicholson, Blossom Sato, Evie Grace Singleton and Torrey Tinney to the roster for next season, bolstering an already solid roster of returning talent.
“We as a coaching staff are very excited about our first class here at Mississippi State. It’s a large class, but we needed to get a lot of players in here,” McFatrich said. “Most importantly, knowing the class of people we have coming in with their character and work ethic, we feel that they will provide instant help for us. They’re going to be great on and off the court and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome our first recruiting class here to our Bulldog family.”
Khristian Carr; Outside Hitter; 5-11; Starkville, Miss. (Starkville HS)
The class’ lone in-state product comes to Mississippi State from its own backyard. Khristian Carr won’t have far to travel, as she comes to State by way of Starkville High School. A five-year letterwinner at SHS, Carr began playing for the Yellow Jackets in her seventh-grade year, with her first varsity season coming as an eighth grader. In her five seasons, Carr has helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a 2011 District Championship and a second-place finish in the district in 2014.
Individually, Carr has earned a number of individual honors. In 2012, she was named the Commercial Dispatch’s Volleyball Player of the Year, following it up in 2013 with First Team All-District honors as well as being named to the MAC North All-Star Team. In the past year, she has earned a WCBI Player of the Week accolade, as well as being named to the Southaven Invitational All-Tournament Team. Carr was also recently named First Team All-District for her play this season.
Carr has also spent four seasons playing club at Level Elite under head coach Tina Seals, who was formerly at the helm of the MSU volleyball program from 2004-08. Her time with Shoals Attack and Mississippi Juniors teams are highlighted by showings at both the 2012 and 2013 Delta Region High Performance Camps.
In the classroom, Carr has been just as impressive. A member of the National Honor Society, Carr was named Starkville High School’s Most Outstanding Sophomore and has been a consistent presence on the school’s honor roll.
The daughter of mother Ann Carr and father Keith Carr, Khristian is no stranger to the Maroon and White. Her mother Ann is a senior associate athletic director and the senior women’s administrator at Mississippi State University, while also overseeing student-athlete services. Khristian will also be a second-generation student-athlete at MSU, as her mother lettered in basketball from 1987-1990.
Why MSU: “I chose Mississippi State University because I have called it "home" since the age of six, and because I felt like this school was a great fit for me."
McFatrich on Carr: “Khristian a local talent who has incredible athletic ability. She jumps well, especially. We’re excited about developing her and tweaking her technique a little bit to help her become an even better volleyball player. We think she’s a high potential player.”
Savannah Cressman; Libero; 5-5; Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Valor Christian HS)
From Highlands Ranch, Colo., comes libero Savannah Cressman, who McFatrich recruited in his previous stop at Central Arkansas. The four-time letterwinner and captain at Valor Christian High School, Cressman was one of the top liberos in the state.
Cressman etched her name in the Valor Christian record books after her four years on campus, setting the school record with 845 digs. In her four seasons, Cressman helped lead VCHS to three regional championships and three state appearances, including a third-place finish in 2012.
She also experienced great success on the club level as well, highlighted by five-straight appearances in the Junior National Championships. Cressman and her club squad also captured regional championships from 2010-12 and earned first-place finishes at 2013 Big South and 2014 Pacific Northwest.
Off the court, Cressman has been extremely impressive landing on the First Team Academic All-State in 2013 and 2014.
Why MSU: “I wanted to follow the best coaching staff in the nation and wanted to play for them in the best conference. I love the community at MSU as well as the impressive Shackhouls Honors College.”
McFatrich on Cressman: “We had recruited Savannah at Central Arkansas and we’re excited to have her come here to MSU. We expect Savannah to come in here, provide an instant impact and help improve our ball control. She’s a very good volleyball player and we expect her to develop and become really good in our system.”
Jazmyne Johnson; Right Side Hitter; 6-1; Desoto, Texas (Desoto HS/Middle Tennessee)
Transferring from Middle Tennessee is Jazmyne Johnson, who has seen great growth in her game from high school to two years into her collegiate career. In two seasons at Middle Tennessee, Johnson accumulated 326 kills and 174 blocks in a total of 185 sets played. In 2014, Johnson finished second on the Blue Raider squad with 86 blocks and third with 187 kills, all despite missing nine matches due to injury.
Currently, she has a career high of 22 kills in a match, which she recorded at Seton Hall on September 20, 2014. She has had four matches where she has hit over .300 with at least 10 attacks, with her most impressive performance coming against Southern Illinois on September 2, 2014. She recorded 17 kills en route to a career-best .727 hitting efficiency, which stands as the fifth highest in a match in Middle Tennessee history.
