Tanner Announces Incoming Recruiting Class
11/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
MALIBU, Calif. - First-year Pepperdine women's volleyball head coach Troy Tanner announced the signing of four student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent. A highly-touted class consisting of Heidi Dyer, Nikki Lyons, Jenna Tunnell and Tarah Wylie will all don the Blue and Orange for the Waves next fall. Additionally, Adria Johnson has signed a Grant-in-Aid and will join the Waves in January after graduating from high school early.
"We're really excited about everyone coming in, individually and collectively," said Tanner. "We are losing some terrific seniors this year, and we know this group is going to come in and have a tremendous, positive impact on the team and the atmosphere in the gym."
The incomming class consists of two outside hitters, one middle blocker, one setter and a setter-opposite side combo player. The five all hail from different corners of the United States, with players from California, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona and Indiana heading to Malibu.
Four newcomers were named AVCA High School All-Americans, with Tunnell highlighting as a first-team selection. The Waves can also expect some dual-sport athletes to emerge from the bunch, with several of the signees boasting extensive experience playing in the sand.
Here's a more in-depth look at the five signees:
HEIDI DYER
San Clemente, Calif. | Saddleback Valley Christian Schools
6-2 | Setter/Opposite
HIGH SCHOOL: Attends Saddleback Valley Christian ... Won the 2013 CIF Southern Section Div. 4AA Championship and was subsequently named the Southern Section Player of the Year ... Helped SVCS to a runner-up finish at the 2012 CIF-Southern Section Div. 4A Championship and was honored as an All-CIF-SS first team performer ... Earned CIF-SS All-County fourth-team accolades as a junior and an honorable mention as a sophomore ... Three-time All-San Joaquin League first team pick and 2013 Player of the Year ... Member of the TStreet Volleyball Club ... Led squad to the gold medal in the national division at the 2013 USAV Junior Nationals in Dallas ... Won the all-tournament award at junior nationals ... Ranked #92 on PrepVolleyball.com's list of Senior Aces.
PERSONAL: Father Ian Dyer was a basketball and volleyball player at Harvard ... Uncle Aaron Dyer competed in basketball and volleyball at USC.
DYER ON PEPPERDINE: "Pepperdine is basically me summed up in a college. It's a Southern California beach school; I'm a Southern California beach girl. It has a Christian foundation, so do I. I also choose Pepperdine because the student-professor ratio is amazing, the campus is gorgeous and makes me feel at home, and because I love the coaching staff of both the indoor and sand teams."
TANNER ON DYER: "Heidi is a five-tool volleyball player; she can hit, pass, block, set and serve. She's long and very skilled. She plays at one of the top clubs in the country and is getting better weekly. We look forward to her coming in a making an immediate impact."
ADRIA JOHNSON
Apex, N.C. | Needham Broughton High School
6-3 | Outside Hitter
HIGH SCHOOL: Attends Needham Broughton High School in Raleigh, N.C. ... Signed a Grant-in-Aid and will join the team in January ... 2014-15 AVCA Under Armour Girls High School All-American third team selection ... Three-time All-Eastern Plaines Independent Conference (EPIC) selection ... 2013 EPIC Player of the Year ... 2012 and 2013 North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association All-State performer ... Named a PrepVolleyball.com Senior Ace and a Super Sophomore Elite honorable mention ... Member of the NC Elite club volleyball team ... Earned the Leadership Award in 2013.
PERSONAL: Has several family members who have played college athletics ... Great grandfather Harold McClary was Hall of Fame basketball player at Washington ... Great grandmother Roberta Belazzi McClary member of the men's rifle shooting team at Washington ... Grandpa Douglas McClary and mother Carlin Johnson both played basketball for the Huskies ... Brother Lindsey is currently a senior on the Saginaw Valley men's basketball team.
JOHNSON ON PEPPERDINE: "To me, Pepperdine is an opportunity for adventure and of course the ideal destination for growth. Since the age of 15, I've had a dream of playing at Pepperdine - and here I am!"
TANNER ON JOHNSON: "Adria is very long and physical. She's got a great work ethic and a good arm. She's a versatile player who could play on the outside or in the middle for us. I'm really excited to have her in the gym and begin working with her."
