HIGH POINT, N.C. – Head coach Tom Mendoza has announced the addition of four incoming freshman and one transfer to the High Point University volleyball team on Wednesday.
 
Abby Bottomley, Kassidy Dickerson, Katie Doering and Ali Thanhauser will join the 2016 Big South Champions next fall. Meanwhile, Adeline Ellis – a transfer from the University of Pittsburgh– enrolled at HPU in January.
 
"Winning the Big South and making the NCAA Tournament in 2016 was a huge step for our program, but we know we could have been more consistent at times in the regular season," Mendoza said. "We are really excited about our 2017 class because this is a group that is going to fit in really well with the returners and also sure up some areas of our game. First and foremost, the strength of our program is the team culture and we are adding quality people who have been successful in the classroom and on the court."
 
"From a volleyball standpoint, this class will complement the current group and hopefully help take our program to an even higher level," Mendoza continued. "Abby and Kassidy will be a big part of our ball control, which will help our reception and defensive consistency from match to match. Katie and Ali both can play multiple positions in the front row and give us some different strengths than what we currently have on our roster."
 
Abby Bottomley | Defensive Specialist | 5-6 | Virginia Beach, Va. | Princess Anne
 
Like the Purple & White, Bottomley is coming off a season that resulted in a title as the defensive specialist led her squad to the Virginia State Championship. The Virginia Beach, Va. product was named Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year after making All-State as a junior and a senior. In her career, she racked up over 200 aces and 800 kills, but will be a back row specialist at High Point.
 
"Abby has as high a skill level as you can ask for in a young player," Mendoza said. "She makes a lot of difficult plays look easy because of her instincts and touch. There is always an adjustment players have to make to the college game, but I expect Abby to hit the ground running and could have a really special freshman year."
 
Kassidy Dickerson | Defensive Specialist | 5-6 | Henderson, N.C. | Kerr Vance Academy
 
Dickerson was a three-time all-state selection playing for head coach George Hoyle at Kerr Vance Academy. The defensive specialist rounded out her high school career by claiming the conference player of the year in 2016.
 
"No matter who we are playing, we want to win the ball-control game and Kass is another young player who can help us move in that direction," Mendoza explained. "She's very positionally sound on defense and consistent in serve receive, which are two things that we really value in our system."
 
Katie Doering | Right Side Hitter | 5-10 | Kennesaw, Ga. | Harrison
 
The Panthers are coming off a record-breaking season for blocks and welcome Doering, who holds the Georgia state record for career blocks. Likewise, the right-side hitter registered the highest hitting percentage in the state for each of the past three seasons. Similar to Bottomley, Doering was named Georgia 6A Player of the Year during her senior season.
 
"For a player her age, Katie has played and won so many big time matches," Mendoza said. "She's been successful on the big stage both on her high school and club teams and that culture is invaluable for a program. She can play any front row position and can absolutely crush the ball while still hitting some good angles. She's worked hard to become a very good blocker and we are excited about her potential. "
 
Ali Thanhauser | Middle Blocker | 6-2 | Raleigh, N.C. | North Raleigh Christian Academy
 
Another state champion, Thanhauser brings a winning pedigree to High Point after helping North Raleigh Christian Academy to back-to-back state titles. As a senior, the middle blocker earned all-conference honors. Thanhauser spent six summers playing for the Triangle Volleyball Club.
 
"We get a lot of positive recommendations from coaches, but when the term 'favorite player I've coached' pops up multiple times, then you know you're getting the right person," Mendoza explained. "Ali makes her teams better and she has the potential to impact our squad on the court early on. She's a strong combination of attacker and blocker and will give us another look on either the middle or right."
 
Adeline Ellis | Outside Hitter | 5-11 | Overland Park, Kan. | Blue Valley Northwest (Pittsburgh)
 
Ellis comes to the Triad after playing two seasons in the Atlantic Coastal Conference at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to her time in the Steel City, the Kansas native helped her team to back-to-back top-three finishes in the state. During her final two seasons in high school, Ellis was an All-Kansas selection. She rewrote the record book at Blue Valley Northwest leaving as the record holder in single-season kills and career kills.
 
"Adeline joined us this semester and she is fitting in very well both on and off the court," Mendoza said. "Being highly competitive is fairly common in Division 1 athletics, but she also understands what it takes to be successful. She can score points offensively both in and out of system and has the tools be a great six-rotation player."   
 
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