Volleyball's Incoming Class Rated No. 10 in the Nation
May 28, 2015
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky volleyball’s incoming class comprised of setter Olivia Dailey, middle blocker Brooke Morgan, outside hitter Anna Nyberg and defensive specialist McKenzie Watson has earned the distinction as PrepVolleyball.com’s 10th rated class for 2015, it was announced on Thursday.
“The combination of the athletic ability and skill-set this class possesses is elite,” head coach Craig Skinner said. “The goals for this program continue to rise and this group not only completes our roster, but enhances it with talent and character. They have all committed to help us take this program to new heights and our staff is eager to get them in the gym and begin working towards bigger goals in 2015.”
Skinner has enjoyed tremendous success as the Wildcats’ head coach, which includes 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, but it is his continued ability to recruit top-level athletes and develop those athletes into All-Americans that is most impressive. The 2015 class marks the sixth top-20 class in Skinner’s tenure.
Dailey (Trussville, Ala.) comes to Kentucky after earning AAU All-America honors in 2014. Competing for the Southern Performance Volleyball Club, she helped her AAU team to a fifth-place finish at AAU Nationals in the 18 Premier Division. Ranked 43rd in Prep Volleyball’s “Senior Aces,” Dailey was named to the 18’s division JVA All-National Team in 2013. She attends The Cahaba School in Trussville, Ala.
Morgan hails from Dike, Iowa, and is considered the No. 12 player in her class by PrepVolleyball.com and a member of the Volleyball Magazine Fab 50. Morgan is a 6-5 middle blocker and a four-time state champion. She was twice tabbed an All-State selection. An all-around athlete, Morgan also garnered all-conference accolades as a standout basketball player and track athlete. Morgan played club volleyball with Nike Six-Pack and led her team to the 2012 under-16 national championship at the USAV Junior National Championship. Furthermore, she is a two-time Academic Excellence Award winner.
An AVCA 2014-15 Under Armour Second-Team All-American, Nyberg comes to Lexington after four years competing for Tomahawk High School in Tomahawk, Wis. On the varsity squad all four seasons, Nyberg is the school record holder after she eclipsed the 2,000 career kill mark as a senior. She helped the Hatchets advance to the Division 2 Final Four in three seasons, including championship match appearances in 2011 and 2014. Ranked No. 68 in Prep Volleyball’s “Senior Aces,” Nyberg earned All-State First Team honors in 2014. She was named the GNC Player of the Year as a senior and was a unanimous selection to the GNC All-Conference First Team along with earning Channel 12 Volleyball Player of the Year accolades in 2013.
Watson is coming off an impressive senior season at Assumption High School in Louisville, where she earned District All-Tournament Team and 7th-Region All-Tournament Team honors. Watson was named an AAU All-American in 2012 and helped her club team to a national title in 2010 and a third-place finish at Nationals in 2011 and 2012.
Since Skinner’s arrival, the Wildcats have hauled in nine classes rated in the top 30 of PrepVolleyball.com’s rankings including his very first class in 2006 which came in at No. 26. That class included future Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and two-time All-American setter Sarah Rumely.
In all, Kentucky has recruited 12 players who have garnered 17 All-America accolades during their careers. Players from these recruiting classes have notched 20 All-SEC distinctions and at least one member of every freshman class has earned an All-SEC Freshman team nod during Skinner’s tenure.
Visit UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information on the Kentucky volleyball team and all 22 varsity sports. For additional info on the volleyball team like Kentucky Volleyball on Facebook or follow the team on Twitter at @KentuckyVB.
