Temple University Athletics
(L to R): Kirsten Overton, Caroline Grattan and Tyler Davis
Volleyball Signs Three Talented Recruits for Next Season
12.3.12 | Women's Volleyball
PHILADELPHIA – Three true freshmen will join Temple head coach Bakeer Ganes' volleyball team for the 2013 season next fall. Tyler Davis (Palm Desert, Calif./Xavier College Prep), Caroline Grattan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) and Kirsten Overton (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) have signed national letters of intent to play for the Owls.
“I'm very excited about the recruiting class for 2013,” said Ganes. “All three come from very established and high-caliber club teams. They are very athletic and I expect a lot from them right away. I think we're adding some size but also athleticism and skill to our program. The other quality they all have in common is they're very competitive which really fits in very nicely with our program and our philosophy. All three perform highly on the academic side as well which is a big plus for us.”
Davis, a 5-11 outside and right side hitter, was a two-time all-league first team selection and two-time Team MVP for Xavier College Prep in Palm Desert, Calif. She led her team to a 15-1 record with 208 kills in the fall of 2012, earning her fourth varsity letter in the sport. She is an honor roll student and has won awards for having a GPA above 4.0. Davis comes from quite an athletic family. Her father, John Davis, pitched five seasons for major league baseball teams, and her grandfather played in the NBA.
Davis also plays for 951 Elite Volleyball club out of southern California, for coaches Dennis Palpallatoc and Jon Mosbacher, who was a former volunteer assistant coach for the Owls.
“Tyler is a very established and all-around type of player,” said Ganes. “She is listed at 5-11 but plays much bigger. She is very athletic, jumps high and has long limbs. She'll give us a lot of depth in the outside position as well as stability on defense and passing.”
Grattan, a 6-0 outside hitter, led her Mt. Lebanon team to section and league championships this past fall. She served as team captain and was an all-league first team honoree. Grattan has received high honors academically throughout her high school career, and is a member of the National Honor Society. She plans to major in biology at Temple. Grattan's sister, Olivia, currently plays volleyball for Quinnipiac University.
Grattan also plays for Mizuno Renaissance Volleyball Club in Pittsburgh, for coaches John Romano and Brian Begor.
“Caroline played in the middle just two years ago, so that really helps her on the outside with her transition footwork,” said Ganes. “She is a true 6-foot outside hitter which gives us height, especially with our blocking game. She's also a 6-rotaton player who can play in the back row as well, which gives us stability on defense and especially in passing.”
Overton is a 6-0 middle blocker who broke four school records in her high school career, and was a two-time all-league first team selection as well as an all-state honoree her senior year. Overton's team went 23-6-2 in 2012, and she earned team MVP honors for a second year in a row. Her school records include 212 career blocks and 602 career kills. When Overton was named to the all-league first team as a junior, it was the first time a Spring-Ford High School player had earned the honor.
As a member of Coach Rich Johnson's Synergy Volleyball club team based out of Philadelphia, Overton won the 2012 USAV Junior National Championship, marking the first time an east coast club team had ever won the national title.
“Kristen is a very exciting player to watch,” said Ganes. “She's very, very athletic. She is really gifted physically and is someone who basically jumps out of the gym. Her lateral movement is very quick so that really helps her to be a good blocker. Her transition footwork is already very sufficient. We're really excited about her because she's going to give us a lot of athleticism in the middle which we're looking forward to.”
“I'm very excited about the recruiting class for 2013,” said Ganes. “All three come from very established and high-caliber club teams. They are very athletic and I expect a lot from them right away. I think we're adding some size but also athleticism and skill to our program. The other quality they all have in common is they're very competitive which really fits in very nicely with our program and our philosophy. All three perform highly on the academic side as well which is a big plus for us.”
Davis, a 5-11 outside and right side hitter, was a two-time all-league first team selection and two-time Team MVP for Xavier College Prep in Palm Desert, Calif. She led her team to a 15-1 record with 208 kills in the fall of 2012, earning her fourth varsity letter in the sport. She is an honor roll student and has won awards for having a GPA above 4.0. Davis comes from quite an athletic family. Her father, John Davis, pitched five seasons for major league baseball teams, and her grandfather played in the NBA.
Davis also plays for 951 Elite Volleyball club out of southern California, for coaches Dennis Palpallatoc and Jon Mosbacher, who was a former volunteer assistant coach for the Owls.
“Tyler is a very established and all-around type of player,” said Ganes. “She is listed at 5-11 but plays much bigger. She is very athletic, jumps high and has long limbs. She'll give us a lot of depth in the outside position as well as stability on defense and passing.”
Grattan, a 6-0 outside hitter, led her Mt. Lebanon team to section and league championships this past fall. She served as team captain and was an all-league first team honoree. Grattan has received high honors academically throughout her high school career, and is a member of the National Honor Society. She plans to major in biology at Temple. Grattan's sister, Olivia, currently plays volleyball for Quinnipiac University.
Grattan also plays for Mizuno Renaissance Volleyball Club in Pittsburgh, for coaches John Romano and Brian Begor.
“Caroline played in the middle just two years ago, so that really helps her on the outside with her transition footwork,” said Ganes. “She is a true 6-foot outside hitter which gives us height, especially with our blocking game. She's also a 6-rotaton player who can play in the back row as well, which gives us stability on defense and especially in passing.”
Overton is a 6-0 middle blocker who broke four school records in her high school career, and was a two-time all-league first team selection as well as an all-state honoree her senior year. Overton's team went 23-6-2 in 2012, and she earned team MVP honors for a second year in a row. Her school records include 212 career blocks and 602 career kills. When Overton was named to the all-league first team as a junior, it was the first time a Spring-Ford High School player had earned the honor.
As a member of Coach Rich Johnson's Synergy Volleyball club team based out of Philadelphia, Overton won the 2012 USAV Junior National Championship, marking the first time an east coast club team had ever won the national title.
“Kristen is a very exciting player to watch,” said Ganes. “She's very, very athletic. She is really gifted physically and is someone who basically jumps out of the gym. Her lateral movement is very quick so that really helps her to be a good blocker. Her transition footwork is already very sufficient. We're really excited about her because she's going to give us a lot of athleticism in the middle which we're looking forward to.”
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