Volleyball Signs Four

Fifteenth-year head coach Jing Pu announced today the signing of four student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent (NLI) for the 2011 season. Outside hitters Nicolette Serratore, Andrea Fisher and middle blockers Maggie Darling and Kelsey Bates have committed to join the Orange in August.

A native of Oakville, Ontario, Serratore brings six years volleyball experience as both an outside and right side hitter at Ste-Famille High School. An all-around athlete with tremendous physical height and jumping ability, Serratore furthered her volleyball experience with the Defensa Volleyball Club, guiding the team to the 2009 Ontario Provincial Championship and fifth-place national finish.

Fisher is a club teammate of Serratore who hails from Burlington,

Ontario and is a four-sport athlete at Assumption Catholic Secondary School. As a senior, Fisher helped guide the Crusaders to a Halton Secondary School Athletic Association (HSSAA) silver medal while garnering team MVP honors. She also helped the junior squad to an HSSAA silver medal while garnering junior MVP honors in 2008.
Fisher furthered her volleyball experience with the Defensa Volleyball Club and 18U Team Ontario. In 2010, Defensa Volleyball Club placed second at the Ontario Provincial Championships and earned a fifth-place national finish. Fisher also helped the team capture the 2009 Ontario Provincial Championship and finish fifth nationally. As a member of Team Ontario, she led the team to a National Team Cup Challenge Championship while garnering tournament MVP honors.

A middle blocker out of Limehouse, Ontario, Darling led the Georgetown District Rebels to the OFSAA Finals during her junior season. A captain in both her junior and senior seasons, Darling furthered her volleyball experience with the Georgetown Impact club team as a setter and middle blocker from 2008-10 alongside current Syracuse middle blocker Lindsay McCabe. Darling also competed with the Region Three volleyball program as a middle blocker in 2009 and 2010.

Bates is a four-year letter winner for the Parkway High School, where she led the

Panthers to a regional championship and Division III State Finals appearance with a 23-6 overall record. During her senior season, Bates averaged 3.9 kills per set and 1.0 blocks per set, amassing 360 kills with a school-record .520 attack percentage. A senior captain, she earned District 8 All-Star recognition, was a two-time All-MAC selection and was named to the All-Ohio Third Team in 2010. Bates furthered her volleyball experience as a member of Team Atlantis where she helped the club capture the bronze at nationals in Reno, Nevada.

Syracuse finished the 2010 season with a 23-9 overall record, just missing qualifying for its fourth-straight BIG EAST Championship. The squad opened the season with a program-record 17-0 win streak, completed an undefeated non-conference schedule and won out against New York State teams for the second time in as many years.

Syracuse University Athletics

Related News

Related Videos