Nov. 13, 2015
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina volleyball program announced four signees for the 2016 season Wednesday, adding Alison Denney, Frances Harrison, Carly Schnieder and Katie Smith.
“The overall characteristic about this class that I enjoy is the work ethic they all have,” head coach Moritz Moritz said. “They find ways to make things happen, and they enjoy competing and training for beach volleyball. They all have great personalities and are smart, and will bring in a ton of work ethic that will serve our program well.”
Class of 2016 South Carolina Beach Volleyball Signees
Alison Denney – 5-6 – The Pine School – Jupiter, Fla.
Parents: John and Bari Denney
• Played club volleyball for coach Tony Glessner at Treasure Coast Volleyball.
• Her 16s and 17s club teams qualified for the Junior Olympics.
• Also lettered in soccer and basketball at The Pine School.
• All-area team throughout her high school career.
• Two-time MaxPrep’s player of the week.
• Plans to major in psychology.
Moritz on Denney: “Ali is a really good defender who sees the game really well. One thing that’s neat about Ali is that she’s one of those kids that are just constantly involved and active when you see her at tournaments. It’s not that she just plays her match and goes and sits down, she’ll volunteer to help officiate a game, or coach up the younger players. It’s those little things that you see her character and effort, and it will help build what we’re trying to do here.”
Frances Harrison – 5-10 – Webb School – Knoxville, Tenn.
Parents: Mark Harrison and Donna Rosseland
• Played club volleyball for head coach Jason Hames at K2 Volleyball Club.
• Also lettered in swimming.
• Won the 2013 and 2014 state title with Webb.
• All-state honoree
• Member of the PrepXtra 1st team
• Plans to major in psychology
Moritz on Harrison: “Frankie is athletic and super competitive, she comes from a well-trained background, she played lots of different sports so she’s well-rounded but has a real knack for the beach game. She has a great personality and is hard-working – she’s going to school, playing club ball, and working in her dad’s restaurant. She will grind and work to find success.”
Carly Schnieder – 5-10 – Mother of Mercy – Cincinnati, Ohio
Parents: John and Gwen Schnieder
• Mother played volleyball at Xavier, and cousins Brent and Garrett Celek are NFL players.
• Southwest District first team honoree.
• First-team GGCL.
• Plays club volleyball with Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Academy for coach Rob Long.
• Won the U18 club national championship with OVBVA and teammate Katie Smith, and was an AVCA High School beach volleyball honorable mention All-American.
• Plans to major in pre-medicine.
Moritz on Schnieder: “Carly is super physical and athletic. It’s fun to watch her just because of how competitive she is and how smart she is at the same time. She’s always trying to figure out how to get better and make adjustments as a game goes on.”
Katie Smith – 5-9 – Lakota West – West Chester, Ohio
Parents: Thomas and Judi Smith
• Also plays club volleyball with Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Academy for coach Rob Long.
• Won the U18 club national championship with OVBVA and teammate Carly Schnieder, and was an AVCA High School beach volleyball honorable mention All-American.
• Played at setter indoors for coach Tracey Kornau at Lakota West high school, making the sectional finals.
• Plans to major in nursing.
Moritz on Smith: “Katie is super smart, with good vision and great hands. She hand sets, which is definitely a quality we look for – there’s not a lot of people in beach volleyball that’s comfortable doing that, but she is. She’s super competitive, you can see that fire in her eyes.”
