Courtesy of Norfolk State Athletic Communications
NORFOLK, Va. – With the fall semester kicking into full gear, the Norfolk State volleyball team has welcomed a total of 10 newcomers to the program for the upcoming season. After the loss of a big senior class, head coach Kathy Bullock brought in six freshmen, three junior college transfers and one graduate transfer to bolster the Spartan lineup.
The 2020 recruiting class even has some international flair to it, with a pair of players from Puerto Rico – one a member of the national team – and another from Brazil. The class includes three middle blockers, two setters, an outside hitter, an opposite, a libero, a defensive specialist and a utility player.
"I am very excited about this class." Bullock said. "I was looking for players with grit, passion and the determination to win. It's a great time to be a Spartan."
In July, the 2020 fall sports season was suspended by the MEAC due to COVID-19. In August, the conference office announced plans to hold the 2020 fall volleyball campaign during the 2021 spring semester, beginning in January, pending NCAA scheduling guidelines and the status of the pandemic.
NSU lost eight seniors off last year's team and returns eight players for the upcoming season, including another five seniors.
The program's newcomers include middle blockers Paola Maradei (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Trinidad State JC), Anjola Thomas (Beaumont, Calif./Beaumont HS) and Kaia Brown (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Polytechnic HS); setters Jaida Bynum (Largo, Md./Elizabeth Seton HS) and Heliceliz Rivera (Corozal, Puerto Rico/Frontier CC); libero Nicole Rodriguez (Kissimmee, Fla./Daytona State College); defensive specialist Kalaya Brown (Mesa, Ariz./Mesa HS); outside hitter Rachel Williams (Mesquite, Texas/Arkansas-Fort Smith); opposite Paola Matos (Fajardo, Puerto Rico/Colegio De Diego de Carolina); and utility player Jurnee Stuckey (Cypress, Texas/Langham Creek HS).
Below is more information on each newcomer, listed alphabetically.
Kaia Brown, 5-10 Fr. MB, Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Polytechnic HS
The Skinny: Brown led Long Beach Polytechnic to three straight Moore League Championships between her sophomore and senior years. She was the only freshman on the varsity team as the Jackrabbits ranked as high as 10th in the nation that year. She helped lead her team to the quarterfinals of the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section (CIF-SS) Division I playoffs her senior year and the second round her freshman and sophomore years. She also competed for eight years with Seal Beach Volleyball Club and was an honors list student.
Bullock's Words: "Kaia will compete right away not only for playing time, but for a starting role. She is a very powerful, quick and an overall dynamic player who was heavily recruited coming out of successful high school and club programs."
Kalaya Brown, 5-5 Fr. DS/L, Mesa, Ariz./Mesa HS
The Skinny: Brown competed on the varsity team at Mesa High School her junior and senior years, leading the team to a 6A East Valley Region championship her junior season. The following year, she led Mesa to the DI Silver Bracket Championship at the FieldLevel Southern California Invitational in San Diego. At the club level, she most recently competed for Revolution Volleyball Academy.
Bullock's Words: "Kalaya will no doubt make her presence known with us. She is a go-getter and is excited to assist with the growth of the program. She will be part of a backline that will be ready and waiting to be challenged."
Jaida Bynum, 5-7 Fr. S, Largo, Md./Elizabeth Seton HS
The Skinny: A four-year varsity starter, Bynum was a two-time first-team All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) honoree her junior and senior seasons in addition to third-team accolades as a sophomore. Her senior year, she also earned Washington Post All-Met honorable mention and was the CTV Prince George's County Player of the Year. An honor roll student, Bynum most recently competed for the Chesapeake Elite Volleyball Academy at the club level.
Bullock's Words: "Jaida will be heating things up for our hitters as she competes for the setter job this year. She is the type of player who will be going after it with force and fire. She is a winner. She believes in the direction of the program and wants to be a part of a team that wants to win."
Paola Maradei, 5-11 Jr. MB, Sao Paulo, Brazil/Trinidad State JC/Objetivo Ponta da Praia
The Skinny: Maradei spent the last two seasons at Trinidad State JC, where she was a force at the net. As a sophomore in 2019, she averaged 1.43 blocks per set to go along with 1.36 kills while hitting .227. She also hit .263 her freshman season in 2018, when she averaged 1.69 kills and 1.39 blocks per set. Maradei earned NJCAA All-Region 5 honors both seasons after ranking first in the nation in solo blocks (98) her freshman year and second in the nation her sophomore year (69). She was also an NJCAA All-Academic Team honoree both years.
Bullock's Words: "Paola is also right there in the mix to earn a starting spot. She is just a blocking machine who can shut people down. She is a gentle giant with the way she plays because she is subtle but aggressive."
