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Virginia Volleyball Inks Five Signees
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Nov. 16, 2015
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia volleyball head coach Dennis Hohenshelt announced Monday (Nov. 16) that Kiley Banker (West Lafayette, Ind.), Jane Horner (Mission Viejo, Calif.), Kelsey Miller (Crestwood, Ky.), Caroline Scrafford (Lakeway, Texas) and Jennifer Wineholt (San Diego, Calif.) signed National Letters of Intent to join the Cavaliers for the 2016 season.
“This is a great group of players and I think this class can go down as one of the best in school history,” Hohenshelt said. “We brought in five kids that can play right away and we are very excited that they chose the University of Virginia. I am more than pleased that they will be wearing orange and blue for the rest of their career.”
Banker is a 6-foot-2 middle blocker/right side hitter from West Lafayette, Ind. where she has been a member of the varsity volleyball team for the last four years at Harrison High School. As a junior, Banker was named the 2014 Conference Player of the Year and Tippecanoe School Corporation All-Area selection. She is listed as a Top 80 recruit by PrepVolleyball and a Senior Ace Top 150 player.
Hohenshelt on Banker: “Kiley was someone we visited randomly last year, but we really enjoyed her and her family. This year in club she took a big step up. She is a big middle with a good arm and a big block. She can play on the right side or the middle. Her best years are ahead of her. Her skill set has really improved in the last year and she is very comparable to what Anna Walsh is right now, so if we can start getting kids like that in our program it is big for us. She is a great kid from a great family and we are very excited to have her.”
Horner is a 5-foot-10 libero/defensive specialist from Mission Viejo, Calif. Horner has helped lead Santa Margarita Catholic High School to back-to-back Trinity League Championships (2014 & 2015). Her senior season she was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Orange County Championship and Durango Tournament. She earned Second Team All-Trinity League honors as a junior. Horner also plays club volleyball for Tstreet. She earned a gold medal at the Junior National Championships with her 17-1’s team and was named Most Valuable Player.
Hohenshelt on Horner: “She came and visited last year and fell in love with UVA. She is just a hard-nosed kid that goes for it all the time. She is a back row player and will upgrade us in that spot right now. She comes from a great club, like all of the kids do, but Tstreet has played for national championship. I would expect her to come in and challenge for a back-row spot right away. She goes 100 percent all the time and that is what we need in this program.”
Miller is a 5-foot-10 outside hitter/defensive specialist from Crestwood, Ky. She has been a varsity starter for all four years at Oldham County High School. Miller was named to the AVCA Under Armour Watch List and is listed as a PrepVolleyball Senior Ace 150. She plays club volleyball for Union and is involved as a libero for USAV High Performance.
Hohenshelt on Miller: “To me, she is one of the better volleyball players in the country. She’s a smaller outside hitter on her high school and club team playing with all these tall kids and all she does is keep winning. She will be a libero option for us. The thing that she does really well is she is a good passer. If you asked who was the best all-around player in the class, I would say with her skills she is the best. She will step on to grounds and make an immediate impact.”
Scrafford is a 6-foot-3 outside hitter from Lakeway, Texas. Scrafford is a two-time Second Team All-District selection at Lake Travis High School. She earned all-tournament honors as a senior and has been selected to the Academic All-District Team all four years. Scrafford has also competed in club volleyball since 2009 and is involved with the USAV High Performance A1 Team.
Hohenshelt on Scrafford: “Caroline was someone we have been recruiting for a long time. We made some contact with her when she was younger. Everything about her is prototypical ACC outside attacker. She’s a long, thin kid that can jump well. It will take some time to develop the skills we want with her, but athletically she has everything that we are looking for. When the skill catches up to the athletic ability she will be a really special player.”
Wineholt is a 6-foot-1 setter from San Diego, Calif. Ranked the No. 65 recruit overall by PrepVolleyball, Wineholt has helped lead Francis Park School to three-straight CIF State Championships. She was named the California Division V Player of the Year as a junior. Wineholt has also been successful with her club team, leading Coast 17-1 to a first place finish in the Pacific Northwest Qualifier in 2015. She has also earned invites to the USA Volleyball Youth High Performance Winter Camp twice and Phenom Program at the AVCA Convention.
Hohenshelt on Wineholt: “You are looking at a kid that is an unbelievable leader for people. The thing that draws me to her when I watch her play is her enthusiasm and the desire she plays with. I believe she is one of the top setters in the country. She is going to have a very bright future. She will leave here as one of the best setters to ever play here at Virginia and to follow Lauren (Fuller) is really huge for us.”