Photo by: Kyle Calzia / Cal Poly Athletics
Cal Poly Beach Volleyball Signs Five Players to NLI’s
11/14/2023 12:51:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly beach volleyball head coach Todd Rogers announced that five recruits have signed with the Mustangs to continue their athletic and academic careers at Cal Poly. All five will arrive on campus in the fall of 2024.
The signees include Hannah Byers (Olympia, WA), Sadie Jeffrey (Santa Cruz, CA), Haylee LaFontaine (Huntington Beach, CA), Elise Lenahan (Seal Beach, CA), and Summer Witherby (Huntington Beach, CA)
More about the signees:
Hannah Byers
Olympia, WA
Byers has been playing for Dakine Volleyball Club for the past seven years on both the indoor and beach volleyball side. On the beach side, she was selected for the USA Volleyball national training development team in 2019, 2022, and 2023. She also received JVA Best in Beach honors in both 2021 and 2023.
Also an outstanding indoor volleyball player, she received All-League honors all four years while playing at Olympia High School and broke her school's record for most kills in a match this past season.
Coach Rogers comment: "I'm excited to announce the signing of Hannah Byers from Olympia, Washington! Hannah plays for Dakine Beach Volleyball Club out of the Tacoma/Seattle area and will be joining several Dakine players on our roster. Hannah is an exceptional blocker not only with her height (6'2) but her eyework, footwork and hand positioning. I'm looking forward to seeing Hannah put her stamp on our program as a Mustang!"
Sadie Jeffrey
Santa Cruz, CA
A well-rounded athlete, Jeffrey has played indoor and beach volleyball, in addition to basketball and soccer at Santa Cruz High School. She helped her beach team to a league title in 2022 and her indoor team to a league title in 2022.
She comes from an extremely athletic family as many of her relatives played collegiate sports. Her dad played basketball at Air Force, her mom did gymnastics at UCSB, her grandfather played football at Iowa State, her brother played volleyball at UC Santa Cruz, and her aunt, Jennifer Loftis, played volleyball at Cal Poly.
Coach Rogers comment: "Sadie is arguably one of the most versatile and well-rounded athletes we have ever committed! She plays everything including basketball, soccer, surfing, swimming, is a lifeguard as well as indoor and beach volleyball. She hails from Beach Dreams in Santa Cruz and joins several current Cal Poly pIayers from that club. I truly am looking forward to seeing where Sadie can go in the sport of beach volleyball when she gets to Cal Poly and focuses all her athletic talents on beach volleyball."
Haylee LaFontaine
Huntington Beach, CA
LaFontaine has played both indoor and beach volleyball at Huntington Beach High School. On the sand, she has won U16's Best of the Beach and was named JVA Best in Beach. She also won an AAU National Championship while playing for Spiker Beach Volleyball Club.
On the indoor side, she was named her league's MVP, All-CIF, and the Daily Pilot Dream Team Player of the Year.
Coach Rogers comment: "Haylee hails from Spiker Beach Volleyball Club down in Huntington Beach where she trains with four-time Olympian Jake Gibb. Fans will enjoy watching Haylee hit as she has an incredibly strong arm swing and one of the best jump spin serves I have ever seen at the high school level. It is a major weapon that will be very effective at the collegiate level as well."
Elise Lenahan
Seal Beach, CA
Lenahan has played three years of beach volleyball and two years of indoor volleyball at Los Alamitos High School. She's been a two-time First Team All-Sunset League selection in beach volleyball.
She's also been for the USA Volleyball national development training team. She earned her AAA rating in 2022, had 12 top-three finishes in AAU tournaments in 2022 and 2023, and finished second at the AVP Juniors West Coast Championships in 2022. In addition, she's won 11 CBVA tournaments and won a national championship with MBSand Club in 2023.
Coach Rogers comment: "Elise is a highflyer on the sand and in the classroom and for the third year in a row a top recruit is coming to us from Patty Dodd at MBSand Beach Club down in Manhattan Beach. She is a 5'9" split blocker that can legitimately fulfill both the blocking and defensive roles on the beach court with her jump and quickness. I am really looking forward to coaching such a versatile athlete as it should be a lot of fun to watch her growth as a Mustang!"
Summer Witherby
Huntington Beach, CA
Witherby's been All-CIF, Sunset League MVP, and First Team All-Sunset League while playing at Edison High School. She's played both indoor and beach volleyball there.
On the club side, she's played for Spiker Beach Volleyball Club, winning the P1440 West Coast Championship in 2022. She also took second at the 2022 AAU Junior Olympics.
Coach Rogers comment: "Summer is a dynamic all-around athlete who plays for Jake Gibb at Spiker Beach Volleyball Club in Huntington Beach. She has a very strong work ethic and is driven both on and off the court to be the best. She is quick, fast, jumps well and can fill both the blocker or a tall defender role at 6 feet in height. I'm looking forward to welcoming Summer into the program next fall!"
