The UGA women’s volleyball 2017 roster continues to take shape with the additions of Brynn Chandler, Dalaney Hans, Erin McNamara and Claire Rothenberger per Head Coach Tom Black.
With these additions, Georgia has seven newcomers so far for the 2017 campaign. Early enrollee and Region Player of the Year T’ara Ceasar, All-American libero Kendall Glover and AVCA Top 100 Senior Ace Rachel Ritchie will also be new to the roster for next season.
Born in Atlanta while her dad, Chris, played for the Falcons, Chandler now hails from San Diego, California, where she played for Torrey Pines High School. The setter guided her team to the national rankings as well as finishing third at the state tournament and winning the team’s league title three different years. A FloVolleyball Third-Team All-American and All-CIF San Diego Section honoree, Chandler led Coast Volleyball Club to its seventh appearance at the USA Junior Nationals. Her previous club team, Wave Volleyball, went to Junior Nationals six time and finished ninth or better each year while medaling in three.
“Brynn is a savvy volleyball player who can help our team in multiple ways, both as a setter and in the backrow with her ball control skills,” Black said. “Her ability to locate is impressive as is her overall volleyball IQ on the court. She has played for and been coached by the best club teams in San Diego, and brings a great energy and maturity to her teammates. We cannot wait to add to her team this fall.”
A Marietta, Georgia, native, Hans saw Walton High School earn three state titles during her career, as she garnered All-America honors from MaxPreps, PrepVolleyball and the AVCA. The 2017 Georgia High School Player of the Year, Hans was named a finalist for the PrepVolleyball Andi Collins Award, awarded to the nation’s best setter. A three-time All-State selection, Hans also earned the 2016 Cobb County High School Player of the Year as well as a spot on PrepVolleyball’s Senior Aces and National Player of the Year finalists. A member of A5 Volleyball Club, her teams took home a bronze medal at the AAU 14 Open and fifth place at the USAV 17 Open.
“Delaney was a huge and surprising get for us,” Black said. “She will be ready to compete right away. We were so impressed with her ability to set with speed from all over the court, as well as the composure she shows in always making the contact in front of her better than the one she received. She is a great teammate and plays with a fire that is contagious throughout the court. Her coaches have prepared her very well. We are as excited as she is to get her on campus with us.”
McNamara joins the Bulldogs from Hagerty High School where she played on the varsity and beach volleyball team all four years. The middle blocker guided her team to back-to-back district titles in her last two seasons while she was named MVP her junior year as well as captain and Leader of the Pack Award recipient her senior year. The Winter Park, Florida, native played for the Orlando Volleyball Academy for four years before moving over to Top Select. This year, McNamara and her squad placed fifth at USAV Nationals and have been in at least the semifinals of every tournament played. Prior, McNamara’s teams had finished third at two AAU Nationals and fifth at USAV Nationals while McNamara earned All-America honors.
“Erin has a ton of potential because she can be a complete middle blocker,” said Black. “She has the potential to hit with power both in front and behind the setter, as well as the ability to be a very effective blocker. She wants it and she’s focused to be the very best player and person she can be. You can feel her desire to be great when you’re around her, which excited us most about her. Her coaches have done a great job preparing her and she’ll come to us ready to hit the ground running.”
Rothenberger comes to Athens from Aurora, Illinois, as a two-time DVC All-Conference, Beacon News All-Area and Naperville Sun All-Area honoree for Metea Valley High School. Holding the career and single-season digs record, the libero and team captain led her squad to record wins in 2016 on her way to an honorable mention spot on the Daily Herald All-Area Team. Rothenberger played seven years for Sports Performance Volleyball Club where her team placed first at the AAU National Championship. An AAU All-American and MVP, Rothenberger’s teams also have a third-place finish at the JVA World Championships and a fifth-place finish at the AAU National Championship.
“Claire’s commitment rounded out this talented class in a great way. She is highly disciplined and plays with a repeatability in her movements that can only come from someone who has trained at a high level for a long period of time. She will bring great depth at the libero position and is an extremely high-caliber person. Claire will be a great fit for our program and contribute for many years to come.”