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Volleyball Inks Four to 2017 Roster

Nov. 9, 2016

THE FLATS Georgia Tech volleyball signed four high school athletes to national letters of intent, head coach Michelle Collier announced Wednesday. The Jackets add two players from Georgia, one from Maryland and one from Virginia.

Nicole Alford | Setter | Annapolis, Md./ South River High School

Nicole Alford is a four-year letterwinner at South River High School under head coach Maureen Carter. Alford’s volleyball career thus far has been highly decorated; she was named the 2016 Prep Volleyball Senior Ace, ranked No. 76 in the Top 100 National College Recruit Rankings, selected to the Girls’ Junior National Championship All-American Tournament teams in both 2015 and 2016, and awarded “Best Setter” at the Capitol Hill Classic in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

She was the starting setter for the USAV 2016 High-Performance A-1 National Training Red Team and led the team to a silver medal in the High Performance International Tournament.

In addition to leading South River to sectional championships from 2013-2015 and a county championship in 2014, Alford also played on the Metro Volleyball Club of Washington, D.C., serving four seasons as captain. Citing the strong academics as a reason for choosing Tech, Alford plans to enroll as a business major when she arrives on The Flats.

“Nicole’s natural leadership abilities are crucial to being a successful setter,” Collier said. “She loves the game of volleyball and is very dedicated to be the best she can be. She will make a tremendous impact on our program, and her academic and athletic aspirations fit in well with what Georgia Tech has to offer.”

Cori Clifton | Right Side | Williamsburg, Va./ Warhill High School

Cori Clifton is a four-year letterwinner and two-year captain at Warhill High School under head coach Greg Koon. Clifton led Warhill to win the Virginia High School League 3A state championship in 2014 and 2015, runner-up in 2013, and the east regional championship from 2013-2015.

Clifton earned numerous individual honors as well, including being selected to the Virginia High School League 3A all-state first team (2014, 2015), 3A all-east region first team (2014, 2015), PrepVolleyball.com Class of 2017 Senior Aces (2016) and Under Armour Watch List (2016). Clifton plans to major in biomedical engineering.

“Cori is an all-around athlete who will primarily play right side for us, but has great setting and ball control skills to complement her hitting and blocking,” Collier said. “She will immediately make an impact in our gym and we are looking forward to developing her natural gifts. Academically she is very dedicated and will be tremendously successful here at Tech.”

Grace Rigsbee | Right Side | Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett High School

Grace Rigsbee is a two-year letterwinner and one-year captain at North Gwinnett High School under head coach Vanessa Henry. Rigsbee led her team to win a regional championship in 2016; along the way, she earned multiple individual accolades, including first-team all-county in 2015 and 2016, and region tournament all-area team in 2015 and 2016. Rigsbee expects to major in literature, media, and communication.

“Grace is a very physical player, her height and wing span will dominate the net with her blocking and as a lefty right side, just like Cori, she will add another dimension to our offense,” Collier said. “Her outgoing and lively personality will not only add character to our team, but will fit in perfectly with her academic field.”

Kendall Wilson | Middle Blocker | Fayetteville, Ga./Sandy Creek High School

Kendall Wilson is a four-year letterwinner and one-year captain at Sandy Creek High School. At Sandy Creek, Wilson earned all-county and all-area in both 2015 and 2016, and AAAA first team all-state in 2015. Wilson’s older sister Sydney is currently a middle blocker on the Tech volleyball team. Wilson plans to enroll in business administration.

“Kendall has a quiet, but consistent personality on the court,” Collier said. “She is very polished with her skills and she will add a lot of depth to our middle blocker position. We are looking forward to adding one more Wilson to our roster.”

For the last information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter (@GTVolleyball), Instagram (GTVolleyball), Facebook (Georgia Tech Volleyball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.

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