AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Volleyball has earned the nation's No. 1 ranking for its 2017 freshman class, PrepVolleyball,com announced on Thursday.
The Longhorns will welcome four newcomers to the squad in 2017, including No. 1 Lexi Sun (OH, Solana Beach, Calif.), No. 2 Brionne Butler (MB, Boling, Texas), No. 6 Ashley Shook (S, Plainfield, Illinois), and Olivia Zelon (L, Pacific Palisades,Calif.).
The No. 1 class marks Head Coach Jerritt Elliott's first since 2011 and 11th top-5 class since 2003.
The four players will join three returning All-Americans in seniors Chiaka Ogbogu and Ebony Nwanebu and sophomore Micaya White.
Elliott has led Texas to eight Final Fours in the last nine years and has reached the National Championship match in the last two years.
Texas' Recruiting Class History since 2003
2003
Signees: Jen Andrew, Jessica Curtis and Brandy Magee
Rank: No. 2
2004
Signees: Jen Christian, Alyson Jennings, Sarah Holloway, Michelle Moriarty
Rank: No. 13
2005
Signees: Ruth Ann Feist, Lauren Paolini
Rank: No. 18
2006
Signees: Ashley Engle, Destinee Hooker, Heather Kisner
Rank: No. 2
2007
Signees: Jen Doris, Juliann Faucette, Elizabeth Graham, Chelsey Klein, Alex Lewis
Rank: No. 2
2008
Signees: Rachael Adams, Clayton Crum, Michelle Kocher, Amber Roberson, Sydney Yogi
Rank: No. 2
2009
Signees: Cristina Arenas, Sha'Dare McNeal, Bailey Webster
Rank: No. 5
2010
Signees: Hannah Allison, Ashley Bannister, Haley Cameron, Julie Olschwanger, Sarah Palmer
Rank: No. 5
2011
Signees: Khat Bell, Haley Eckerman
Rank: No. 1
2012
Signees: Kat Brooks, Nicole Dalton, Sara Hattis, Molly McCage, Amy Neal
Rank: No. 2
2013
Signees: Chloe Collins, Chiaka Ogbogu
Rank: No. 5
2014
Signees: Mirta Baselovic, Cat McCoy
Rank: N/A
2015
Signees: Micaya White, Morgan Johnson, Yaazie Bedart-Ghani, Lauren Beard, Natalie Gilbert
Rank: No. 2
2016
Signees: Orie Agbaji, Autumn Rounsaville, Claire Hahn, Riley Fisbeck, Blair Westerlund
Rank: No. 6
2017
Signees: Lexi Sun, Brionne Butler, Ashley Shook, Olivia Zelon
