Volleyball Signs Elite 2020 Class

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– Indiana volleyball head coach Steve Aird announced an eight-member signing class he feels has exceptional skills, character and the desire to raise the level of the program.

Coming to Bloomington in the class of 2020 will be: Leyla Blackwell (6-4, MB, La Jolla, Calif.), Savannah Kjolhede (6-3, MB, Colleyville, Texas), Elle Hillers (6-3, MB, Silverdale, Wash.), Morgan Geddes (6-2, OH, Grove City, Ohio), Tommi Stockham (6-2, OH, Las Vegas, Nev.), Grae Gosnell (5-11, OH, Mount Pleasant, S.C.), Britt Soudan (5-7, DS, Winnetka, Illinois) and Olivia Panepinto (5-9, Setter, Crown Point, Ind.).

"The 2020 class is exceptional and addresses many of the program's needs as we continue to build," IU head coach Steve Aird said. "We have acquired great size and skill, but most importantly we have acquired a group with exceptional character. Their resumes are solid and they received plenty of accolades and recognition, but that is not what is important to them. The group really, truly believes in where we are headed. They care about each other and they want Indiana to have massive success."

"I expect this group to do it right, every day," he added. I expect them to come early, stay late, care deeply about the program and give more than they get. Our program is being built on the foundation of gratitude and I know this group is appreciative of the opportunity. We are proud and excited about each and every one of them. We can't wait to get them on campus."

Leyla Blackwell
6-4 | Middle Blocker | La Jolla, Calif. | La Jolla High School

Blackwell On The Court Accolades
• 2019 Under Armour Third Team All-American
• PrepVolleyball.Com Senior Ace 59
• All-American in 17 Open Division at USAV Nationals with Coast Volleyball Club
• 822 kills and 349 blocks (201 solo blocks) in current high school career.

Blackwell Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Dan and Nicole Blackwell
• Interested in majoring in either Psychology or Business at Indiana
• Mother played volleyball collegiately at Georgetown, competed in the AVP and coached Leyla early in her volleyball career.

Blackwell on what made her choose Indiana University and the future of Indiana Volleyball
"I choose IU because of the amazing coaches, teammates and athletic and academic opportunities. It's an amazing chance to be on a team that plays in the best conference and be a part of a program that is building towards something great. I am excited to get to be part of building IU into being one of the best programs. The coaches, team and recruits all have a vision for where this team can go and I can't wait to see how far we go."

IU Head Coach Steve Aird on Blackwell
"Leyla is one of the top prep volleyball players in the country. I believe she will be a difference maker for our program. Her development over the last year has been incredible to watch and her commitment to becoming elite is clear. For as good as Leyla is as a volleyball player, she is an even better human being. Humble, happy and grateful matched with competitive and hard-working. We are excited to watch her develop at one of the nation's best club programs for another season. Her length, size and athleticism will make her a cornerstone of our program for years to come."

Savannah Kjolhede
6-3 | Middle Blocker/Opposite | Colleyville, Texas | Grapevine High School

Kjolhede On The Court Accolades
• 2019 Under Armour Honorable Mention All-American
• PrepVolleyball.Com Senior Ace 83
• 2X Open National Champion with Texas Advantage Club (15's and 17's)
• MVP of the Texas Girls Coaching Association 5-6A All-Star Game in 2019
• 1,231 kills while hitting .406 and 429 blocks (302 solo) in current high school career. She holds her school record for career hitting percentage and broke the all-time block record as a junior.

Kjolhede Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Jim and Kristine Kjolhede. Sister Lauren and Brother Jared.
• Played soccer, lacrosse, basketball, track and field and cross country before settling on volleyball.
• Intended major at IU is Kinesiology
• Does charity work and enjoys working with children (Member of National Charity League).
• Academic All-District all four year of high school

Kjolhede on what made her choose Indiana University and the future of Indiana Volleyball
"When I was choosing, it wasn't just academics, but I was looking for the best environment and IU checked all the boxes. Being part of Indiana Volleyball gives me an opportunity to play in the best conference in the nation with the best people in the nation. The recruits and staff have made my commitment to Indiana all I could have dreamed and I can't wait to be a part of building the program alongside these people who are winners at life."

IU Head Coach Steve Aird on Kjolhede
"Savannah comes to us from one of the elite club programs in the country. During her time at her club, they trusted her to take massive swings at massive moments in matches and that told me a great deal about her. She is long, athletic and quick off the ground. We feel she will develop into an elite blocker as her career develops. I believe she will also become a very competent offensive option for us. She wants the ball when it matters. We will be able to match her up all over the court as she can hit and defend from a variety of positions. Most importantly, she is a great teammate and a hard worker. I expect her to impact our program immediately."

