April 11, 2007 VOLLEYBALL ADDS FOUR TO ROSTER TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State University head volleyball coach Julie Krofcheck announced today (April 11) that she has added four student-athletes to the 2007 roster, and they will join the Sycamores this fall. All four hail from the state of Indiana, including a pair with Wabash Valley connections. The list of new Sycamores for 2007 includes: Lauren Gottardi (Terre Haute, Ind./South Vigo); Ashley McCullough (Clay City, Ind./High); Katie Dilling (Michigan City, Ind./Michigan City) and Brittany Hamilton (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville). “I am very excited about our 2007 freshman class!” Krofcheck said. “It is our first all Indiana class. There is so much great talent in the state and I am excited to be keeping some of that talent close to home. These young ladies will have an immediate impact on our competitive level and will add some much needed depth to our roster. Although our current squad is a very young talented one, our incoming freshman will be setting their sights on starting positions and playing time!” Leading off the list of additions is the 5’10” Gottardi who played for three seasons for coach Steve Beeler at Terre Haute South Vigo High School. Last season at South, she set the school record for most service aces in a season with 83. Gottardi also competed for a pair of seasons in track, where she was a member of the 4 x 800 relay team. “It is going to be nice to have a hometown girl on the team,” Krofcheck said. “Lauren is excited to be able to play in front of her friends and family as we are equally excited to have her as a Sycamore! Lauren will add stability in our back-court and be at looked to step in immediately and provide consistent passing.” McCullough stands 6’2” and comes to ISU from Clay City High School, where she lettered four seasons in volleyball for coach LuAnne Anderson. McCullough was named first team all-state as a senior and is an Indiana All-Star. A three-year varsity captain, McCullough was named All-SWIAC First Team three times and earned her team’s Most Blocks Award as a freshman and junior. She led her team in kills for four consecutive seasons as well as service aces as a junior. As a senior, McCullough posted 372 kills with an attack percentage of .563. She finished her career as the school record holder for both kills and blocks. “As we look to add size to our roster, Ashley not only provides a 6'2 frame, but a world of untapped potential,” Krofcheck said. “Although I believe all of our freshman will excel at ISU, the growth potential for Ashley in her first year will be enormous!” Also joining today is Dilling, who stands 6’1” tall and lettered three years for coach Vera Jones at Michigan City High School. Dilling was a member of the 2006 Indiana All-Star Team and was a First Team member of the News Dispatch All-Area Team. She participated in the 2007 Sports Fest at Bethel. Dilling finished her career ranked fourth in school history in blocked shots. “Katie comes to ISU from a great club (Dunes) that has instilled an understanding of hard work,” Krofcheck said. “She has the physical ability to be a difference maker. Katie provides a strong presence at the net and I believe she has the potential to be a great player in the MVC.” ISU’s final addition is the 6’0” Hamilton, who lettered four seasons in volleyball at Martinsville High School for coach Roxanne Chapman. Hamilton was a member of the Indiana Class 4A State Champion Artesian team as a junior. Her team reached the Final 8 one year ago. She was named all-metro twice as well as all-conference, team captain and Most Valuable Player. “I will look for Brittany to compete for playing time immediately!” Krofcheck said. “Looking for consistency on the outside has been a training point for us this spring and the expectation is that Brittany will step in with a high level of consistent play and minimal errors.”
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