Prior to making it to the collegiate ranks, Johnson was a standout on the high school level as a four-year varsity starter at Desoto High School in Desoto, Texas. After being named Honorable Mention All-District her freshman year and First Team All-District her sophomore season, Johnson’s high school career culminated with the honor of being the District 11-5A Blocker of the Year her senior season. Johnson has also earned several other honors, including being named to the 2011-12 Under Armour Girls’ High School All-America Watch List, All-Texas Second Team (2011) and the Vype DFW Magazine Second Team.
Off the court, Johnson was named Academic All-District all four years of high school. Johnson is also a member of the National Honor Society and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Graduating 14th in her high school class, Johnson majors in journalism.
Why MSU: "I have always dreamed of playing at an SEC school, so when the opportunity came and I interacted with the coaches and the girls I felt it was a great fit for me. I love the coaching staff because they are interested in helping me grow spiritually and with my training both on and off the court. I felt like I was already apart of the Bulldog family on my visit."
McFatrich on Johnson: “Jazmyne is coming in having two years remaining with us. She’s a really good volleyball player already, but we look forward to tapping into her potential even more. She helps us on the right side, but is also a really good blocker and has great vision on the court. She’s a great young lady like everyone in this class and we know she’ll fit in well here.”
Katie Nicholson; Middle Blocker; 6-2; Aledo, Texas (Forth Worth All Saints Episcopal School)
Helping to add depth to Mississippi State’s middle blocker position is Katie Nicholson, a volleyball standout from Aledo, Texas.
On the high school level, Nicholson has seen immense success, highlighted by a Texas high school state championship in 2013, while also leading her high school conference with 95 blocks. Nicholson capped her high school career by being named a finalist for the 2014 State of Texas Christian Athlete of the Year award.
Nicholson has seen great success on the club level as well, especially on the national level. Playing for Texas Advantage Volleyball, Nicholson helped lead her squad to an AAU Top 10 finish in 2012. In 2013 with TAV, Nicholson assisted in her squad earning seven first-place finishes, en route to finishing fifth at USA Nationals in Dallas. Nicholson would join Texas Image in 2014, becoming a USA National Qualifier and is currently still competing as a USA National Qualifier with Dallas Skyline in 2015.
Why MSU: “There were several reasons why I chose Mississippi State. First, the coaching staff and the high level of winning, passion and competitive intensity they bring to the MSU program, while at the same time remaining focused on a team culture. Being able to compete in the SEC is the premier honor in collegiate volleyball. I cannot wait to be a part of the Bulldog family.”
McFatrich on Nicholson: “Katie provides us great depth at the middle blocker position. I believe she’s going to develop into a great player over her time here at Mississippi State. She’s coming off a knee injury, but she’s been working very hard to get back to where she was and become even better.”
Blossom Sato; Setter; 5-9; Santa Monica, Calif. (Santa Monica HS)
Hailing from Santa Monica, Calif., is setter Blossom Sato, who brings a wealth of volleyball experience to Mississippi State.
A three-year varsity team captain at Santa Monica High School, Sato is a three-time First Team All-California Interscholastic Federation honoree. Sato proved to be one of the top setters in the state of California while at Santa Monica, leading the Ocean League in assists for three seasons. Sato was also named the Ocean League MVP in 2011-12 and 2012-13 and was named the Ocean League Most Outstanding Player this past season.
On the club level, Sato played for the Mizuno Long Beach club team from 2012-14 and received the honor of joining the Mizuno Long Beach European Travel Team in 2013-14. Sato most recently joined the Sunshine South Bay club squad.
Individually, Sato has been a mainstay on watch lists and honor rolls. In 2011, Sato landed on the PrepVolley.com Top 50 Freshmen list. Sato landed on the AVCA Phenom Watch List in 2013 and was a 2014 AVCA Under Armour High School All-American Senior Nomination.
Most recently, Sato received the honor of being selected to the 2015 Pacific Northwest Junior National Qualifier Dream Team.
Academically, Sato has been equally impressive, landing on the Samohi Honor Roll all four years in high school, which honors those who hold a 3.5 and above GPA.
Why MSU: “I chose Mississippi State because I'll have the chance to succeed academically and athletically in an enriching environment with the support of dedicated and talented professors, coaches, and teammates. I am so excited to start this new chapter in StarkVegas!”
McFatrich on Sato: “Blossom provides some immediate help at the setter position for us. She’s a good defensive player and very good at moving the ball around. Blossom provides yet another player that helps us with our ball control. She’s just a solid setter and we’re excited to get her here at Mississippi State.”
