University of North Texas Athletics
Volleyball lands two signees to open 2021 class
11/11/2020 3:56:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
DENTON – The North Texas volleyball team signed its first two players to the 2021 recruiting class on Wednesday.
Head coach Andrew Palileo and his staff travelled out of state to recruit outside hitter Andrea Owens and setter Katie Butler. Owens hails from Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Arizona, while Katie Butler comes from Old Tappan High School in Rockliegh, New Jersey.
"We're excited about both of these players because they have the opportunity to contribute from day one in our program," Palileo said. "Both these players demonstrate the values of working hard, competing and wanting to be coached. We can't wait to work with them in the fall of 2021."
More information on Owens and Butler can be found below:
"I have known Andrea and her family since she was six years old," Palileo said. "She comes from a great volleyball family where both parents are coaches. Not only will she bring a high volleyball IQ to our team, but a game that is very versatile."
Along with 865-plus career kills, she has totaled 115 aces and 87 blocks in her four years with the Lancers.
As a senior in 2020, Owens has Salpointe Catholic High at a 14-2 record midway through the season and leads the team with 185 kills and a .359 hitting percentage.
In her freshman season, Owens helped Salpointe Catholic to the Class 4A Arizona State Championship. She was named Freshman of the Year after racking up 270 kills in 100 sets played. As a sophomore, Owens led her team back to the Class 4A state title game before losing in the championship.
Owens played for the Arizona High Performance Team in 2018, while also joining the Southern Arizona Volleyball Academy under Michael and Natalia Owens.Katie Butler has an impressive track record over the last several years along the New Jersey border of the Hudson River. According to Prepdigs, Butler was the No. 2 overall player and the No. 1 setter in New Jersey heading into 2020.
Head coach Andrew Palileo and his staff travelled out of state to recruit outside hitter Andrea Owens and setter Katie Butler. Owens hails from Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Arizona, while Katie Butler comes from Old Tappan High School in Rockliegh, New Jersey.
"We're excited about both of these players because they have the opportunity to contribute from day one in our program," Palileo said. "Both these players demonstrate the values of working hard, competing and wanting to be coached. We can't wait to work with them in the fall of 2021."
More information on Owens and Butler can be found below:
Andrea Owens – OH – Salpointe Catholic High School – Tucson, Arizona
Andrea Owens has proven to be one of the brightest young players in Arizona. As a four-year letter winner, Owens set the record for most career kills (865 and counting) at Salpointe Catholic High School. She was also named to the Southern Arizona All-Decade team and tabbed with First-Team All-State honors all four years."I have known Andrea and her family since she was six years old," Palileo said. "She comes from a great volleyball family where both parents are coaches. Not only will she bring a high volleyball IQ to our team, but a game that is very versatile."
Along with 865-plus career kills, she has totaled 115 aces and 87 blocks in her four years with the Lancers.
As a senior in 2020, Owens has Salpointe Catholic High at a 14-2 record midway through the season and leads the team with 185 kills and a .359 hitting percentage.
In her freshman season, Owens helped Salpointe Catholic to the Class 4A Arizona State Championship. She was named Freshman of the Year after racking up 270 kills in 100 sets played. As a sophomore, Owens led her team back to the Class 4A state title game before losing in the championship.
Owens played for the Arizona High Performance Team in 2018, while also joining the Southern Arizona Volleyball Academy under Michael and Natalia Owens.
Katie Butler – Setter – Old Tappan High School – Rockleigh, New Jersey
Katie Butler has an impressive track record over the last several years along the New Jersey border of the Hudson River. According to Prepdigs, Butler was the No. 2 overall player and the No. 1 setter in New Jersey heading into 2020.
"Katie is a very athletic setter that has played at a high level for the last several years," Palileo said. "She will give us the option of running several offensive systems because of her size and leadership."
Butler has also experienced success across the sea. In 2019, Butler was named the top U.S. setter at Global Challenge 2019 in Pula, Croatia.
In her freshman season at Old Tappan, Butler led her team to a state championship and has led the squad to multiple sectional titles and a county title in the last two seasons.
Butler played her club ball with USANY, where she is the captain of the team. She was also placed on the academic honor roll during her freshman and sophomore years.
Saturday, November 15
Tuesday, November 11
Saturday, October 18
Thursday, October 09