Tommi Stockham
6-2 | Outside Hitter | Las Vegas, Nev. | Bishop Gorman High School

Stockham On The Court Accolades
• PrepVolleyball.Com Senior Ace 32
• 2018 Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year for Nevada
• 1,576 kills with a .398 hitting percentage, 215 blocks, 806 digs, 188 aces and counting in high school.
• AVCA All-Region 9
• 2017 and 2018 First Team All-State in Nevada
• 2X High School State Champion

Stockham Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Bob and Kari Stockham
• Accomplished Equestrian Champion
• Father is a former UNLV Quarterback and has been inducted into two hall of fames.
• Late grandfather Tom Wiesner is in the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame (Football, Boxing, Philanthropy).
• Brother Styles is a sophomore quarterback at Bishop Gorman and sister Zan plays volleyball.

Stockham on what made her choose Indiana University and the future of Indiana Volleyball
"I choose IU because I felt an instant family connection from both the staff and team. IU is about to be something so special."

IU Head Coach Steve Aird on Stockham
"Tommi is one of the elite outside hitters in the country. She possesses a tremendous arm, great volleyball IQ and the ability to play six rotations well. She has won many awards and accolades, but we firmly believe her best volleyball is well ahead of her. She is excited to train, develop and compete in the Big Ten. As one of the top prospects in the country, she had many options to continue her career. She firmly believes in what we are building here at IU and is up for the challenge. We believe she will be a huge part of our program and are excited about adding her to our family."

Elle Hillers
6-3 | Middle Blocker | Silverdale, Wash. | Curtis Senior High

Hillers On the Court Accolades
• 4X All-Conference Honoree
• .380 hitting percentage in senior year of high school
• High school team, two-time national qualifiers and two-time regional powerleague champions

Hillers Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Jill and Ken Bagwell and Ron Hillers. Two sisters, Kjersten and Abby.
• Intended major at IU is Business or Communications

Hillers on what made her choose Indiana University and the future of Indiana Volleyball
"I chose IU because it felt like home. The Hoosier Nation community is so welcoming and IU has amazing academic opportunities. I could not pass up an opportunity to play Big Ten volleyball for the best coaches in the nation, surrounded by an amazing group of athletes, in the most beautiful athletic facilities I have ever seen. I am excited to be part of building an elite culture. I want Indiana volleyball to be recognized as one of the most elite and competitive programs in the country. I'm excited to put in the work and see what comes out of it."

IU Head Coach Steve Aird on Hillers
"Elle comes to IU with plenty of upside and a desire to learn. She is a very humble, kind and giving person who will come to work every day, ready to go, with a great attitude. She has the size and length that will allow her to be a physical presence at the net. We feel she will become a strong blocker very quickly and continue to work on her offensive game. I am certain she will be the first one in the gym and the last one to leave. She is a great teammate that will make our entire ecosystem better."

Morgan Geddes
6-2 | Outside Hitter | Grove City, Ohio | Central Crossing High School

Geddes On The Court Accolades
• Among the PrepVolleyball.Com Senior Ace 150
• 608 kills, 82 aces, 333 digs in her career at Central Crossing
• 2018 All-OCC Central First Team Selection

Geddes Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Kelly and Jeff Geddes. Sister Brooke.
• Intended major at IU is Exercise Science

Geddes on what made her choose Indiana University and the future of Indiana Volleyball
"IU provides athletes with everything needed to be successful academically and athletically and the coaches staff and facilities are amazing. I am excited to be able to compete in the Big Ten and be surrounded by amazing teammates and help this program reach its fullest potential."

IU Head Coach Steve Aird on Geddes
"Morgan is a player that we have been very excited about for a long time. We feel she has tremendous upside. An explosive and easy jumper, she can hit from both pins at some extreme angles. The next step for her will be acquiring experience and strength, but that will come in time. She can serve, pass, defend and has a very good feel for the game. We have seen such dramatic improvement in her game over the last 12 months. She has a very fun personality that makes her easy to be around, but also highly competitive. We are confident she will develop into an excellent player in our program."