Paola Matos, 5-11 Fr. Opp, Fajardo, Puerto Rico/Colegio De Diego de Carolina
The Skinny: Matos was a member of the Puerto Rican National Team that competed in the Youth Pan-American Volleyball Cup in 2019. She competed in the AAECA Championship over the course of three years as well and has represented Puerto Rico in such places as Peru, Mexico and India. Matos was also an honors student in several subjects during her time at Colegio.
Bullock's Words: "Paola is the best opposite hitter coming out of Puerto Rico this year. She has a lot of international experience and has played at high levels, all before even stepping onto the court here. She is a good blocker and has a killer instinct. She should make an immediate impact this season."
Heliceliz Rivera, 5-9 Jr. S, Corozal, Puerto Rico/Frontier CC/Academia Discipulos de Cristo
The Skinny: Rivera served as a setter and a hitter during her two seasons at Frontier CC. During her freshman year in 2018, she tallied 6.40 assists, 1.60 digs, 1.16 kills and 0.55 service aces. Rivera posted 2.29 kills per set her sophomore year in 2019 in addition to 2.28 digs, 3.28 assists and 0.32 aces. During high school, she led Academia Discipulos de Cristo to back-to-back championships in the largest cup tournament within Puerto Rico. She was a member of the honor roll in both high school and junior college.
Bullock's Words: "Heli knows what it takes to win and to be a leader. She will compete for the starting setter position, because when the game's on the line, she can make it happen. She has a killer instinct and is an in-your-face kind of player."
Nicole Rodriguez, 5-5 Jr. L, Kissimmee, Fla./Daytona State College/Osceola HS
The Skinny: Rodriguez gave Daytona State College a boost at the libero position over the course of two years. As a freshman in 2018, she averaged 5.49 digs per set, earning second-team All-Mid-Florida Conference honors. In September of her freshman year, she was named the Region VIII and NJCAA National Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 13 after averaging more than six digs per set in six matches. The Lady Falcons ranked as high as 12th at the NJCAA Division I level her freshman year as they finished 20-8. Rodriguez averaged 4.34 digs and 0.32 aces her sophomore year in 2019.
Bullock's Words: "Nicole is a nightmare who will let nothing hit the floor around her. She is just the total package: a leader, has good vision and a high volleyball IQ, and is a good communicator who is always one of the most vocal players on the court. She has the chance to be one of the best liberos ever to play here."
Jurnee Stuckey, 5-6 Fr. Utl, Cypress, Texas/Langham Creek HS
The Skinny: Stuckey competed for two years on the varsity team at Langham Creek HS. She was named MVP of the freshmen team her first year of high school before making her way to the JV team as a sophomore. On the club level, she most recently competed for the Texas Tornados. Stuckey was also a standout track athlete, competing at the AAU district and national levels in the discus and shot put.
Bullock's Words: "Jurnee is a force to be reckoned with. She is a little fireball. She is not afraid to go after anything. She has no fear and will run through a brick wall for you."
Anjola Thomas, 5-10 Fr. MB, Beaumont, Calif/Beaumont HS
The Skinny: Thomas was the MVP of the Citrus Belt League her senior year and earned first-team All-Citrus Belt League honors her junior and senior seasons. She also earned second-team accolades as a sophomore, and she led Beaumont to league titles all three seasons. The Lady Cougars advanced to the CIF Division 6 Southern Section semifinals in Thomas' junior season. She represented Beaumont at the Inland Valley Volleyball All-Star Classic after her senior year in addition to being a scholar-athlete award winner all four years. She also competed for the Rancho Valley Volleyball Club for six years.
Bullock's Words: "Anjola is another player who will help shore up our middle blocking and has the capability to compete for a starting spot. She is just a natural player. She is very strong and aggressive, but also very respectful. She has a huge upside. "
Rachel Williams, 5-10 Gr. OH, Mesquite, Texas/Arkansas Fort-Smith
The Skinny: Williams spent three seasons at Arkansas Fort-Smith before graduating summa cum laude in three years. She earned All-Lonestar Conference honorable mention as a junior in 2019, leading the Lions to a co-divisional championship, a 27-7 overall record, and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She averaged 2.79 kills per set as a junior, 2.76 kills as a sophomore with 1.37 digs, and 2.49 kills as a freshman. Williams was named All-Heartland Conference honorable mention her freshman year, and she helped the Lions capture the regular season championship that year as well as the tournament championship the following year.
Bullock's Words: "Rachel knows how to finish. She is a winner. She came here because of all the social injustice that is going on right now in America. She wanted to attend an HBCU and is ready to help Norfolk State win its first conference championship. She is a no-fear kind of player who will come at you aggressively."