ANDERSON, S.C. – On the eve of the Anderson University volleyball team's fifth appearance in seven seasons in the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference Championship, Head Coach Todd Hay has announced the addition of six prep standouts for the 2020 season, as Jaelyn Grimm, Julia Haines, Sadie Kluner, Jenna Long, Meg Sansbury and Rylie Sargent have inked National Letters of Intent to join the Trojan volleyball squad.
Name: Jaelyn Grimm
Hometown: Cedar Park, Texas
High School: Cedar Park High School
Height: 6-foot-1
Position: MB/RS/OH
Club Team: Austin Performance Volleyball Club
Parents: Paul and Deborah Grimm
Chose AU: "because of the amazing culture, beautiful campus, and successful volleyball program"
Planned Major: Business
Statistics/Honors/Accolades: Two-time First-Team All District honoree … All CenTex (Central Texas) First Team … Named District Outstanding Hitter
Head Coach Todd Hay on Jaelyn: "Jaelyn is truly a versatile player who can literally attack from all three front row positions, although we will be focusing on her as a middle in the beginning. During the recruiting process, I was also able to see her play in the back row and be a primary passer on serve-receive. It's great that we could add a multi-positional player to this recruiting class. I know our fans will enjoy watching Jaelyn play in the seasons ahead."
Name: Julia Haines
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
High School: Ardrey Kell High School
Height: 5-foot-6
Position: DS/L
Club Team: Carolina Union Volleyball Club
Parents: Gary and Jennifer Haines
Chose AU: "because it felt like home the minute she first arrived and for the opportunity to grow in her faith and compete on the volleyball court"
Planned Major: Kinesiology with a concentration in athletic training
Statistics/Honors/Accolades: Member of the 2019 4A NCHSAA State Runner-Up team … Averaged 3.2 digs per set and recorded 186 digs on the season
Head Coach Todd Hay on Julia: "Julia will add immediate depth to our back line and provide us with more ball control. She always plays very hard and is a great encourager to her teammates on the court. I know our fans will appreciate her effort with which she plays the game."
Name: Sadie Kluner
Hometown: Venice, Fla.
High School: Venice High School
Height: 6-foot-1
Position: RS/OH
Club Team: Venetian Bay Volleyball Club
Parent: Michelle Montgomery
Chose AU: "because of how the professors work closely with the students to help them succeed, the beautiful campus, and the winning culture of the volleyball program"
Planned Major: Biology with a pre-veterinarian concentration
Statistics/Honors/Accolades: Helped lead her team to the 2017 State Championship, three regional championships and four district titles … Named All-Area in 2018 and the 2019 Under Armour All-American Watch List … Member of the 2019 FACA All-Star Team (Florida Athletic Coaches Association) … Recorded over 1,000 kills in three varsity seasons.
Head Coach Todd Hay on Sadie: "Sadie will bring a very strong net presence to the court as a true freshman. She hits a very heavy ball with a lot of velocity and can be effective from both the right and left side. She jumps well and puts up a strong block against opposing attackers. We also hope to utilize her strong jump serve as well in the coming years. I know AU volleyball fans will enjoy cheering for Sadie as she begins her Trojan career."
Name: Jenna Long
Hometown: Belleair, Fla.
High School: Calvary Christian High School
Height: 5-foot-11
Position: Setter
Club Team: Sports Performance Volleyball Club
Parents: Terry and Cathy Long
Chose AU: "because of the Christian culture, beautiful campus and its location in the Southeastern U.S. Also wanted to be a part of program that has a strong winning culture and great teammates"
Planned Major: Psychology
Statistics/Honors/Accolades: Averaged over 12 assists per set during two seasons at Calvary Christian … Named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Player of the Week for the state of Florida as well as AVCA All-Region team for Florida … Helped guide her to team to a second-place finish at AAU Nationals … Member of the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) All Star team for 2019
Head Coach Todd Hay on Jenna: "Jenna brings a strong skill set to our setting position from her days of training in the Chicago area. She can run a variety of sets and tempos that will benefit the attackers. Her height will be a benefit at the net when it comes to blocking and setting a tight pass. She also possesses a very challenging serve that is difficult to pass. We are excited to have Jenna join our AU family."
Name: Meg Sansbury
Hometown: Florence, S.C.
High School: The King's Academy
Height: 5-foot-11
Position: OH
Club Team: Grand Strand Juniors Volleyball Club
Parents: Mark and Laura Sansbury
Chose AU: "because of the inviting family-like atmosphere of the campus community and the highly competitive volleyball program."
Planned Major: Kinesiology
Statistics/Honors/Accolades: Recorded 315 kills, a .405 hitting percentage, 407 digs and 65 service aces in 2019 … Three-time All-Region Player … Two-Time All-State Player … 2019 Region Player of the Year
Head Coach Todd Hay on Meg: "Meg brings a lot of competitiveness and drive to the volleyball court. She hits with a lot of power and can play all six rotations. She really impressed me during her tryout with our players and this past summer during camp. We look forward to the contributions Meg will make to the AU Trojan program."
Name: Rylie Sargent
Hometown: Greer, S.C.
High School: Greer Middle College Charter HS
Height: 6-foot
Position: RS
Club Team: Upward Stars Volleyball Club
Parents: Jonathan and Kristi Sargent
Chose AU: "because of the warm and inviting campus community, beautiful campus and successful volleyball program"
Planned Major: Business with a marketing emphasis
Statistics/Honors/Accolades: Four-time team captain … Three-time All-Region … JVA (Junior Volleyball Association) Watch List in 2018
Head Coach Todd Hay on Rylie: "Rylie will bring a strong right side presence to our line-up and can also be called upon to set in certain situations. Arm speed and ball velocity were two things that drew us to Rylie when we watched her during the recruiting process. Rylie also plays with a lot of emotion and competes very hard on the court. I know our fans will love watching Rylie play in the coming years."
