Photo Credit: Josh Brenner
Press Release: SAN MARCOS, TX — Alyssa Clark, Alyssa Ortega and Jade Defraeye have joined the Texas State volleyball program as part of the Bobcats’ 2022 recruiting class, head coach Sean Huiet announced Thursday afternoon.
Clark, a 5-foot-3 libero out of Round Rock, Texas by way of Cedar Ridge High School, was a first-team all-district selection as a senior as well as an AVCA All-District Region 4 honoree following her final prep season. She concluded her high school career with over 1,000 career digs and also set her high school’s single-match record with 41 digs. She was also a four-time academic honor roll selection and a member of both the National and Spanish Honor Society.
“We are really excited to add Alyssa (Clark) into this recruiting class,” Huiet said. “She came to camp last summer and really impressed the coaching staff. She is very fast and makes defensive plays that our fans are going to love to watch. I expect, with her speed and high-level defense, to challenge for a spot right out of the gate.”
Ortega, a 5-foot-5 libero out of San Antonio, Texas by way of San Antonio Churchill High School, arrives in San Marcos after initially signing with Stephen F. Austin and playing with the Lumberjacks during the 2021 season, when she appeared in 64 sets throughout 21 matches and was credited with 259 digs, 20 service aces, 56 assists and five kills. While at San Antonio Churchill, Ortega was recognized on the VYPE 2020 All-American Watch list and played club volleyball for the San Antonio Magic.
“I have known Alyssa (Ortega) for a long time as we recruited her out of high school,” Huiet said. “She got a lot of playing time at SFA, so her court experience will help in that position with the loss of Brooke Johnson and Kayla Granado. Alyssa (Ortega) was with us all spring, so it was good for her to get used to our system and she’s been a great addition to our backrow players.”
Defraeye, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker, comes to Texas from Dunkirk, France, where she’s a two-year starting middle blocker for the France Avenir 2024 team in the French First league. She’s a member of the French senior national team and is set to be on the Olympic roster for the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. Defraeye helped her squad finish sixth at the Senior European tournament in 2021-22 after finishing fourth at the Junior European tournament two years earlier. She helped her program win the Western European Volleyball Zona Association (WEVZA) U17 and U16 championships in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
“Jade will be our first interntional player and we look forward to getting her on campus in August,” Huiet said. “She is a member of the French national team and her international playing experience is going to be a big plus for us. Jade is long and plays high above the net. Once she learns our system and speed of the game, she is going to be a really special player for us.”
Texas State, which played for its fifth consecutive Sun Belt championship last season, will begin its bid for a sixth straight appearance when the Bobcats open the 2022 season on Friday, Aug. 26 against Houston Baptist in San Antonio.
Volleyball program recognized by USMC/AVCA for academic success
LEXINGTON, KY — Texas State volleyball was awarded the United States Marine Corps and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (USMC/AVCA) Team Academic Award for its academic success during the 2021-22 school year, the AVCA announced.
Texas State, which played for its fifth consecutive Sun Belt Conference championship last season, was one of seven volleyball programs within the conference — Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Little Rock, South Alabama, Troy, ULM — to be recognized by the USMC/AVCA for in-the-classroom success throughout the 2021-21 academic calendar.
“For our student-athletes to be able to juggle the high demands that come with playing collegiate volleyball — and do it all so well on and off the court — it really speaks volumes about everyone who has a hand in making this program run as smoothly as it does every year,” said Texas State volleyball head coach Sean Huiet. “This was a team honor so it took everyone being involved and I’m just so proud of this program for all its success.”
The award, initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average (GPA) of 3.3-or-higher on a 4.0 scale or a 4.1 on a 5.0 scale. A total of 215 Division I volleyball programs were honored for its academic success throughout the 2021-22 academic year.
“Academic achievement does not happen by accident,” said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “I’m so proud of the hundreds of coaching staffs that make excellence in the classroom a priority.”
For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasStateVball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. General athletic news can also be at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
