By Chris McCarthy/Editor
The Gadsden State volleyball program’s 2016 recruiting class gathered for a group signing at Beck Field House on Monday (Jan. 18) with family and friends in attendance.
Committing to the Lady Cardinals were Savannah Beck from Alexandria, Callie Brewer from Addison, Annie Jane Crump from Walker, Morgan Hudson from Meek, Morgan Newton from Katie Smith DAR (Grant), Madison Shelby and Taylor Statum from Buckhorn, Keragan Timmons from Oxford and Alex Vinson from Muscle Shoals.
“Alex was a team captain and very respected be her coach,” said GSCC volleyball coach Angie Sanders. ”She’s a very dynamic and powerful player. Kerrigan is very quick and fast. Taylor is also a very quick player who was a force for her high school team. Madison is a big hitter who jumps really well, as does Morgan Newton, who isn’t real tall but has outstanding jumping ability. Morgan Hudson is a tall girl and a very good player from a state championship team. A.J is a setter who can also play defense. I’m proud anytime I get an Addison girl like Callie, because I know that those girls are committed to volleyball, through and through. She’s just and all-around great player. Savannah is a wonderful player who can hit as well and set, so we can use her in several ways.”
Sanders believes that all nine newcomers will make immediate contributions in the fall.
“This is a great group coming in. I’m very thankful that they’re here and no where else because the recruiting process is hard and there’s a big turnover in junior college volleyball, so you have to make sure that you get good, quality players and students. I think every one of these girls will do great things for us.”
“Gadsden State is a really great program, and I just want to play hard and help the team in any way I can,” said Beck.
“I just expect to be the best I can for the team,” said Brewer, who last season helped Addison win the 2015 Class 1A state championship. “I want to be a good teammate and do anything they ask me to do.”
“I signed here because I liked the coach and everyone on the team was friendly,” said Crump. “I expect is to do big things.”
“I know most of the girls here today, and that’s what helped me make the decision to come here,” said Hudson, a part of Meek’s Class 2A state title team in 2015. “I think we’re going to have a really good season.”
“I really like the coaches and the players here,” said Newton. “I just want to work hard and do my part.”
“I got to watch [Gadsden State] play a few times last season, and I like how unified they played as a team” said Statum.
“We met the [2015] team before and they said the really liked it here,” said Shelby. “I also like it begin smaller so we’re closer to everyone.”
“I like the homey kind of environment here and I liked the coaches, so I felt that it would be a good opportunity for me here,” said Timmons.
“I saw Gadsden State player a few times and I love coach Angie, so it was a pretty easy decision to come here,” said Vinson.
The newly-signed players will join rising sophomores Jewel Mathis, Jada Carr, Tamaria Mayes, Summer Hinton, Courtney Rowe and JoLee Dobbs on the fall roster. The 2015 Lady Cardinals, who finished with a 16-17 overall record and 12-5 in conference action, made it to the quarterfinal round of the Alabama Community College Conference Tournament in November.