Nov. 10, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Head coach Scott Swanson and the South Carolina volleyball program announced three signees for 2017 on Wednesday. Joining the Gamecocks next season will be Brooke Gostomski, Mikayla Robinson and Jess Vastine, and all will have four years of eligibility.

“We are filling the class of 2017 with three fantastic athletes and volleyball players. We knew we didn’t need a setter in this class because we have two young ones right now, so our main focus was getting a combination of ball control and size and athleticism at the net,” head coach Scott Swanson said. “They all play at a high level, they play for really good programs and they’re being coached at a high level. I think all three have an opportunity to make an impact right away because of that. They’re either really, really athletic and gifted, and/or they have the fundamentals that will help them make an impact right away.”

Brooke Gostomski (Muskego, Wisconsin/Muskego High School)

• Daughter of Keith and Sharon Gostomski, and has one brother – Derek, and one sister – Jaclynn.
• Plans to major in pharmacy, with the goal of earning her doctorate.
• Played club volleyball for Fusion.
• A multiple-time Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association (WVCA) All-State honoree as an outside hitter.
• Lettered three seasons for Muskego, but did not play her senior high school season due to injury.
• Recorded 445 kills and 355 digs for Muskego High School in her sophomore season, leading her team to the state championship final.
• Named to the PrepVolleyball “Senior Aces” Top 150 high school players list.

Coach Swanson on Gostomski

“She’s played with some of the best players in the country since she started playing as a young girl, and she’s played for some of the best coaches in the country and I think that’s really important. She an outside hitter that can pass the ball, she’s a great defender, she can serve, she can hit, she can block. She’s not a utility player, but she can do everything as an outside hitter and I think that’s important. It’s hard to find outside hitters nowadays that are really good passers but they can also help you as a hitter in the front row. We’re very excited about how fundamentally sound she is, and how confident she is in her skills because she has played with really good kids and she’s played on good teams with good coaches.”

Mikayla Robinson (West Dundee, Illinois/Harvest Christian Academy)

• Daughter of Marcus and Keyomi, and has one brother – Marcus. Her father played football and ran track at South Carolina, and later went on to play in the NFL for the Chicago Bears.
• Plans to major in international business at South Carolina.
• Played club volleyball for Sky High 18 Black.
• Has a measured vertical jump of 10 feet, seven inches.
• Ranked 18th overall in the class of 2017 in PrepVolleyball’s Top 100 Senior Aces rankings.
• Recently helped her high school team win the 2A Sectional title.

Coach Swanson on Robinson

“She’s a one in a thousand type of athlete… She has so much potential, she has the potential to be an All-American, she has the potential to play on the national team, to play professionally. She has some physical gifts that can’t be taught. When she gets in the weight room and gets stronger and starts to hit the ball even harder, starts to be a physical force at the net as a blocker, she’s a program-changer for sure, and we couldn’t be more excited about having her here and giving her the experience of making her own legacy as a volleyball player for us. The sky is the limit… she could be an Olympian some day, I feel that strongly about her potential and her abilities.”

Jess Vastine (Wittmann, Arizona/Millennium High School)

• Daughter of Jason and Julie Vastine, and has one brother – Jacob. Her mother played volleyball at Fresno State and coached Jess’ high school team.
• Plans to major in exercise science, with a goal of becoming a physical therapist.
• Played club volleyball for Aspire.
• Led her team to the sectional title and state runner-up position as a junior.
• Finished second in kills and third in aces in the Arizona Divison II ranks for 2015-16.
• Named an AVCA “High School Phenom” in 2013 and 2015.
• Made the AIA All-Division 1st team as a junior.
• On the PrepVolleyball “Senior Aces” Top 150 high school players list.

Coach Swanson on Vastine

“She kind of does it all, she’s played every position. She’s hit right, she can hit and block middle and she’s a very good outside hitter. She’s another kid that played on a very successful club, Aspire Volleyball Club in Phoenix, they’ve won a lot of matches and all the kids on her team are going to big-time Division I programs and she’s just been around that the last three years and she’s played with and against some of the best players in the country. You can’t replace that type of experience. She’s a gym rat, a volleyball junkie, her mom played in college and coaches her high school team, she just loves being around it.”

The volleyball program will graduate five seniors from the 2016 team, but will return seven players who have already appeared in 20 or more matches this year.