Evie Grace Singleton; Outside Hitter; 5-10; Little Rock, Ark. (Home School/Central Arkansas)
After spending the past two seasons with McFatrich at Central Arkansas, outside hitter Evie Grace Singleton joins her former coaching staff at Mississippi State for her final two collegiate seasons.
Singleton was a key part to McFatrich’s 2013 and 2014 squads, which both saw tremendous success, including an appearance in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
In her first season, Singleton played in 14 matches while drawing a pair of starts. In her playing time, Singleton totals 59 kills (2.03 per set) and five service aces (0.17 per set). She capped her freshman season by earning ESPN Player of the Match honors in UCA’s Southland Conference Championship match, which earned them their second-straight bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Singleton became a crucial piece to the puzzle in 2014, starting all 32 matches. The offensive star totaled 388 kills and a 3.34 per set average, which stood ninth overall in the Southland. Her 53 aces (0.46 per set average) were second overall in the SLC and first in conference play. Singleton was 11th in the NCAA in total aces and 10th in aces per set in the nation.
Highlighting her sophomore year were two exceptional performances. Singleton turned in 26 kills with a .438 hitting percentage against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and then turned in an exceptional 22 kills and 20 digs against Big 12 powerhouse Oklahoma on November 18. Performances such as those, along with All-Tournament Team selections at the Oregon Invitational and Sugar Bear Invitational and a Southland Offensive Player of the Week honor in October landed Singleton a First Team All-SLC selection.
Before reaching the collegiate level, Singleton was a star in the home school ranks. A three-time Home School All-American, Singleton was also selected as the Home School National Championships MVP in 2011.
Why MSU: “I chose Mississippi State because as soon as I stepped foot on campus I could tell that it was a family-like atmosphere. Everyone I met was so kind and seemed genuinely excited to meet me. I also wanted to play for Coach McFatrich, because his passion and love for the game is contagious and I love his coaching mentality.”
McFatrich on Singleton: "I’ve coached Evie Grace since she was 13 and I expect her to come in here and compete for playing time right away. Evie Grace is a very skilled outside hitter and proved that at Central Arkansas. She’s also proved to be a very hard worker and we’re excited to keep on coaching her here at Mississippi State.”
Torrey Tinney; Libero/Defensive Specialist; 5-6; Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif. (La Costa Canyon HS)
Keeping the Bulldogs’ California connection going is Torrey Tinney, a standout libero and defensive specialist from Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif., and La Costa Canyon High School. A two-year letterwinner, Tinney has starred as the Mavericks libero for the past two seasons after starting two years with the freshman and junior varsity squads at LCCHS.
After being named to the Titan Invitational All-Tournament Team and leading her freshman team to a league championship in 2011-12 as an outside hitter and a DS, Tinney moved up to the junior varsity squad as a libero and DS. From there, Tinney led her squad to a first-place finish in the Titan Invitational and a second-place showing in the Fall Classic, culminating in being named All-Season MVP by the league coaches. Tallying 624 digs and 701 passed serve receive balls in her junior year as the Maverick’s primary libero, Tinney was crucial in LCCHS finishing ranked 12th in the state with a 28-10 overall record and a 10-0 showing in league play.
This past season, the Mavericks finished with a 22-8 record and reached the championship match of the CIF San Diego Section Tournament.
Spending seven years under Mike Placek as a team captain with the Coast Volleyball Club, Tinney proved to be just as successful in club play. In 2013, she led her squad to a 10th-place finish in the 17-under Open Division at Junior Nationals. Tinney returned the following year with her 18-under team, placing third at Junior Nationals, while finishing as the champions of the 18-under American Division at the Las Vegas Classic.
The daughter of Troy and Brooke Tinney, Torrey was also impressive on the softball field, earning MVP honors in the sport all four years in high school. In the classroom, Tinney was placed on honor roll all throughout middle and high school, while also being named to the All-Academic District teams in 2013 and 2014.
Why MSU: “I chose MSU because of the beautiful campus and such warm hospitality from everyone. I felt very welcomed the minute I landed in Mississippi. I didn't know what to expect coming from California, but once I found out how school spirited State was and how nice the other players were I knew that MSU was the school for me.”
McFatrich on Tinney: “Torrey comes to us from a very good club on the West Coast and has played with and against top competition. She’s a good ball controller and a great passer and we expect her to come in here and help improve our ball control immediately.”
For more information and updates on Mississippi State volleyball, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateVB.