SAVANNAH, Ga. - Armstrong Atlantic State head volleyball coach
Will Condon announced his 2009 recruiting class today, inking six
players who will join the defending NCAA Southeast Region champions
for the Fall.
Freshman middle hitter Amanda Jones (Marietta, Ga. / Kell HS),
sophomore middle hitter Leia Pittman (Joplin, Mo. / Lambuth),
freshman outside hitter Casey Praznik (Cumming, Ga. / North Forsyth
HS), freshman middle hitter Kathrin Standhardinger (Munich, Germany
/ SV Lohhof), freshman setter Kristin Standhardinger (Munich,
Germany / SV Lohhof) and freshman outside/middle hitter Brittany
Wolf (Bethlehem, Ga. / Monroe Area HS) comprise the incoming class
for coach Condon.
"This was an important recruiting class for us," Condon said. "We
only lost two players off our team from last season, but they were
definitely big contributors to our success in 2008. We want to
expand our roster to increase our competitiveness in practice, but
also help prepare for losing five seniors after this season."
Freshman Amanda Jones is a 2008 Georgia All-Star who ranked second
in the state in blocks, averaging 1.5 per ga me. She earned
All-Area and All-County honors for Kell HS, who advanced to the 5A
Final Four this past season. She recorded 349 kills with a .269
hitting percentage and recorded 180.5 blocks. "Amanda is a
versatile athlete," Condon said. "What I liked most about her was
her ability to take her game to another level when it mattered the
most."
C asey Praznik was a three-time All-County performer for North
Forsyth HS, also earning Senior All-Star 6A region honors in 2008
and two-time All-Area accolades. "Casey is an excellent all-around
player," Condon said. "She has the ability to contribute in so many
different ways. She does a lot of the little things necessary for a
team to be successful."
Brittany Wolf, meanwhile, is a two-time All-County, All-Area and
All-Region honoree while at Monroe Area HS, leading the Hurricanes
in blocks and digs as a junior and a senior. She led the state of
Georgia in blocks as a junior in 2007. "Brittany is tall, explosive
and strong," Condon said. "She has the ability to be a physical
force.
"With three players from Georgia, we are starting to make our
presence known in an area that is producing more and more high
caliber volleyball players every year," Condon said.
Leia Pittman, meanwhile, is a transfer from Lambuth University,
where she ranked 8th in NAIA in blocks per game (1.49) for the Lady
Eagles in 2008, also hitting .391. She played for College Heights
Christian School in Joplin, Mo. "Leia is an explosive athlete,"
Condon said. "She works very hard in transition and along the net.
She has natural blocking instincts that can not be taught."
Finally, the Pirates welcome in sisters Kathrin and Kristin
Standhardinger from Munich, Germany. The sisters played for SV
Lohhof in Munich, helping them finish second in their division in
the 2008-09 season. They also finished second in the U18 German
Championship in 2007 and their squad won the Federal Cup (German
Championship) four times between 2002 and 2007. "Kathrin is a very
polished and skilled middle hitter," Condon said. "She is great off
one foot and in transition. Kristin has all of the tools that you
want in a setter. She has great hands, runs the middle extremely
well and can make plays from anywhere. She also has the size and
athletic ability to dominate at the net."
These six players join 10 returnees from the 2008 squad that went
28-7, captured the Peach Belt Conference regular season and
tournament titles and won the NCAA Southeast Region, advancing to
the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. The 2009 AASU
season begins on August 28-29 at the Anderson (S.C.) Invitational.
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