NIKKI LYONS
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. | St. Thomas Aquinas High School
6-2 | Outside Hitter
HIGH SCHOOL: Attends St. Thomas Aquinas High School ... 2014-15 AVCA Under Armour Girls High School All-American second team selection ... Averaging over 4.1 kills/set as a senior ... Awarded Class 8A-6A All-County first-team accolades by the Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel as a freshman, sophomore and junior ... On track to four-peat as senior ... Made PrepVolleyball.com's Top-150 Senior Aces list ... Twelve-time Max Preps Player of the Week ... Team captain as a senior ... Led squad to the finals of the 2012 Class 7A state championships and to the semifinals in 2013 ... Also a member of the Boomers Volleyball Club team ... All-tournament pick at the 2013 AAU Girls National Championship Tournament in Orlando, Fla. ... Also an accomplished sand player ... Most recently placed fifth in the U19 gold division at the 2014 USAV Beach National High Performance Championships in Hermosa Beach ... Took first place honors in 2011 in the U15 gold division ... Top-five finisher in 2012 and 2013 ... Crowned winner at the 2010, 2011 and 2013 USAV Junior Tour Championships in Fort Lauderdale ... First place finisher at the 2013 AAU Junior Tour Championship in the U17 gold division ... Led St. Thomas Aquinas to a first-place result at the inaugural 2014 South Florida High School Sand Volleyball Tournament ... Earned a AAA beach rating in 2014.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Lori and Frank ... Father Frank played professionally on the AVP circuit ... Has two sisters, Brooke and Monique ... Brooke is a middle blocker for Appalachian State ... Aspires to become the next Erin Andrews, working as a sportscaster, journalist and television personality for a large sports network.
LYONS ON PEPPERDINE: "I chose Pepperdine University because it gives me the chance to succeed academically, athletically, and spiritually with the support of very talented professors, coaches, teammates and Pepperdine families. The location is not bad either!"
TANNER ON LYONS: "Nikki has a big arm and a big jump, and possesses excellent ball control. I expect her to come in and immediately compete for a starting position. She's the type of player who really brings out the best in her teammates and I'm really excited to begin working with her."
JENNA TUNNELL
Anthem, Ariz. | Desert Vista HS
5-11 | Setter
HIGH SCHOOL: Plays for Desert Vista High School ... 2014-15 AVCA Under Armour Girls High School All-American first team selection ... Also a member of the Nike Tournament of Championship Select Six ... Made PrepVolleyball.com's Top-150 Senior Aces list ... Boasts extensive experience on the sand and was a member of the USA Volleyball U19 A1 beach team ... Member of the Spiral Volleyball Club ... Led club team to the a regional championship in the 17U division.
PERSONAL: Father Frank Tunnell played college baseball at Grand Canyon and was later drafted by the Seattle Mariners ... Brother West currently plays baseball at Baylor.
TUNNELL ON PEPPERDINE: "I chose Pepperdine because it fit completely into what I wanted out of my college experience. The second I stepped on campus I could feel the love and I knew that I wanted to be there."
TANNER ON TUNNELL: "Jenna is a left-handed setter with a big jump and fast arm. She will bring exceptional physicality to our team. She's just a volleyball junkie who can't get enough."
TARAH WYLIE
Noblesville, Ind. | Cathedral High School
6-5 | Middle Blocker
HIGH SCHOOL: Plays for Cathedral High School ... 2014-15 AVCA Under Armour Girls High School All-American honorable mention ... 2014 ICGSA 4A All-State first team selection ... Led Cathedral to a runner-up finish at the 2014 IHSAA State tournament ... 2014 Indiana All-Star team pick ... Five-time Max Preps Player of the Match through junior and senior seasons ... Ranked #73 on PrepVolleyball.com's list of Senior Aces ... 2013 member of the Indiana Junior All-Star team ... Played club for Munciana 18-1s ... Helped squad to a runner-up finish at the 2014 AAU National Championships in the 18 Open division ... Took third at the 2014 AAU Worlds Tournament ... Placed third in the 16 Open division at the 2013 AAU Nationals.
PERSONAL: Younger sister to Hannah, Jordan and Camden.
WYLIE ON PEPPERDINE: "I chose Pepperdine University because it was such a unique program and it was the perfect fit for me. I had always dreamed of going to school in California and Pepperdine made my dream a reality."
TANNER ON WYLIE: "Every time I see Tarah, she's better than the last. She will immediately upgrade the level in practice and we expect a strong challenge from her to start next fall. She possesses a quiet confidence and we're excited to begin training with her."
