FROM STAFF REPORTS

The University of Montevallo women’s volleyball team has announced the signing of five recruits for the 2011 season.

The class, which includes Brianna Guzinski, Kaleigh Harvey, Lucy Perez, Jewell Sherrer and Jordan Spinks, features three transfers and a pair of freshman.

Guzinski, a defensive specialist/libero from Jacksonville, Fla., prepped at Bishop Kenny High School, where she helped lead her team to the 2008 and 2009 state volleyball Final Four. In 2010, Guzinski was named a team captain and was a member of the 2010 United States Volleyball Association Junior Nationals’ American League Champions, where she was also named second team.

Guzinski was also named All-Coast first team and was scholastically a member of the President’s List and Scholar Athlete for her entire high school career. Guzinski will be a freshman this fall.

Harvey, a defensive specialist from Katy, Texas, has been enrolled at Montevallo since last spring and has been practicing with the team since her arrival. Harvey comes to Montevallo after spending last season with Division I Jacksonville State University.

Harvey prepped at Cinco Ranch High School and was a second team All-District selection in her junior and senior seasons. As a senior, Harvey recorded 458 digs while leading the Cougars to a 42-6 mark and the District 17-5A and Texas Region III Championships. In her junior year, Harvey tallied 501 digs and led Cinco Ranch to a 30-17 record and was named the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year. Harvey, who also lettered in basketball and track and field, will be a sophomore this fall.

Perez, an outside hitter from Miami, Fla., spent last season at Palm Beach State College, where she averaged 1.85 kills per set and had an attack percentage of .250. Prior to Palm Beach State, Perez played one season at Lake Sumter Community College, where she averaged 2.8 kills per set.

Perez was named first team All-Conference following her freshman season at Palm Beach State. While in high school, Perez was named first team All-Dade and was a U.S. Army Reserve National Scholar/Athlete Award recipient. Perez will be a junior this fall.

Sherrer, a middle/right-side hitter from Dayton, Ohio, last played as a prep at Walter E. Stebbins High School, where she was first team All-CBC in her senior year as well as the team’s most valuable player in her sophomore, junior and senior campaigns. Sherrer led the district in blocks with 121 in her senior year. Sherrer is the school’s record holder for most career blocks.

Jewell, who will be a freshman this fall, was also named a District 15 Senior All-Star and was an All-CBC Special Mention in her sophomore and junior years.

Spinks, an outside/middle hitter from Danville, is the lone in-state signee for the Falcons. Spinks spent last season at Northwest Shoals Community College.

Spinks was ranked 14th in the NJCAA Division I for kills per game and was first in the ACCC for that same statistic with 3.82 kills per game. Spinks totaled 531 kills, including a match-high was 23 kills, last season.

Spinks was named first team All-Region in 2009 and 2010 and was named to the ACCC Region 22 All-Tournament team last season. Spinks prepped at Danville High School, where she was named All-County, the All-Area most valuable player, All-Region and was named All-State by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association.  Spinks will be a junior this fall.

The quintet joins a Montevallo squad returning five of six starters on a team that went 24-13 and picked up its first NCAA tournament win in program history in its first tournament appearance in nine years.

The Falcons open the season Sept. 2 against Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn.