Seven Players In Total Set To Suit Up For Raiders This Coming Fall
Courtesy of Sports Information Desk
Southern Oregon head volleyball coach Josh Rohlfing announced on Thursday the signing of three more student-athletes to join the Raiders next Fall.
McKensie Mickler (Catlin Gabel High School/Excel Northwest Volleyball Club and Oregon Juniors Volleyball), Nikki Keller (Radford University/Carson High School/Capital City Volleyball Club) and Kelsea MacPhee (Mazama High School) will join four other signees from earlier this week to round out the recruiting class.
“These athletes are going to add great size and athleticism to our front line and they are also tremendous students,” Rohlfing said. “Every one of these student-athletes are incredibly hard working individuals on and off the court. We are thrilled with this class and we know the future of Raider volleyball is very bright because of the character of these student-athletes.”
Mickler, a 6-foot-1-inch outside hitter, brings plenty of accolades to SOU. Mickler was named All-State and All-State Tournament this past year, to go along with All-Conference and Conference Player of the Year honors. Mickler was also All-Conference as a junior and sophomore.
“We are excited for McKensie to be part of our program,” Rohlfing said. “We feel she will make a great jump to the next level in her volleyball career and will be an outstanding contributor for many years to come. She is a very good ball handler and is exceptionally efficient on the offensive side of the ball. She is 6-foot-1-inch and has a very similar game to our present athletes and we feel she will be a fantastic collegiate volleyball player.”
Keller, a 5-foot-11-inch middle blocker and right-side hitter, was a three-year All-Conference selection and also a star softball player. Out of high school, Keller accepted a scholarship to Radford University before an injury forced her to return home to Reno and now to SOU.
“We feel fortunate that we have the opportunity to bring Nikki into our program,” Rohlfing said. “We felt strongly about Nikki’s athleticism out of high school and feel the same way now. She is an exceptional jumper with a whip of an arm. She will be a great contributor for us in the coming seasons.”
Keller commented, “I wanted to become a Raider because of the team unity and positive energy that surrounded the volleyball program. It was truly a family atmosphere that I knew I wanted to be a part of.”
MacPhee, a 6-foot-1-inch middle blocker and outside hitter, was a do-everything athlete at Mazama. MacPhee earned 10 high school letters during her career, playing volleyball, basketball and softball. She earned All-Conference honors as a senior and sophomore and was All-State in basketball as a senior.
“Kelsea is an “athlete” in every sense of the word,” Rohlfing said. “She’s a great jumper and is physically strong. She has an insatiable work ethic and an incredibly high ceiling for growth in volleyball.”
Southern Oregon went 24-5 overall last year on the way to conference regular and postseason titles and a berth in the NAIA National Tournament.
