The early signing period for NCAA volleyball ends tomorrow, and Virginia’s team has landed two key recruits.
Tobi Farrar, one of the signed recruits, is a middle blocker from Arlington, Texas. PrepVolleyball.com has ranked the Arlington High School senior as the No. 52 recruit from the Class of 2009.
“I can’t wait to play volleyball at a higher level,” Farrar said.
Virginia coach Lee Maes noted Farrar’s exceptional ratings by scouts comes in large part because of her exceptional size; Farrar is 6-foot-3, which compares well to the 6-foot-1 and 6-foot frames of Virginia’s current middle blockers.
Farrar said she also considered playing for Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Stanford, but was drawn to Virginia for a variety of reasons.
“It’s a great mix of academics and athletics,” Farrar said. “The players and coaches made me fall in love with it more than any other place.”
Maes commented that Farrar’s most dramatic impact on the team will come defensively.
“She’s able to make space below the net and over the net,” Maes said. “The ... thing that’s really important for us is that she’s a great offensive attacker.”
Virginia’s other signed recruit is Jessica O’Shoney, another middle blocker. Standing at 6-foot-1 and described by Maes as a “dynamic athlete,” O’Shoney comes from Austin, Texas, where she plays at Hutto High School and has twice been selected as the MVP of her district.
Maes commented that O’Shoney, along with a height that matches Virginia’s current middle blockers, has an arm size and strength that will help make her an instant threat for the Cavaliers.
“She’s going to be a very dynamic offensive blocker for us in the first row,” Maes said.
The decision to play at the University was easy to make, O’Shoney said.
“I haven’t met a better group of people,” O’Shoney said of the team. “It was an obvious decision for me.”
O’Shoney and Farrar are the only two prospects Virginia has signed so far, but the main portion of the signing period still awaits for the Cavaliers.
“Our vision as a team is to continue building towards national prominence,” Maes said, noting Farrar and O’Shoney “are going to be a great foundation for what we’re trying to achieve.”
Maes said credit is due to those who have helped to develop O’Shoney’s and Farrar’s talents as volleyball players so far, including one member of the Virginia volleyball program. O’Shoney worked with current Virginia assistant coach Ted Wade during her stint with the USA Junior National Team while he was working in Austin, O’Shoney said.
The two recruits, who both made the all-tournament team in the U.S. Junior Olympics and will begin playing with the team in fall 2009, will make an immediate impact on the team both in pure skill and team chemistry, Maes said.
Before the incoming class joins the team, Virginia has three matches left in the regular season. This weekend, the Cavaliers go on their final road trip of the season, playing Wake Forest and Duke in matches Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Cavaliers will conclude their season with a Nov. 28 senior night match against Virginia Tech in Memorial Gymnasium at 6.
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