University of Houston Athletics
Volleyball Adds Four To 2011 Roster
4/23/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
April 23, 2011
HOUSTON - University of Houston head volleyball coach Molly Alvey announced the addition of four student-athletes during the spring signing period. These athletes will join the squad for the 2011-2012 season.
"The one common characteristic in all of our signees this year is thier love for the University of Houston," Alvey said. "This group is coming to UH because they love the school and the program and because they already feel like Cougars."
"As a coach, there is nothing more special then finding players in the recruiting process that truly love the institution. This group did not have to be convinced. They know they belong here with us and that makes our program stronger. It will be exciting to see what that passion does for UH volleyball once they get here."
The four signees include Courtney Smith (Houston, Texas/Cypress Falls), Esther Longoria (Corpus Christi, Texas/Richard King), Natalie Keck (Louisville, Ky./Mercy Academy) and Kadi Kullerkann (Tallinn, Estonia/Audentes).
Courtney Smith comes to UH from Cypress Falls High School in Houston. Under head coach, Kathy Stephenson, she helped her team finish third in district. Smith was named to the All-District Team and was also a Honorable Mention.
Smith is the daughter of Willie and Angela Smith.
"Courtney is a Houstonian and middle blocker," Alvey said. "Finding Houston athletes that truly want to be a part of our program is very special to us. Courtney will continue to increase the athleticism in our gym because she has such a strong drive to get better at the game of volleyball. Her volleyball skills and knowledge of the game will grow exponentially because of her relentlessness to be the best."
Esther Longoria comes to UH from Richard King High School in Corpus Christi, Texas. She was named to the All-District Team, All-Metro Team and the All-South Texas Team. She was also the runner-up for Setter of the Year. Longoria guided her team to a 45-4 record and a berth in the state semifinals.
Longoria is the daughter of Pablo and Lynann Longoria.
"Esther had a tremendous senior season at Richard King High School," Alvey said. She is a dynamic, intelligent athlete. More importantly, she is a winner. Her competitive drive will take her to the next level of her game as she comes to train with us as both a setter and libero. Dual training is always challenging, but Esther is an athlete who can handle that type of pressure."
Natalie Keck will graduate from Mercy Academy and comes to Houston from Louisville, Ky. Her 2010 volleyball team finished the season with a 35-6 record and was named district and regional champions. They were also the state runner-up. Keck has been named to the All-State, All-Region and All-District First Teams, as well as, the All-Catholic First Team. She was an AAU All-American and was a member of the Honor Roll.
Keck is the daughter of Charlie and Dawn Keck.
"Natalie comes from an extremely competitive volleyball background," Alvey said. "Her high school is one of the top 10 volleyball schools in the country and she also plays with one of the best and most well known clubs in the country."
"More than anything, I expect her to bring a winning mentality and relentlessness to compete at the highest level to our program. She has competed with and against the best. She is a libero and will bring added ball control to our program."
Kadi Kullerman comes to Houston from Tallinn, Estonia. During her senior season her volleyball team finished fifth in the Estonia championships and they were fourth her junior year. Kullerman is a student representative at her high school and her older sister, Liis, plays volleyball at Ohio University.
Kullerman is the daughter of Koit and Jana Kullerkann.
"Kadi brings size and knowledge of the game to our program," Alvey said. "At 6'4", she should bring a blocking and attacking presence to our front line. She is also a player that has competed at an extremely high level and I expect her to bring that level of play to our gym every single day."
The four members of the signing class will join Caitlin Ogletree, who signed will the team in December.
