May 21, 2008
EASTON, Pa. -
The Lafayette volleyball team will welcome five players to the team this fall as members of the Class of 2012. Head coach Terri Dadio Campbell will add two middle blockers, a defensive specialist, one outside hitter and one right side hitter for the upcoming 2008 season.
"We are excited to welcome these five outstanding young women to our volleyball family," Campbell said. "This class clearly meets our team's positional needs for 2008. They bring with them a wealth of volleyball experience and will elevate our team's play immediately. Each one of them is committed to excellence both on the volleyball court and in the classroom."
Middle blocker Alana Taylor (Portland, Ore./St. Mary S. Academy) was a three-year varsity starter at St. Mary's Academy. She was an all-conference first team hitter honoree as well as co-MVP of her team. Taylor was also a member of the varsity tennis and track and field teams. She was a three-time scholar athlete and earned First Academic Honors as St. Mary S. Academy.
Taylor also played for the MAC Volleyball Club in 2008. Prior to 2008, she competed with the Blues Volleyball Club and SW Metro.
The second middle blocker to join the team is Ally Taylor (Darien, Conn./Darien). Taylor played four years of varsity volleyball at Darien for a team that went undefeated and won FCIAC and Connecticut Class M & L championships all four seasons, as well. She also served as captain during her junior and senior seasons and received All-FCIAC First Team both years.
Following her senior season, Taylor was a named to the All-State Class L First Team and received team and Senior All-Star Game MVP honors that same year. In addition, she was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Senior All-American, one of only 32 athletes to receive that honor. Taylor also competed with the Connecticut Junior Volleyball Club.
Taylor was also an honor roll student at Darien and was named the News 12 Scholar-Athlete.
"Our first recruiting goal was to sign two quality middles who possess the talent and will to win, who embrace the challenges of playing middle and who can step on the court and make us better," Campbell said. "With Alana and Ally, I am confident we have met that goal and I have high expectations for both of them."
Christy Mebust (Coronado, Calif./Coronado) played four years of varsity volleyball at Coronado as both an outside hitter and defensive specialist and was named to the all-league first team as a senior. During her junior and senior seasons, she served as captain and received team MVP honors both those years. Mebust also competed with the Epic Volleyball Club as well as the San Diego Volleyball Club. In addition to volleyball, she played four years of varsity softball for Coronado.
Mebust was a member of the National Honor Society and received San Diego Union Tribune All-Academic Team honors all four years.
"We are pleased to have Christy joining us," Campbell said. "She handles the ball extremely well and will be a great addition for us both defensively and in serve receive."
Mary Cunning (Leonia, N.J./Academy of the Holy Angels), a 5-10 outside hitter, comes to Lafayette after a four-year varsity career at Academy of Holy Angels. She served as captain during her junior and senior seasons and received all-league first-team honors both years. Cunning was also named to the all-state non-public first team as a senior. She helped guide her team to the New Jersey State Non-Public Final for the time in school history and was invited to play on the 2007 N.J. Senior All-Star team.
Cunning also competed with the N.J. Digs Volleyball Club in 2005 and 2006 and was a member of the Essex Volleyball Club for the 2007-08 season. During her two years with N.J. Digs, she received the team's Scholar-Athlete Award.
At Academy of the Holy Angels, Cunning was an Honor Roll student and served as vice president for the French National Honor Society for four years.
"Mary is a very versatile player who has experience at both outside and middle," Campbell said. "She brings with her a love of the game and is a true team player."
Completing the class is Andrea Duvall (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon), a 5-10 right side hitter. Duvall, whose parents are both Lafayette College alumni, was a three-time varsity starter at Mt. Lebanon. Her team won the 2007 section and WPIAL championships. She earned All-WPIAL Second-Team honors as a junior and senior and served as captain during her senior season.
Duvall played club volleyball for five years with the Renaissance Volleyball Club that qualified for the upcoming national tournament in Dallas. She served as the team's captain for three years.
Academically, Duvall was a member of the National Honor Society for her final two years at Mt. Lebanon and was a member of the Cum Laude Society as a senior. She also served on the student council all four years and was named to the Highest Honor Roll.
"We are excited to add Andrea to our roster," Campbell said. "With her parents being alumni of Lafayette, she was comfortable on campus and will be a great fit for our team. She is a complete player on the court."
Lafayette will open the 2008 season on Aug. 29-30 at the La Salle Tournament in Philadelphia.
Lafayette Volleyball Class of 2012:
Name Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School
Mary Cunning OH 5-10 Leonia, N.J./Academy of the Holy Angels
Andrea Duvall RS 5-10 Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon
Christy Mebust DS 5-9 Coronado, Calif./Coronado
Alana Taylor MB 6-1 Portland, Ore./St. Mary's Academy
Ally Taylor MB 6-0 Darien, Conn./Darien
