ITHACA, N.Y. – Sarah Bernson, the Wendy Schaenen '79 Head Coach of Volleyball, has announced the Big Red's incoming class of 2014.The Big Red will add six players to next year's squad, as Rachel D'Epagnier (Coopersburg, Pa.), Janel Forte (Euless, Texas), Brittany Fox (Rochester, Minn.), Ainsley Lovejoy (Las Vegas, Nev.), Kelly Marble (Davie, Fla.) and Sierra Young (Downers Grove, Ill.) will join the team for the 2010 season.

“This group of six freshmen adds the depth and the hard-working attitude that will help round out our returning group,” said Bernson. “With the six added attackers, our competitiveness in the gym will see an immediate impact and they will help us train every day in practice in order to be successful in competitions. They bring a wide range of skills and several have played multiple positions, which makes this a very versatile group. Add this versatility to the quickness and jumping ability present and we have a very dynamic group adding to an improved Big Red team from last season.”

Cornell Volleyball 2010 Recruiting Class
Name	Ht.	Pos.	Hometown (High School/Club Team)
Rachel D'Epagnier	6-2	MB	Coopersburg, Pa. (Southern Lehigh HS/Synergy)
Janel Forte	5-11	OH/RS	Euless, Texas (LD Bell HS/Texas Advantage)
Brittany Fox	6-1	MB/RS	Rochester, Minn. (Lourdes Catholic HS/M1)
Ainsley Lovejoy	5-11	MB	Las Vegas, Nev. (Palo Verde HS/Club Vegas)
Kelly Marble	5-11	OH	Davie, Fla. (Saint Thomas Aquinas/Boomers)
Sierra Young	5-11	OH	Downers Grove, Ill. (Benet Academy/Sports Performance)

Cornell Volleyball Class of 2014
Player Biographies

Rachel D'Epagnier – 6-2 – MB – Coopersburg, Pa.
(Southern Lehigh HS/Synergy)
D'Epagnier was a three-year letter winner at Southern Lehigh High School. As a team captain during her senior season, she led her squad to a PIAA District 11 championship and was named PIAA All-State. She was also named a Morning Call All-Area first team selection, after a second-team selection as a junior. D'Epagnier also played for Synergy Volleyball Club.

Bernson on D'Epagnier: Rachel is a disciplined middle that really has developed her senior year. We are excited about her size and potential. Her contact point, steadfast blocking, and slide execution are key additions to the middle blocker position after graduating both 2009 starting middles.

Janel Forte – 5-11 – OH/RS – Euless, Texas
(LD Bell HS/Texas Advantage)
Forte was a three-year letter winner at L.D. Bell High School, earning all-district honors three times. She helped her team to a district championship as a freshman and served as team captain as a senior. Forte was named to the 2008 Arlington ISD Tournament all-tournament team. She also lettered four times in track and field, taking first at the 2009 5-5A district championships in discus, and twice in basketball. Forte was a three-time academic all-district selection in volleyball, basketball and track and earned Academic All-State honors as a senior in both volleyball and track. As a member of Texas Advantage Volleyball, Forte helped her team to a first-place finish in the 2009 Lonestar Classic. She also made two junior Olympic appearances.

Bernson on Forte: A dynamic athlete, Janel is both versatile and explosive. Recruited as an outside hitter, she has primarily played middle and right side for high school and club. On the top Texas Advantage team she is seeing great competition that will strengthen her terminating and blocking experience. This experience may help Janel see some time on the right side for the Big Red before moving to the outside.

Brittany Fox – MB/RS – Rochester, Minn.
(Lourdes Catholic HS/Mizuno Minnesota M1)
Fox lettered four times in volleyball at three different schools before graduating from Rochester Lourdes Catholic High School. She served as team captain as a senior and was a two-time All-Conference selection. Fox swept her team's awards as a senior, earning MVP, as well as the team's Top Hitter, Top Blocker and Top Server awards. As a sophomore, she helped her team to a third place finish at the Oklahoma State Tournament and was named to the all-tournament team. Fox played her club volleyball with Mizuno Minnesota M1 181.

Bernson on Fox: A Minnesota addition, Brittany has played for top clubs such as Northern Lights and M1. This year she has gained valuable experience on the middle and right for M1, which is ranked 23rd nationally by Prepvolleyball.com. After having worked with Brittany at camp last year we wanted her work ethic and love of the game in our program.

Ainsley Lovejoy – 5-11 – MB – Las Vegas, Nev.
(Palo Verde HS/Club Vegas)
Lovejoy was a four-time letter winner at Palo Verde High School, where she was a two-time all-conference selection. She helped her team to two Sunset Conference Region semifinalist finishes, one Sunset Region finals appearance and one Sunset Conference finals appearance. Lovejoy also won a NW Sunset League championship as a senior. She won four scholar-athlete awards, as well as her team's Lady Panther Award as the squad's best all-around player.

Bernson on Lovejoy: Ainsley is another incoming student-athlete that is quick with an explosive jumping ability. Her speed and agility will really blossom in the Cornell system and be a great balance in the program opposite our taller middles. She is very versatile in that she has even played outside for her Palos Verdes High School, but we like her dynamic ability to block pin-to-pin as well as score from the middle.

Kelly Marble – 5-11 – OH – Davie, Fla.
(Saint Thomas Aquinas/Boomers)
Marble lettered three times at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, serving as team captain as both a junior and senior. The 2010 Sun Sentinel Girls High School Volleyball Class 6A-5A-4A Player of the Year, Marble took home a myriad of accolades during her prep career. She was a two-time Miami Herald first-team all-county selection, as well as a 2009 Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star. Marble was the 2009 Broward County Athletic Association All-Star MVP and an Orlando Sentinel second-team all-state selection. She led her team to the Florida High School Regional finals in 2009 after a pair of championship semifinal appearances in 2007 and 2008. Marble also lettered twice in basketball.
A two-time junior Olympics participant, Marble also played her club volleyball for Boomers Volleyball Club and is a member of the USAV High Performance Program.

Bernson on Marble: Competitiveness and a “do what it takes” attitude exemplify Kelly. During her high school and club seasons she has played outside, right side, setter and even middle. Her leadership garnered her Player of the Year by the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. Even though she is a freshman, she will challenge the outside hitter core, as well as the entire team.

Sierra Young – 5-11 – OH – Downers Grove, Ill.
(Benet Academy/Sports Performance)
Young was a three-time letter winner at the Benet Academy, where she led her team to back-to-back IHSA sectional championships in 2008 and 2009, as well as an IHSA state runner-up finish in 2008. As a player, she earned all-conference, all-area and all-state honors. In the classroom, Young was named to the PrepVolleyball.com Academic All-American team, and was a recipient of the IHSA Team Academic Award and the AVCA Team Academic Award. Young played her club volleyball with Sports Performance and helped her team to a first place finish at the 2010 JVA World Challenge.

Bernson on Young: Sierra comes from two top programs in Benet Academy and Sports Performance. She has the leadership skills and experience to know what it takes to win. Her ball control is excellent and is a strong attacker out of the back row. We will count on Sierra's ball handling to contribute first as she works in with the left pin attackers. She is a low error type of attacker that will improve and grow in the Big Red program. Her consistency and drive are exciting to watch, as well as coach, which was why Sierra was the first commitment we received last year after working with her at our High Potential Camp.