University of North Texas Athletics
Mean Green Volleyball Inks Two High School Recruits Early
11/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
DENTON (11/10/04) The North Texas volleyball team signed Texas high school standouts Catherine Coffey (Allen, Texas) and Rachel Raley (San Antonio, Texas) to National Letters of Intent on the first day of the early signing period on Wednesday.
Coffey, a 6-1 middle blocker, has recorded a 267 kills, 31 aces, 138 digs and a team-high 127 blocks in 2004 to help lead Allen High School back into the playoffs for the 10th consecutive year. Last year, Coffey was a second team all-district selection on a team that finished the season as the 5A state runner-up and ranked 37th nationally with a 37-5 record. Coffey was also named the district’s Most Improved Player in 2003.
A four-year member of National Honor Society, Coffey also plays for the Skyline Club team that finished tied for fifth in the American Division at nationals last season. She led the entire club in blocks with 134 last season.
"Catherine is going to add some additional size to the middle of our court," said North Texas head coach Cassie Headrick. "She is very long and I don’t think that we’ve had a blocking presence like her since I’ve been at North Texas. She plays a very balanced offensive game, using both power and finesse. Catherine continues to improve her game, and that makes me very excited about the future that she will help build here at North Texas."
Raley is a 6-0 outside hitter from San Antonio, Texas, that is a three-year varsity letterwinner with James Madison High School. The team captain, she averaged 4.06 kills and 4.14 digs per game during her senior campaign. She was named the 2004 Harlandale Tournament Best Hitter and was a second team All-District selection in 2003. Additionally, Raley was named to the Southwest All-Tournament Team as a junior.
Raley played club ball for Alamo and was named the team MVP in 2003.
"Rachel is a fantastic all-around player," said James Madison head coach Renata Goebel. "While you see some high school players excel in one area, Rachel has really fine tuned her skills all the way around."
"Rachel is a middle blocker that we are going to move to outside hitter, so her game will go through some changes once she arrives on campus," said Headrick. "She was able to play outside hitter for the first time in high school this year and really flourished in the position. Rachel has been a primary passer for her teams, so we are looking forward to her added ball control. She is a player that is a difference maker on the floor. If she is not on the floor, her team doesn’t win - her presence has been that important. We know with her ability to work hard, she is going to flourish and help bring us closer to capturing a Sun Belt championship."
