University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Recruiting Class Ranked Sixth
6/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The Minnesota volleyball team's 2010 recruiting class was ranked No. 6 in the nation according to prepvolleyball.com.
Minnesota's class includes freshmen middle blocker Tori Dixon (Burnsville, Minn.), libero Steffi Sooter (Santa Cruz, Calif.) and outside hitter Ashley Wittman (Shakopee, Minn.). The Golden Gophers will also add junior transfer Stephanie Nucci (Gilbert, Ariz.) from UCLA.
Wittman was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year earlier this year, joining Joe Mauer (2000-01) and Chris Walsh (1991-92) as one of three Minnesota high school athletes to be honored as a Gatorade National Player of the Year in their respective sports. She was also the No. 8 senior player in the nation according to prepvolleyball.com. Dixon was the No. 13 ranked senior in the nation this year.
Nucci was ranked No. 41 among incoming seniors in 2007 when she was part of a top 10 recruiting class at UCLA. Minnesota has eight players on its roster who were top 50 seniors in the nation. Along with Dixon, Nucci and Wittman, the Gophers have Ariana Filho (No. 24), Lauren Gibbemeyer (No. 4), Katherine Harms (No. 7), Brianna Haugen (No. 46) and Mia Tabberson (No. 33), who were all top 50 recruits. Tabitha Love was also among the top incoming freshman in 2009, and was the top player to come out of Canada.
This marks the fifth time since 2003 that the Golden Gophers have had a recruiting class ranked in the top 10 by prepvolleyball.com Minnesota is one of only five programs in the nation to have five or more recruiting classes ranked in the top 10 in that span.
Minnesota Recruiting Class Ranks since 2003
2003 - 4
2004 - 22
2005 - 4
2006 - n/a
2007 - 4
2008 - 12
2009 - 1
2010 - 6
prepvolleyball.com quote on Minnesota's 2010 recruiting class:
"This class should keep Minnesota ranked among the nation’s elite. Wittman, who was both Gatorade’s and PrepVolleyball.com’s National Player of the Year, led her high school team to three consecutive state championships and is one of those six rotation players that everyone covets. Her all-around game and volleyball IQ will give her a running start in her attempt to be on the floor for the Gophers this fall. Dixon, her former Northern Lights teammate, arrives with the promise of being a physical middle blocker who also will immediately push for playing time. Dixon has been menacing opponents from the other side of the net since she was a high school freshman. There’s no reason to think that this powerful net player will do anything less in the Big 10. The frisky Sooter performs at the same level as former Gopher ball control standouts Paula Gentil, Marcie Peniata and Christine Tan, said coach Dr. Mike Hebert. Lastly, Stephanie Nucci has transferred from UCLA to compete for the starting setter position. With the graduation of Taylor Carico, who herself transferred in as a senior and led the Golden Gophers to the Final Four, there is an opportunity for Nucci to make an impact and prove herself in Minneapolis."
