Dec. 7, 2012

Signees Splash Page with Videos

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss volleyball team signed four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to study and play volleyball at Ole Miss starting in the summer of 2013, Rebels head coach Joe Getzin announced Friday.

The Rebels will welcome Kristen Brashear, Melanie Crow, Aubrey Edie and Margaret Eggert to the Ole Miss family for the 2013 season. Brashear, a 5-foot-9 libero, comes to Oxford from Louisville, Ky. Crow is a 6-foot-1 right side from Wildwood, Mo. Edie is a 6-foot setter from Fayetteville, Ark., and Eggert, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, hails from Woodbury, Minn.

“This is a very exciting class for us,” Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin said. “We lose seven seniors from this year’s team, so this class coming in has a lot of roles that we need filled. This is a class that can step in and compete as freshmen right from the get-go. They’re probably one of the most experienced groups that we’ve brought in, and probably one of the most decorated as far as winning awards for their achievements already.”

Playing at Sacred Heart Academy, Brashear earned All-District and All-State Honorable Mention honors as a senior, and was also nominated to the Under Armour All-American watch list. Brashear played club volleyball for Adidas UNION, where they won the 2009 JVDA National Championship, and finished third in 2009 in the AAU Nationals. In 2008, Brashear finished third at the AAU Nationals while playing for KIVA.

“We’re very excited about Kristen’s athleticism and the way she competes,” Getzin said. “She’s a very competitive kid and we’re looking forward to working with that type of attitude that she brings to the court. I’ve already watched her play middle blocker in club, and while she’s not a middle blocker, you couldn’t tell that by the way she went about her business. She’ll throw everything out on the floor each and every point. We’re looking forward to that.”

Crow comes to Ole Miss after a stellar high school career where she led the Lafayette (Wildwood, Mo.) Lancers to back-to-back Missouri state championships in 2011 and 2012, including a 40-0 record in 2012 where the Lancers didn’t lose a single set. For their work, the 2012 Lancers were ranked No. 2 nationally by PrepVolleyball.com, and No. 3 nationally by Max Preps Volleyball. Crow was named to the Under Armour All-American watch list this season, and was an All-Region and All-State selection.

“Melanie was a big part of the success her high school team had,” Getzin said. “Melanie is a crafty player who can hit any shot in the book and will get a lot of kills for us. We’re looking for her to come in and compete for playing time right away. We think she is a player that can help us immediately.”

Edie, who attended Fayetteville High School and played club ball for the Ozark Juniors, was named an Under Armour Second Team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association this year, and was selected to the USA Junior National A2 team. A three-year All-State and All-Conference selection, Edie led her high school to a state championship as a senior, earning State Tournament MVP honors along the way. Playing for the Ozark Juniors, Edie was a finalist for PrepVolleyball.com’s National Sophomore of the Year and National Junior of the Year.

“While Aubrey was with the USA Junior National A2 team she proved to be one of the best setters in the country,” Getzin said. “We’re really excited about what she brings to the table. She just won a state championship and was named MVP of the tournament. And the great thing about Aubrey is she’s so humble about all of those awards and keeps working hard. She’s about 6-1, long length. Each time I see her she seems a little bit taller. She’s going to bring a dimension, size wise, that we haven’t had here in quite some time.”

Eggert was a three-year starter at East Ridge High School and a two-year captain. Named a top-20 recruit in the state of Minnesota by Breakdown Sports, Eggert was a starter on East Ridge’s 2010 state team, and was named All-Conference two years in a row. Eggert led the team in kills and was named Athlete of the Week twice. She played club ball with Minnesota One and Kokoro Volleyball.

“Margaret comes from Minneapolis, Minn. She’s our first recruit out of that area,” Getzin said. “She’s a big, strong girl who will compete for playing outside hitter right away. She hits a heavy ball, and we were really impressed with her when we got to work with her last summer at camp. She’s really progressed nicely through her high school season, and I think coming in she’ll be one of the players who’s competing for playing time right away.”

For all Ole Miss volleyball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissVB and on Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball.