Alva Review-Courier -

Northwestern Oklahoma State head volleyball coach Jeremy Whitehas announced the addition of several new players that figure to make an immediate impact during his first season at the helm this fall.

The players are: Kaitlyn Robinson, a 5-foot-9 setter/opposite from Jewett, Texas; Lauren Symington, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter/middle blocker from Peoria, Arizona; McKenna Carlton, a 5-foot-9 opposite from Lakewood, Colorado; Mallory Richardson, a 6-foot-0 middle blocker from Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Brooklynn Hesson, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter from Porter, Texas.

Robinson will join the Ranger volleyball program following a storied career at Leon High School in which she was a member of a state champion team in 2015, as well as two state semifinalist teams during her career. Along the way she collected numerous accolades including being named the state tournament MVP as well as being placed onto the 3A All-State Team. Kaitlyn also excelled in the classroom, where she was a member of the National Honor Society as well as being named Academic All-District all four years. She plans on majoring in pre-pharmacy while attending Northwestern and enjoys painting and kayaking during her free time.

“Kaitlyn is a game-changing setter who also brings the ability to swing it. She's a very accomplished player with a state championship and two state semi-finals under her belt to go along with a plethora of individual awards, the most recent being named the 1A-4A Athlete of the Year for the state of Texas. She is also an excellent student who will do great things in the classroom. Kaitlyn will make an immediate impact on Ranger Volleyball,” said Coach White.

Symington will make her way over to Alva following a successful prep career at Sunrise Mountain High School in Peoria, Arizona, in which she served as the team captain of the section champion Mustang volleyball team. She was named 1st Team All-District as well as Honorable Mention All-State for coach Bob Levardo, and was awarded the Spirit Award for her team as well. Lauren will bring with her a strong athletic pedigree as both her mother and father competed at the collegiate level for Spring Arbor University.

“Lauren is a great athlete out of Arizona, who brings size, versatility and academic excellence to our program. She is a big, strong athlete who can play anywhere in the front row. The thing I felt that stands out the most about her is a personality and leadership capabilities. She will be a great addition to Ranger Volleyball and Northwestern as a whole,” said Coach White.

Carlton will bring a versatile attack to the Ranger offense following her career as a D'Evelyn High School Jaguar. She improved every season during her high school career, earning Honorable Mention All-Conference her sophomore season, Second Team All-Conference her junior season, and concluded her senior campaign with a First Team All-Conference selection. Her stellar final season earned her a spot in the CCGS All-State Game, while leading her team to their fourth consecutive appearance in regionals. McKenna's off the court presence will be felt during her time in Alva as well, as she was awarded the Interact Citizenship Award and plans to major in Health and Sports Science during her time as a Ranger.

“McKenna is kind of the cherry on top for this recruiting class. I got an email late about this really athletic lefty out of Denver, and I was like, 'Sure. We will take a look.' We got her in our gym on her visit and were pleasantly surprised to say the least. She's going to give us a different dynamic having two bouncy lefties on the roster who can swing at a high level,” said Coach White.

Richardson will bring a wealth of athleticism and length to the Rangers volleyball program. Her athletic prowess was a key part of her Rampart High School Rams squad that made the playoffs all four years during her career. Her athletic ability stems from her father Lamar, who played collegiate basketball at Arizona State University, and then moved on to the professional ranks.

“Mallory is a very athletic middle with an extremely high ceiling out of Colorado Springs who really excels at the net. Her length and athleticism fit well with what we are looking for in our middles, and I expect great things out of her as she continues to develop,” said Coach White.

Hesson will join coach White's program after one season at both Panola College and Trinity Valley Community College. She will bring experience at the collegiate level as well as a multi-faceted attack to the court. Brooklynn ranked in the top 50 in the NJCAA in kills per set (3.13) on her to way to being named to the All-Region Team for Region 14.

“Brooklynn comes to us out of TVCC, where she was an All-Region player in one of the toughest regions in JUCO volleyball. She is a six-rotation outside with all the tools to compete for a starting position right away. Brooklynn and I have a little history as we had recruited her to play at Lamar State prior to the program being dropped, so signing her to play for Northwestern seems like fate,” said Coach White.