Ball State Women's Volleyball Team Signs Three For 2011 Season
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Hayley Benson (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Bradley H.S.), Kelly Hopkins (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo H.S.) and Marquita Marshall (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central H.S.) have signed national letters of intent to compete for the Ball State women's volleyball team, according to Ball State head coach Steve Shondell.
"We are looking forward to the arrival of our 2011 class next fall," said Shondell. "This is a class whose best volleyball is yet to come. All three young ladies have a great work ethic and are completely team oriented. It is very exciting to have a class with extremely high character entering our program. Not only does this group have potential on the volleyball court, they are all outstanding students in the classroom."
Benson, a 6-3 middle blocker, was a four-year letterwinner at Hilliard Bradley High School for Coach RyAnne Ufferman. Benson helped guide the Jaguars to a 17-7 overall record her senior year, while earning honorable mention All-Ohio accolades. Benson also earned First Team All-Ohio Capital Conference and First Team All-OCC Central Division honors her senior season. As a junior, Benson helped lead HBHS to an 18-6 overall record as a First Team All-OCC selection.
Benson also played volleyball for the Elite Volleyball Training Center where she was coached by Randy Cline.
"Hayley is going to give our team some much needed depth in the middle," said Shondell. "She was highly recruited by schools in our conference and we are very thankful she chose Ball State. Hayley is a very humble girl with a very competitive fire inside. She has the potential to become an outstanding player at Ball State."
Hopkins, a 6-3 outside hitter/middle blocker, was a four-year letterwinner at Kokomo High School for Coach Jason Watson. Hopkins earned First Team All-North Central Conference accolades as a senior after blasting 437 kills, while adding 229 digs and 93 blocks. Kokomo's Most Valuable Player as a senior, Hopkins finished her career as the schools' all-time leader in kills (1,299) and blocks (386). Hopkins also garnered First Team All-NCC accolades as a sophomore and junior, while picking up the team's MVP award as a junior.
Hopkins has also played three seasons of club volleyball for Munciana. In addition to volleyball, Benson is currently in her fourth season as a member of the Kokomo girls basketball team. A three-time First Team All-NCC selection, Benson helped guide the Wildkats to a 2008 IHSAA Sectional Championship, as well as a pair of NCC Championships (2008 & 2010). She was also named to the Junior All-Star team and was a two-time all-area honoree.
"An outstanding two sport athlete, we are thrilled Kelly chose to play volleyball at Ball State University," said Shondell. "She has the ability to play any front line position which is a rarity in collegiate volleyball. Kelly is very fundamentally sound for a player that does not have a wealth of experience playing volleyball at the club level."
Marshall, a 5-11 outside hitter, was a four-year letterwinner at Muncie Central High School for Coach Wes Lyon. Over her four-year career, Marshall helped guide the Bearcats to a 138-17 overall record, including the 2009 IHSAA Class 4A State Championship and state runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2010. A two-time first team all-state selection, Marshall also earned a pair of All-North Central Conference selections, two Muncie Central Offensive Player of the Year Awards and was named to the Senior All-State team. She finished her prep career ranked sixth in program history with 874 career kills and second in school history with 198 total blocks.
Marshall has also played eight seasons of club volleyball for Munciana. A 2008 AAU All-American, Marshall helped guide the her Munciana teams to a Junior Olympics National Championship and an AAU National Runner-Up finish. Marshall is currently playing her senior season on the Bearcats girls basketball team.
"We are thrilled to have a player from the great volleyball city of Muncie as part of our 2011 recruiting class," said Shondell. "Marquita comes from one of the premier high school programs in the country and her high school coach, Wes Lyon, is one of the nation's finest. Marquita is an excellent athlete, fundamentally sound and a great competitor. She can help our program in many ways as she excels as both a front row attacker and back row defender."
