Lady Blues add two more to recruiting class for 2002

May 21, 2002

 

Washburn Volleyball Head Coach Chris Herron announced two additional signing in his first recruiting class at the helm of the Lady Blue program. Transfers Dani McHenry from the University of Kansas and Erin Bishop of Emporia State will join the Lady Blues next fall.

McHenry, who will be a sophomore, played one season at Kansas, where she had 226 kills, 211 digs and 25 total blocks. She had season highs with 21 kills and 20 digs against Baylor on Oct. 20.

McHenry is a native of Topeka and is a 2001 graduate of Shawnee Heights High School, where she was named the Kansas Sports Magazine Volleyball Player of the Year after her junior and senior seasons. She also earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors and was also Class 5A and Centennial League Player of the Year her senior season.

McHenry was also a four-time All-Centennial League, all-city and All-Class 5A pick for the T-Birds, who captured 5A State titles her junior and senior seasons.

"Obviously we are getting a great volleyball player; We feel Dani will come in and impact our program immediately," said Herron."Dani is the type of player who sets high expectations for herself."

McHenry will also play on the Lady Blues basketball team for her father coach Ron McHenry.

Bishop, who will have to set out next season as a redshirt under MIAA transfer rules, will be eligible as a junior in the fall of 2003. She played two seasons at Emporia State, where she earned All-MIAA honorable mention honors with 177 kills, 1,309 assists and hit .277 as a setter for the Hornets. Bishop is a Andover native, where she earned All-Chisolm Trail League honors four seasons and all-state honors two seasons at Andover High in 1999 and 2000.

"Erin is a very good athlete with a great volleyball background," said Herron. "Erin possesses many characteristics you want to see in a volleyball player. She is intense, focused and driven."

McHenry and Bishop join nine other newcomers to the Washburn volleyball squad. Alecia Barron (Topeka, Kan./Benedictine College), Callie Bjelland (Grantsburg, Wisc./Grantsburg High School), Kandice Connell (Claflin, Kan./Barton County Community College), Mary Fisher (Wichita, Kan./Benedictine College), Megan Houk (Valley Center, Kan./Cowley County Community College), Wendy Kobbeman (Topeka, Kan./Arkansas Tech University), Anna Neufeld (Silver Lake, Kan./Benedictine College) Paige Ralston (Topeka, Kan./Benedictine College) and Ann Weygint (Lawrence, Kan./Benedictine College) will also join the Lady Blues in the fall.

"We are very happy with the talent level of the players we have coming in," said Herron. "With a new coach, new system and new players, itÕs just going to take some time to find the right chemistry to build into a solid team."