MALIBU, Calif. ­Â— Prepvolleyball.com has ranked the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team’s new recruiting class as the 12th best in the country, the website recently announced.
The Waves will be adding seven new players to the roster in 2009, six of whom are freshmen. Pepperdine signed three to letters-of-intent last fall: middle blocker Victoria Adelhelm (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Santa Fe Christian HS), middle blocker Brittney Clark (San Jose, Calif./Presentation HS) and outside hitter Caitlin Racich (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos HS).
Pepperdine is also bringing in three recruited walk-ons: libero Kelli Branning (Menlo Park, Calif./Menlo-Atherton HS), outside hitter Ashley Broadwell (Bothell, Wash./Archbishop Murphy HS) and setter Justine Hunter (Hollister, Calif./San Benito HS).
Following are Prepvolleyball.com’s comments on Pepperdine’s recruiting class: “Pepperdine’s class is headlined by two incredibly competitive and aggressive middles in Adelhelm and Clark. Adelhelm is a strong, athletic net player with a quick arm and tremendous blocking prowess. She is 6-3 now and after a full spring in the weight room really is starting to reach her athletic potential. Clark is just plain mean at the net and the Waves love that. Her arm is wicked and she scores points in bunches for the national powerhouse Vision 18-1 team and plans on bringing that tenacity with her to battle Adelhelm for a starting spot in the fall. Racich is an all-around volleyball player who will add depth to the OH position in Malibu and bring her AAA beach rating to a squad that just won the USAV Collegiate Beach challenge. The Waves also add Branning, a scrappy and athletic defender who will join her brother, Richard, who plays on the Pepperdine basketball team. Broadwell is a multi-talented player who can play on the right and the left and possesses a jump serve that keeps team on edge. Rounding out the class is the late addition of Hunter, a setter who is calm, cool and collected out on the court and will provide the Waves a competent backup for senior Kiah Fiers. All told, it’s a full class that addresses all the needs in Malibu and makes Coach Nina Matthies a very happy camper.”
A seventh addition, who was not included in the website’s rankings, is transfer Janea Rosell (Los Angeles, Calif./Bishop Montgomery HS/Arizona State), She is an opposite/middle blocker who redshirted at Arizona State as a 2007 freshman before sitting out last season.
The Waves went 20-8 overall last season and finished in a tie for fourth place in the West Coast Conference. They advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year and the 11th time in the last 12 years.
Pepperdine, which returns four starters plus the libero, opens the 2009 season on Aug. 28-30 at the Colorado State Asics Classic.
