Volleyball: Three All-Americans top Pitt’s incoming class

The Pitt volleyball team will welcome its highest-ranked recruiting class under head coach Toby… The Pitt volleyball team will welcome its highest-ranked recruiting class under head coach Toby Rens this coming season.

PrepVolleyball.com, a comprehensive website for girls’ high school and club volleyball, rated the 2011 incoming class “high honorable mention,” the first such designation for a recruiting class under Rens.

PrepVolleyball.com bases its rankings on the opinion of a variety of Divsion I, II and III college coaches who rates the class on size and strength as well as the impact the class could have on a program.

The website also mentioned the recruiting classes from Big East schools Notre Dame, Marquette, Georgetown, Seton Hall and West Virginia.

The Panthers finished 13-18 overall and 7-7 in the Big East last season. Pitt earned a No. 6 seed in the Big East Tournament, falling in its first game to No. 3 seed Marquette. The nationally-recognized recruiting class could help the Panthers get farther in the tournament next season.

Impressed with the newcomers, Rens is excited for the time when the athletes will be able to demonstrate their highly regarded skills on the court.

“This fall’s incoming class is not only talented and skilled, but also provides a great deal of athleticism, balance and experience,” Rens said in a Pitt news release. “We are excited to have them join the Pitt family, and our returning student-athletes are sincerely excited for the entire group to start working together in August.”

New members of the Panthers team include three high school All-Americans in Mechael Guess, Jessica Wynn and Lindsey Zitzke.

Guess is a 5-foot-11 outside hitter from Louisville, Ky., whose successful high school career included an appearance in the 2010 National Championship game — open division — with her club team.

Rens said in an interview that Guess would bring a “fierce, competitive edge” to the team.

“Mechael is a long, lean athlete who has the skill to play at a high level because of her athletic aptitude,” Rens said.

Wynn hails from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and is a 6-foot-2 outside hitter with a great amount of postseason experience with her team, from Tribe Volleyball Club.

In addition to her club efforts, Wynn led her high school team in aces, kills and digs as it captured the Florida Class 4A State Championship.

Rens commented on Wynn’s experience at both Cardinal Gibbons High School in Florida  and at the club level.

“She played an integral role in her prep team’s constant improvement to a league championship this past season, and we look forward to working with her and seeing her continued development as a player and person,” Rens said.

Rounding out the All-Americans is Zitzke, a 5-foot-11 setter who helped Dublin Coffman High School  in Ohio earn back-to-back state championship appearances.

The setter position is crucial in team leadership, and Rens has no doubt that Zitzke will be able to fulfill that role at the collegiate level.

“Lindsey will add a great deal of poise, intensity and game savvy to this program,” Rens said. “She has the opportunity to become one of the most accomplished setters to ever play at Pitt.”

Five other solid players who are looking to make an impact on the Pitt program will join Guess, Wynn and Zitzke.

Delaney Clesen comes to the Panthers as a libero, a player specialized in defensive skills, from Illinois, and Cassandra Congemi of Florida has experience as both a defensive specialist and an outside hitter.

Rens said he has high expectations for both athletes.

“It is impossible to ignore the great energy, quickness and savvy Clesen brings to the court and Congemi will undoubtedly be a great teammate and work hard to find her way onto the court,” Rens said.

The incoming class also contains two promising middle hitters, Jasmine Dittrich and Brenea White, who are transferring to Pitt as a junior and a sophomore, respectively.

Dittrich is a transfer student from Minnesota, a team in perennial contention for the National Championship, who Rens said has natural athletic ability.

“[Her] training at Minnesota tells me that she has all the tools needed to be a presence at a very high level,” Rens said. “Her experience as a team member during the 2009 Final Four, I am sure, left a great impression and provided some valuable insight for her to bring to Pittsburgh.”

White is transferring from Mississippi where she earned playing time at the middle hitter

position as a freshman, thus gaining valuable experience early in her collegiate career.

The final member of the noteworthy recruiting class is Kate Yeazel, an incoming freshman from National Trail High School in Ohio. She’s considered to be a utility player as she has shown ability as a setter, opposite and middle hitter throughout her high school and club playing days.

At 6-foot-2,she has good size, Rens said, and an impressive volleyball IQ which will allow her to play different roles on the team.

“Once Kate makes that transition to the next level, she will definitely bring a different dimension to our system,” Rens said.

Junior outside hitter Alex Phillips said she looks forward to working with the new class.

“The incoming class is extremely talented and they know each other well already,” Phillips said. “They are incredibly excited to get started with practices and eventually the season.”

Maria Nicholas, a sophomore setter and defensive specialist, noted that the Pitt team is “one big family” that works together well on the court because of a strong bond of friendship.

“One of the best things we have going for us into this season is the fact that we are a close group of teammates,” Nicholas said. “That, in combination with a skilled and enthusiastic incoming class, will allow us to build a solid foundation for a successful season.”