LAKE CHARLES--  McNeese head volleyball coach Sasha Karelov has announced the addition of 10 more student-athletes for the 2024 season.  The signees include Liberos Riley Wall and Rory Schuler, setters Corynne Hausler and Luisa Melloni, outside hitters Taylor Thomas, Dani Veach, Cydne Clayton, Chloe Byrd and Leilani Goggin, and middle blocker Naterah Moore.
 
"I am thrilled to be adding this group of transfers and freshmen to the McNeese Volleyball family," said head coach Sasha Karelov.  "I believe each one of them has the skill set and work ethic to make a big impact in our gym right away. They are all hungry to compete and take this program where it's never been before.  I can't wait for the Lake Charles community to get to know them and watch them represent McNeese on the court with passion and competitive spirit."
 
These additions along with four midyear transfers brings the total of newcomers to 14 for the 2024 season.  The Cowgirls also return five players from the 2023 squad.
 
Riley Wall, 5-4, Freshman, Libero, Prairieville, La. (Dutchtown High)

• Two-year letterwinner at Dutchtown High
• Member of four district championship teams
• Advanced to the LHSAA State Tournament all four years
• Reached the state tournament quarterfinals three years and semifinals one year
• Played club for Ignite Volleyball Club
• Posted an 11-1 record at the 2023 AAU Nationals
• Won the Nashville AAU National Qualifying Tournament
• Won the Memphis Blues Tournament

 
Rory Schuler, 5-5, Sophomore, Libero, Richmond Hill, Ga. (USC-Aiken)

• Played in one match before missing the rest of the 2023 season due to an injury
• Attended Richmond Hill High where she was a four-time all-region selection
• Guided her Richmond High team to a 39-5 record her senior year
• Led her team to the regional title as a sophomore
• Finished her high school career with 1,233 assists, 653 digs, and 144 aces
• Ranked No. 5 nationally by PrepVolleyball
• Played club ball for OTVA 18 J John

 
Corynne Hausler, 5-7, Freshman, Setter, Phoenix, Ariz. (Desert Mountain High)

• Four-year letterwinner despite playing for three different high schools
• Was the starting setter at Crystal Lake Central High as a freshman
• Was the starting setter at Palo Verde High her sophomore and junior season where she dished out a total of 652 assists301 digs, and 60 aces in two years
• Spent her senior year at Desert Mountain High where she was named Player of the Year, ranked 14^th in aces (96), 20^th in assist (727) in the state of Arizona.
• Credited with 230 digs her senior year and ended her career with 1200 career assists.
• Named Player of the Year and MVP
• Played club for the Arizona Sky Volleyball Club, T-Street Las Vegas Volleyball, Dig This!Volleyball Club, and Sky High Volleyball throughout her high school career.

 
 Taylor Thomas, 5-11, Graduate, Outside Hitter, Denton, Texas (UL-Monroe)

• Played the last two years at UL-Monroe where she started in 53 matches
• Recorded 328 kills, 568 digs, 34 blocks, and 30 service aces as a member of the Warhawks.
• Began her career at Jacksonville State where she appeared in nine matches as a freshman
• Made her collegiate debut against Gardner Webb where she finished the match with a .333 hitting percent
• Prepped at Denton High where she was named the District 5-5A Newcomer of the Year as a freshman.
• Led the Broncos to three-straight district championships
• Named District 8-5A MVP as a sophomore and junior, and all-area MVP as a senior
• Ended her high school career with 1,341 kills, 1,475 digs, and 624 assists
• Named to the AVCA All-Region team
• AVCA Under Armour All-American Watch List
• Texas Sports Writer's Association third team

 
Dani Veach, 5-11, Junior, Outside Hitter, Lakeland, Fla. (Cisco College)

• Played two years at Cisco College in 2023
• Third on the team with 124 kills, averaged 1.41 kills per set, recorded 21 blocks and 46 digs in 2023
• Four-year letterwinner at George Jenkins High
• Team Captain (2022)
• Accumulated 356 career assists and 219 career digs
• Played club for No Limits, OTVA, Tampa United, and Lakeland Volleyball

 
Cydne Clayton, 5-9, Freshman, Outside Hitter, Slidell, La. (Slidell High)

• Three-year letterwinner
• Played her first two years of high school at Northshore High where she was a member of two district championship teams and one semifinalist team as well as being a two-time all-district selection
• Finished her high school career at Slidell High where she was a second team all-district her junior year

 
Chloe Byrd, 6-1, Junior, Outside Hitter, Springfield, Ill. (Parkland College)

• Helped lead Parkland College to a 46-6 record, an M-WAC Conference Title, a district championship, and a 5^th place finish at the NJCAA DII National Tournament in 2023
• NJCAA DII All-American (Second Team/2023)
• NJCAA DII All-Tournament Team
• Region 24 All-Region First Team
• M-WAC All-Conference First Team
• Tallied 131 total blocks, 17th most in the country
• Recorded 410 kills, 29th nationally, with a hitting percentage of .293 (40th)

Naterah Moore, 6-2, Junior, Middle Blocker, Pflugerville, Texas (Lawson State Community College)

• Two-year letterwinner at Lawson State Community College
• Led the conference with .383 hitting percent in 2023
• Ranked 4^th in the conference with 83 blocks, and 6^th with 0.89 blocks per set
• Totaled 204 kills for an average of 2.40 per set

Leilani Goggin, 5-9, Junior, Outside Hitter, Weyers Cave, Va. (Richard Bland College)

• Played two years at Richard Bland College where she was a member of 2022 NJCAA DII National Championship team
• Member of the 2022 and 2023 Regional Championship teams
• Credited with 693 kills, 12 blocks, and 57 aces
• Second on the team with 374 kills in 2023
• Was a three-time all-district, all-region, and all-county selection at Fort Defiance High
• NJCAA first team All-American (Beach VB)
• Played for ODU Renegades, ODU Vipers, and ODU Blaze  

 
 Luisa Melloni, 6-2, Junior, Setter, Belo Horizonte, Brazil (Univ. of Missouri)

• Spent the 2023 season at Missouri where she played in three matches and dished out seven assists before spending the season as a redshirt
• Prior to Missouri, she spent two seasons at Miami Dade College where she averaged 10.77 assists per set.
• Member of the 2022 NJCAA National Championship finalist team
• Helped the Sharks to the 2021 state title
• First team All-Southern Conference (2021)
• First Team All-Academic (2021)
• Named NJCAA National Player of the Week
• Named conference setter of the week multiple times

 
2024 McNeese Volleyball Additions
Riley Wall, 5-4, Fr., Libero, Prairieville, La. (Dutchtown High)
Corynne Hausler, 5-7, Fr., Setter, Phoenix, Ariz. (Desert Mountain High)
Taylor Thomas, 5-11, Gr., Outside Hitter, Denton, Texas (UL-Monroe)
Dani Veach, 5-11, Jr., Outside Hitter, Lakeland, Fla. (Cisco College)
Rory Schuler, 5-5, So., Libero, Richmond Hill, Ga. (USC-Aiken)
Naterah Moore, 6-2, Jr., Middle Blocker, Pflugerville, Texas (Lawson State Community College)
Cydne Clayton, 5-9, Fr., Outside Hitter, Slidell, La. (Slidell High)
Chloe Byrd, 6-1, Jr., Outside Hitter, Springfield, Ill. (Parkland College)
Leilani Goggin, 5-9, Jr., Outside Hitter, Weyers Cave, Va. (Richard Bland College)
Luisa Melloni, 6-2, Jr., Setter, Belo Horizonte, Brazil (Univ. of Missouri)