NEWBERRY — Newberry College interim head coach Callie Youngman has announced the signing of six players who will join the Wolves for the 2017-18 academic year.

Newberry is coming off a successful campaign, setting a new school record for conference wins in a season and reaching the semifinal of the South Atlantic Conference Championship.

“I am very excited about the 2017 additions to Newberry College Volleyball. This is a group of young women strong in character, academics and athletics. With a core group returning from our successful 2016 campaign, we looked for student-athletes who could come in and compete right away while enhancing our practices and fit with the culture we seek to have within our program,” said Youngman.

“These are all great people, and they are joining the Newberry Volleyball Family at an exciting time,” Youngman added. “We look forward to getting them on campus, to work the classroom and, of course, into some Newberry College Volleyball jerseys. To Zoe, Rocky, Taylor, Vanessa, Kaitlyn and Whitney: thank you and welcome to Wolf Nation.”

Zoe Dinkins

Dinkins is from Chapel Hill, N.C., and attended East Chapel Hill High School. She was a member of the all-conference teams her junior and senior seasons and a member of the PAC 6 her junior year.

“Zoe is a very dynamic athlete with a highly competitive spirit. She has developed immensely as a middle hitter over the course of her senior year both in her high school and her club seasons. We anticipate that Zoe will compete for playing time early in her career and are excited to have her join our program,” said Youngman.

Rocky Carter

Carter played for three seasons under coach Mary Hall and one under David Tiffner. Carter was named to the All-State team her freshman year and the All-Tournament team her sophomore season.

“A Blythewood native, Rocky is an outside attacker with a lot of pop and a lot of power. We were thrilled she wanted to remain local and look forward to having her join our offense this fall. Outside of giving us another terminator at the net, she also brings a great tenacity to the court which we hope translates into being able to contribute early in her career,” said Youngman.

Taylor Garrison

Garrison played at Buford High School in Georgia where she won two state championships. She was also part of the runner-up team her sophomore season.

“Taylor is a great all-around player and an even better all-around person. She will be seeing time in both the setter and defensive specialist roles, a Jill-of-all-trades with a high motor. She is the type of person who is all-in for her team and we look forward to her contributions on and off the court,” said Youngman.

Whitney McCollum

“Whitney is a fantastic ball control player and will be vying for time as a defensive specialist. With her athletic ability, competitive attitude and skill set, we expect her to be able to slide into an already strong backrow and perform at a high level,” said Youngman.

Vanessa Blas

Blas is from Concord, N.C., and attended Jay M. Robinson High School. She has been named to the all-conference team all four seasons and named the best offensive player three of those seasons.

“Vanessa is a fantastic athlete with a high volleyball IQ. She is versatile in that she can play at both pin positions and has a very pure armswing. She is someone who could step in on any given night and match the athleticism and power of the front row players in this league,” said Youngman.

Kaitlyn Carpenter

Carpenter is from Goose Creek and attended Stratford High School. She was a member of the varsity volleyball team for three seasons and was named an all-Region 7-AAAA Player.

“Kaitlyn is a utility player who will be competing for time as both a setter and a defensive specialist. She is a hardworking athlete, a scrappy player, who we think could do some really good things within our program and our systems. We are excited that she picked Newberry College to continue her career,” said Youngman.

Staff Report