 Kordes Receives Five Commitments for 2010
Nov. 17, 2009
ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis head volleyball coach Anne Kordes announced today that five student-athletes have committed to play for the Billikens starting next season. The players who have signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University and compete for SLU are Lauren Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg), Andrea Beaty (Pacific, Mo. / Washington), Emma Goldschmidt (O'Fallon, Ill. / O'Fallon Township), Hannah Kvitle (Quincy, Ill. / Quincy Senior) and Kelsey Toebben (Jefferson City, Mo. / Helias). Each player will have four years of eligibility beginning with the 2010 season. "We are so excited about this extremely versatile and athletic class," Kordes said. "Each of them will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact, and they will help us continue to play a fast offense. They are all highly competitive, and they know that we love to challenge ourselves here at SLU. This class will help take our program to new heights. Our goal is to be a top-10 program, and we are knocking on the door." Baumet was ranked among the Top 100 Senior Aces by PrepVolleyball.com in 2009 in addition to being nominated as the Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year. The 6-foot-1 outside/right-side hitter earned 2009 All-State first-team laurels after averaging 4.74 kills, 0.92 blocks and 0.80 service aces per set. As a senior, Baumet helped lead the Bulldogs to the Indiana High School Athletic Association Class 4A sectionals and was named to the 2009-10 Under Armour Girls' High School All-America Watch List. The two-time All-Conference selection also guided the Circle City 18 Purple club squad to the 2009 National Junior Classic crown and a fifth-place finish at the 2009 Junior Olympics.
"Lauren has played all three positions across the front, and she's been getting more and more time in the back row," Kordes said. "She has a great vertical, a strong snap, and one of the most dominant jump serves that we've come across at the high-school level. Lauren is competitive, and she's got speed and athleticism that will enable her to help us on either the left or right side."
Beaty, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter, earned a spot on the 2009-10 Under Armour Girls' High School All-America Watch List and was chosen as one of the top 250 recruits for the 2010 season by PrepVolleyball.com. She garnered Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association (MHSVCA) Class 4 All-State first-team accolades as a senior after capturing second-team honors her junior year. Beaty, who was awarded Academic All-State honors four times, guided her team to a 29-3 mark in 2009 while averaging 3.18 kills per set. She played for the Team St. Louis club team in addition to the Rockwood Thunder 161 club squad with fellow Billiken signee Kvitle. "Andrea has been a six-rotation player ever since she started playing, so she's got a great sense of the game," Kordes said. "She understands the game of volleyball so well that when you watch her it's like watching a veteran out on the court. Andrea has made a name for herself in the St. Louis area. We're delighted that people who have followed her career to this point will be able to continue to do so, because she's going to have an incredible career at SLU. Andrea's work ethic and competitive fire will most certainly help her serve as a leader in our program." Goldschmidt is a 6-foot right-side hitter who was also named to the 2009-10 Under Armour Girls' High School All-America Watch List prior to her senior campaign. She led the Panthers to a program-best 28-10-1 mark in 2009 and their first regional volleyball crown in 17 years. Goldschmidt turned in team highs of 4.34 kills and 3.90 digs per set and 188 blocks as a senior. In 2008, she garnered a spot on the Belleville News-Democrat Large-School All-Area second team and captured All-Conference second-team honors. As a sophomore, Goldschmidt established OTHS single-season records with 163 kills and 525 attempts and played in a school-record 84 sets. Goldschmidt, who played club volleyball with the Southwest Illinois 17 Smack squad, is a SLU legacy. Her father, two uncles and an aunt were members of the Billiken baseball and volleyball teams, respectively. "We are excited about Emma because she continues to grow, even since she committed to SLU," Kordes said. "Emma is that go-to player who can handle any situation that is put in front of her. She is one of the most incredible leaders in this class, and I see that leadership role falling to her due to her strong sense of maturity and the confidence she exudes. Emma is a left-handed hitter who will help us on the right side. My goal is for her to be a six-rotation player." Kvitle piloted the 2009 Quincy Senior squad to a 36-5 mark, a fourth-place finish at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 4A state tournament and a No. 77 ranking in the most recent PrepVolleyball.com Century Club National Top 100. Individually, the 5-foot-11 setter is among the top 10 on the IHSA career assists list and was named one of the top 250 recruits for the 2010 season by PrepVolleyball.com. Kvitle, a three-time All-Conference selection and team MVP, captured Quincy Herald-Whig Player of the Year plaudits and Champaign News-Gazette All-State special mention honors in 2008. She also played for the Rockwood Thunder 161 and St. Louis CYC 17's Green club teams. Kvitle comes from an athletic family as her sister, Emily, is a member of the Mississippi volleyball team and her grandfather, Emil Verban, was a Major League Baseball All-Star selection from 1945-47. "Hannah had one of the best high school seasons of all these recruits, leading her team to the final four," Kordes said. "She is a bundle of energy and filled to the brim with a passion for volleyball. We are going to train Hannah to be our starting setter from day one. She will see a lot of reps and will be open to feedback from the moment she steps on campus. Hannah will learn a lot from practice and just being on the court." Toebben, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker, was named to the 2009 MHSVCA Class 4 All-State second team after helping the Crusaders to a 36-2-1 record and the state championship quarterfinals. As a junior, she broke the Helias single-season marks for solo blocks (40), block assists (72) and total blocks (112). Toebben, a two-time All-District and All-Region designee, improved her block assists mark to 74 as a senior and established season records for kills (229) and hitting percentage (.486). Prior to her senior year, she earned a spot on the 2009-10 Under Armour Girls' High School All-America Watch List. Toebben played club volleyball with the Central Missouri 17-1 Surge. "Kelsey kind of flew under the radar during the recruiting process, but she is a tremendous competitor and will be able to dominate from the middle-blocker position," Kordes said. "She has one of the longest wingspans of any player we've ever recruited and she's quick, which will make her one of the best blockers to ever come through this program. Kelsey will be hard to keep off the floor because she is so good." |
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