KENNESAW, Ga. – Head Coach
Keith Schunzel announced the addition of four new recruits to the Kennesaw State volleyball team in Alasha Heard, Emma Schurfranz, Lanie Vantrease and Shelby Dennis during the November early signing period.
"This is a lights out class for us," said Schunzel. "We are signing and adding to our family four very driven young women, on and off the court. All four have bought into what this program is about from a character and expectations, as a well-rounded person, standpoint. This group is talented, athletic, well balanced and hungry to continue and push forward with all the great things that have been established with Kennesaw State Volleyball."
Alasha Heard | Kathleen, Ga. | MB/RS | Veterans HS
Highlights: A four-year player at Veterans High School in Kathleen, Ga., Alasha Heard was named the Area AAAAA Player of the Year following her junior and senior seasons. Heard set her high school volleyball team's record for career kills (1,141) and kills in a season (366). A member of the A5 South and Pure Volleyball club since 2016, she helped her squad to back-to-back S.R.V.A. Tournament Championships in 2017 and 2018, winning the title in 2017. During her club's tournament runs, they recorded a combined record of 33-2.
What Schunzel says: "Alasha is our only Georgia player in this class, which is important to us that we continue to recruit the right kind of kids from this state who see what's happening with our program and want to be a part of it. She spent the last few years down at the strong A5 South club program where many of our athletes have had great training and club careers. Alasha is a dynamic athlete and versatile middle/right side attacker with a huge upside. We anticipate training her in the middle to start with and seeing where her athleticism takes her. What excites me most about Alasha is that everyone who I've spoken with who has ever coached her has raved about her work ethic, drive to improve and character, all traits that we value very strongly in this program."
Lanie Vantrease | Spring Hill, Tenn. | OH | Fred J. Page HS
Highlights: Lanie Vantrease heads to Kennesaw State from Fred J. Page High School where she played as an outside hitter and middle blocker the last three years, being named captain her senior season. A three-time all-district selection and two-time district MVP, she finished her career as Page High School's all-time leader in both kills (1,197), and blocks (390), recording 535 total kills as a senior. Playing her club volleyball for Alliance Volleyball Club, Vantrease was named to the 2018 Nike President's Day Classic All-Tournament Team as well as the 2018 AVCA Under Armour All-American watch list.
What Schunzel says: "Lanie is a perfect fit for our program, on so many fronts. She's a versatile athlete, who can play all 3 front row positions, a type of player that we love having in our program. She's got a big arm, great athleticism and is another player with a tremendous ceiling. Just as importantly though, Lanie is eternally optimistic, passionate about life, and has an energy about her that effects every single person around her positively. The people at Alliance volleyball club out of Nashville raved about her and her family as we recruited Lanie, and the more we got to know them, we understood exactly why. Lanie's going to do big things at KSU, on and off the court, and we can't wait to guide, mentor and challenge her and help her achieve on and off the court."
Emma Schurfranz | Louisville, Ky. | OH/OPP | Mercy Academy
Highlights: A three-year starter on the Mercy Academy varsity squad, Emma Schurfranz was named captain of the Jaguars her senior season. Schurfranz led the team in kills her senior season, logging 381 total for a 4.2 kills per set average along with a team-high 58 blocks. This past season, she helped lead the Jaguars to a 32-7 record and an appearance I the KHSAA State Tournament Finals, falling to Assumption 3-1. For her efforts Schurfranz was named first-team all-state while garnering All-American Under Armour Honorable Mention accolades.
What Schunzel Says: "Emma is our first ever recruit from the Louisville area, one of the biggest hotbeds in the country for juniors volleyball. She has been playing very high-level ball for Union Volleyball Club, a nationally prominent program, as well as a terrific high school program in Mercy Academy. Emma is a gifted attacker, with an ability to score from both the left and right pins as well as out of the back row and behind the service line. She's long and smooth and is going to have a chance to turn into a big time point scorer at this level. As her career unfolds, because she's so skilled, we're also excited to help her develop into a six-rotation player who can pass and defend and impact the game in many other ways, which are goals of hers as well. Emma is another player who wants to be great, and fell in love with the people and vision at KSU and we can't wait to get her in an Owl jersey."
Shelby Dennis | Cleves, Ohio | OH/DS | Mercy of Mother HS
Highlights: A 2018 Greater Catholic League Player of the Year and Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention, Shelby Dennis was a four-year starter at Mother of Mercy High School. Dennis was named first-team all-district her junior and senior years and first-team all-state this past season. Through her first two seasons at Mercy, she racked up 624 total kills and 591 total digs. Dennis has played for the Tri-State Elite Volleyball Club for the past four years.
What Schunzel says: "Shelby is a player with a volleyball IQ, a skill set and experience that are all off the charts, and we couldn't be more excited to add her to our roster. Another athlete in this class from a volleyball hotbed, Shelby's Tri-State Elite club program in the Cincinnati area does a great job training and preparing their players for the next level. Shelby is the rare player who can play every facet of the game very well. She's a big-time passer, defender and back row player, but someone who's also capable of playing left side, where she can more than hold her own attacking and blocking. Every great team needs a player like Shelby because she's the definition of a winner who will find a way to help her team succeed. As we watched Shelby and formed a relationship with her, her competitiveness and love for the game were two things that impressed us every step of the way and made us badly want her in our program, and we're so pumped she choose to study and play at Kennesaw State."
