Photo by: Dave Nishitani/Oregon State Athletics
Three Sign to Join Beavers’ Volleyball Program
November 14, 2018 | Women's Volleyball
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State volleyball program officially added three student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent to join the team in 2019, head coach Mark Barnard announced Wednesday.
The 2019 recruiting class consists of Mary Kate Lopez (Mount Prospect, Ill./Loyola Academy), Cecilee Max-Brown (White Rock, B.C./Earl Marriot Secondary) and Mykenna Nelson (Phoenix, Ariz./Greenway HS).
"This is a very good class for us," Barnard said. "We have addressed three major areas where we definitely need new people. All three have had very promising junior careers and all are capable of earning starting spots next year."
Lopez, a 6-foot-3, left-handed, setter, led her high school squad to a school record for wins in a season this fall. She directed the offense to record two of the three highest kill totals for a season in school history as a junior and senior. In 2018, Lopez was named as the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC) Female Athlete of the Year, was an all-conference selection and was named to the PrepVolleyball Senior Aces list.
In addition, she was named to the 2017 Under Armour American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Phenom List. She played club volleyball for First Alliance directing her team to the 2017 Great Lakes Super Power League championship title.
Follow this link to watch Lopez's highlights.
"Mary Kate will have a much greater presence at the net than we currently have and is a viable threat in the front row. She has played on a good club team for a number of years in the Chicago area and she'll have the opportunity to play right away."
Max-Brown, a 6-1 outside hitter, is a three-time national champion in Canada and has twice played on the Canadian National Team. She was named as the U17 national team MVP and is a provincial gold medalist and all-star. She was named as an AAU All-American in 2018 with Washington Volleyball Academy.
A multi-sport athlete, Max-Brown also competes in track and field in the high jump, 100-meters, 200m and 400m.
Follow this link to watch Max-Brown's highlights.
"Cecilee can pass and hit and is capable of playing all the way around. She is a good attacker and a much better blocker and will vie for a spot for sure. She is a hard worker and has a really good volleyball IQ."
Nelson, who will play libero and defensive specialist for the Beavers, re-joins her former club Nya Buckner in 2019. She recently helped her Greenway High team to its second 4A Arizona state championship title. In addition, she was recently named Skyline 4A Region Player of the Year and has been a multi-year selection to all-state, all-region and all-district teams during her high school career and was named as a PrepVolleyball Senior Ace. She concluded her high school career with more than 1,500 digs.
Nelson was also named as the MVP of her softball team and also plays soccer and was a three-year letterwinner in tennis.
Follow this link to watch Nelson's highlights from her senior season.
"Mykenna is a very good player. She is a good passer, is quick on her feet and can handle the second ball well too. She's also a good server and will challenge for playing time right away."
Single game tickets for the 2018 Oregon State volleyball season are available for purchase via BeaverTickets.com/Volleyball and 1-800-GO-BEAVS.
Oregon State volleyball fans are encouraged to join Off the Bench, the program's new donor club. Click here for more information or call Alex Gary in Our Beaver Nation at 541-737-2370.
As a ticketed event, Oregon State volleyball matches will now adhere to the Athletic Department's Clear Bag Policy, which was implemented in the spring as an additional security measure and to provide fans a more consistent and efficient entry process. For more information on the policy, click here.
For more information on the Oregon State volleyball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/BeaverVBall, by Facebook at Facebook.com/BeaverVBall or on Instagram at Instagram.com/BeaverVBall.
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
The 2019 recruiting class consists of Mary Kate Lopez (Mount Prospect, Ill./Loyola Academy), Cecilee Max-Brown (White Rock, B.C./Earl Marriot Secondary) and Mykenna Nelson (Phoenix, Ariz./Greenway HS).
"This is a very good class for us," Barnard said. "We have addressed three major areas where we definitely need new people. All three have had very promising junior careers and all are capable of earning starting spots next year."
Lopez, a 6-foot-3, left-handed, setter, led her high school squad to a school record for wins in a season this fall. She directed the offense to record two of the three highest kill totals for a season in school history as a junior and senior. In 2018, Lopez was named as the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC) Female Athlete of the Year, was an all-conference selection and was named to the PrepVolleyball Senior Aces list.
In addition, she was named to the 2017 Under Armour American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Phenom List. She played club volleyball for First Alliance directing her team to the 2017 Great Lakes Super Power League championship title.
Follow this link to watch Lopez's highlights.
"Mary Kate will have a much greater presence at the net than we currently have and is a viable threat in the front row. She has played on a good club team for a number of years in the Chicago area and she'll have the opportunity to play right away."
Max-Brown, a 6-1 outside hitter, is a three-time national champion in Canada and has twice played on the Canadian National Team. She was named as the U17 national team MVP and is a provincial gold medalist and all-star. She was named as an AAU All-American in 2018 with Washington Volleyball Academy.
A multi-sport athlete, Max-Brown also competes in track and field in the high jump, 100-meters, 200m and 400m.
Follow this link to watch Max-Brown's highlights.
"Cecilee can pass and hit and is capable of playing all the way around. She is a good attacker and a much better blocker and will vie for a spot for sure. She is a hard worker and has a really good volleyball IQ."
Nelson, who will play libero and defensive specialist for the Beavers, re-joins her former club Nya Buckner in 2019. She recently helped her Greenway High team to its second 4A Arizona state championship title. In addition, she was recently named Skyline 4A Region Player of the Year and has been a multi-year selection to all-state, all-region and all-district teams during her high school career and was named as a PrepVolleyball Senior Ace. She concluded her high school career with more than 1,500 digs.
Nelson was also named as the MVP of her softball team and also plays soccer and was a three-year letterwinner in tennis.
Follow this link to watch Nelson's highlights from her senior season.
"Mykenna is a very good player. She is a good passer, is quick on her feet and can handle the second ball well too. She's also a good server and will challenge for playing time right away."
Single game tickets for the 2018 Oregon State volleyball season are available for purchase via BeaverTickets.com/Volleyball and 1-800-GO-BEAVS.
Oregon State volleyball fans are encouraged to join Off the Bench, the program's new donor club. Click here for more information or call Alex Gary in Our Beaver Nation at 541-737-2370.
As a ticketed event, Oregon State volleyball matches will now adhere to the Athletic Department's Clear Bag Policy, which was implemented in the spring as an additional security measure and to provide fans a more consistent and efficient entry process. For more information on the policy, click here.
For more information on the Oregon State volleyball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/BeaverVBall, by Facebook at Facebook.com/BeaverVBall or on Instagram at Instagram.com/BeaverVBall.
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
Players Mentioned
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