Grae Gosnell
5-11 | Outside Hitter | Mount Pleasant, S.C. | Wando High School

Gosnell On The Court Accolades
• 1,363 career kills and 840 career digs at Wando High School
• Ranked second in all of the S.C. High School League in kills in 2019
• Recorded a match-high 21 kills in three sets to lead her team to victory in the second round of the Class 5A volleyball state playoffs.
• Helped lead team to 4X Class 5A Region Championship, 3X Class 5A Lower State Championship and 3X Class 5A South Carolina State Championship.
• Also lettered in Track and Field and Swimming
• Fourth generation Division I Athlete

Gosnell Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of David and Betsy Gosnell. Sisters Carson and Daley and brother Mace.
• Is an All-State Singer, opening the National Qualifier in the SouthEast by singing the National Anthem.
• Advanced level Martial Artist and All-State Swimmer
• Intended major at IU is Medicine

Gosnell on what made her choose Indiana University and the future of Indiana Volleyball
"I chose Indiana because of the positive atmosphere and inspiring people I know I will be surrounded by. The coaches and players that I have talked to and that have welcomed me into IU are absolutely amazing and they make me feel I am part of their family. I am excited to play against the best competition in the game of volleyball. I am excited for the opportunity to surpass my coaches expectations and to be part of a program that is getting increasingly stronger and better."

IU Head Coach Steve Aird on Gosnell
"Grae has a different energy. Upon first seeing Grae, our staff quickly identified that we need her in our program. Not to undervalue her volleyball skills, but she is the type of human being and competitor that makes every organization better. She is a very hard worker, will push everyone around her and will be committed to the team's success well before her own. She has a live arm, great defensive instincts and can pass the ball. She will impact our program in a variety of ways and we are thrilled she chose IU."

Britt Soudan
5-7 | Defensive Specialist | Winnetka, Illinois | New Trier High School

Soudan On The Court Accolades
• All-Conference and All-Area Honorable Mention 2018
• Helped team to Conference Championships in 2018 and 2019
• Ranked No. 10 player in the state of Illinois for 2020 by Prepdig

Soudan Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Bob and Jennifer Soudan. Sister Bergen and brother Bobby.
• Brother and sister are both currently enrolled at Indiana University
• Intended major at IU is Marketing and Sustainable Business
• Also lettered in high school in Hockey

Soudan on what made her choose Indiana University and the future of Indiana Volleyball
"When I first attended summer camp in 2018, I knew IU was the right fit. I fell in love with the atmosphere of the gym and culture that was being built. The coaching staff including some of the most impressive people I have ever met and they possess everything I strive to be. I knew IU will give me every opportunity to succeed both academically and athletically and I am beyond excited to be part of it. I am most excited to compete in the Big Ten and build up the volleyball program to the potential I know it can reach. IU provides everything athletes need to be successful, so it is going to be a fun process to put in the work to get there."

IU Head Coach Steve Aird on Soudan
"Britt is a competitive and steady defensive player with great leadership skills. She has had a fantastic prep and high school career and will bring great skill and energy to our backcourt. We feel she can defend and serve at a very high level that will make our program better. IU is a special place to her and her family. She is excited to join her brother and sister as students at Indiana in the fall."

Olivia Panepinto
5-9 | Setter | Crown Point, Ind. | Crown Point High School

Panepinto On The Court Accolades
• AAU All-American
• AVCA Phenom College Prep Athlete
• 2X Under Armour All-American Watch List
• Helped team to 2016, 2017 State Runner-Up Performance
• 2016-19 DAC Undefeated Conference Champions
• 3X, Sectional Champions, 3X Regional Champions, 2X Semi-State Champions
• 2019 AAU Runner-Ups

Panepinto Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of John and Tina Panepinto. Brother Nolan and Sister Alayna.
• Used to be a competitive dancer before she picked up volleyball.
• Intended major at IU is Management
• Brother Nolan is a student at IU.

Panepinto on what made her choose Indiana University and the future of Indiana Volleyball
"Having the ability to represent my hometown state of Indiana is an honor. I wanted to choose a school there would inspire me to be the best student-athlete possible. Besides the excitement of competing at the Big Ten level, the atmosphere and spirit on this team is like no other. From the players and the coaches to the fans, the constant sense of camaraderie is something I am eagerly looking forward to."

IU Head Coach Steve Aird on Panepinto
"Olivia is a talented and competitive setter that will give us much needed depth at the position. A 4-year captain of her high school program, she has tremendous leadership qualities. She has a good feel for running an offense and will quickly learn our system. She can serve and defend and will add value in a variety of areas. When you build any program, you need selfless players that are excited about contributing in any way they can. She is tough, competitive and excited to join our team."

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