The signees include Hannah Byers (Olympia, WA), Sadie Jeffrey (Santa Cruz, CA), Haylee LaFontaine (Huntington Beach, CA), Elise Lenahan (Seal Beach, CA), and Summer Witherby (Huntington Beach, CA)
More about the signees:
Hannah Byers
Olympia, WA
Byers has been playing for Dakine Volleyball Club for the past seven years on both the indoor and beach volleyball side. On the beach side, she was selected for the USA Volleyball national training development team in 2019, 2022, and 2023. She also received JVA Best in Beach honors in both 2021 and 2023.
Also an outstanding indoor volleyball player, she received All-League honors all four years while playing at Olympia High School and broke her school's record for most kills in a match this past season.
Coach Rogers comment: "I'm excited to announce the signing of Hannah Byers from Olympia, Washington! Hannah plays for Dakine Beach Volleyball Club out of the Tacoma/Seattle area and will be joining several Dakine players on our roster. Hannah is an exceptional blocker not only with her height (6'2) but her eyework, footwork and hand positioning. I'm looking forward to seeing Hannah put her stamp on our program as a Mustang!"
Sadie Jeffrey
Santa Cruz, CA
A well-rounded athlete, Jeffrey has played indoor and beach volleyball, in addition to basketball and soccer at Santa Cruz High School. She helped her beach team to a league title in 2022 and her indoor team to a league title in 2022.
She comes from an extremely athletic family as many of her relatives played collegiate sports. Her dad played basketball at Air Force, her mom did gymnastics at UCSB, her grandfather played football at Iowa State, her brother played volleyball at UC Santa Cruz, and her aunt, Jennifer Loftis, played volleyball at Cal Poly.
Coach Rogers comment: "Sadie is arguably one of the most versatile and well-rounded athletes we have ever committed! She plays everything including basketball, soccer, surfing, swimming, is a lifeguard as well as indoor and beach volleyball. She hails from Beach Dreams in Santa Cruz and joins several current Cal Poly pIayers from that club. I truly am looking forward to seeing where Sadie can go in the sport of beach volleyball when she gets to Cal Poly and focuses all her athletic talents on beach volleyball."
Haylee LaFontaine
Huntington Beach, CA
LaFontaine has played both indoor and beach volleyball at Huntington Beach High School. On the sand, she has won U16's Best of the Beach and was named JVA Best in Beach. She also won an AAU National Championship while playing for Spiker Beach Volleyball Club.
On the indoor side, she was named her league's MVP, All-CIF, and the Daily Pilot Dream Team Player of the Year.
Coach Rogers comment: "Haylee hails from Spiker Beach Volleyball Club down in Huntington Beach where she trains with four-time Olympian Jake Gibb. Fans will enjoy watching Haylee hit as she has an incredibly strong arm swing and one of the best jump spin serves I have ever seen at the high school level. It is a major weapon that will be very effective at the collegiate level as well."
Elise Lenahan
Seal Beach, CA
Lenahan has played three years of beach volleyball and two years of indoor volleyball at Los Alamitos High School. She's been a two-time First Team All-Sunset League selection in beach volleyball.
She's also been for the USA Volleyball national development training team. She earned her AAA rating in 2022, had 12 top-three finishes in AAU tournaments in 2022 and 2023, and finished second at the AVP Juniors West Coast Championships in 2022. In addition, she's won 11 CBVA tournaments and won a national championship with MBSand Club in 2023.
Coach Rogers comment: "Elise is a highflyer on the sand and in the classroom and for the third year in a row a top recruit is coming to us from Patty Dodd at MBSand Beach Club down in Manhattan Beach. She is a 5'9" split blocker that can legitimately fulfill both the blocking and defensive roles on the beach court with her jump and quickness. I am really looking forward to coaching such a versatile athlete as it should be a lot of fun to watch her growth as a Mustang!"
Summer Witherby
Huntington Beach, CA
Witherby's been All-CIF, Sunset League MVP, and First Team All-Sunset League while playing at Edison High School. She's played both indoor and beach volleyball there.
On the club side, she's played for Spiker Beach Volleyball Club, winning the P1440 West Coast Championship in 2022. She also took second at the 2022 AAU Junior Olympics.
Coach Rogers comment: "Summer is a dynamic all-around athlete who plays for Jake Gibb at Spiker Beach Volleyball Club in Huntington Beach. She has a very strong work ethic and is driven both on and off the court to be the best. She is quick, fast, jumps well and can fill both the blocker or a tall defender role at 6 feet in height. I'm looking forward to welcoming Summer into the program next fall!"
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