SSU Volleyball Welcomes 10 Newcomers

August 1, 2008
SAVANNAH, Ga- Savannah State head women's volleyball coach Malik Jones will welcome 10 new faces to the program this year, which includes six from the metro Atlanta, Georgia area.

"I think we did a good job in bringing in the best available student-athletes," said Jones. "We concentrated on bringing in blockers and defensive specialist," he added.

Eight of the ten will be true freshmen while one is a red-shirt freshmen and another is a university sophomore who joins the team after running track last year.

The ten newcomers are Erica Demons (Ballard HS/Louisville, KY); De'Ann Dukes (Morrow HS/Morrow, GA); Saadia Gauthier (Camden County HS/Kingsland, GA); Jennifer Lowe (Frederick Douglass HS/Atlanta,GA); Shirritia Newton (South Cobb HS/Austell, GA); Nabori Perez (Luella HS/Locust Grove, GA); Ella Scott (Shawnee Mission North HS/Overland Park, KS); Shatice White (Morrow HS/Morrow, GA); Whitney Bullock (McEachern HS/Powder Springs, GA); and Katryna Williams (Banneker HS/College Park, GA).

Bullock is a red-shirt freshman and Williams was a part of the SSU women's track & field program a year ago.

Jones is also high on Bullock, who at 5-8 was a high school teammate of sophomore Brittnay Lewis. "We expect her to put up big numbers. She will help us out as a defensive specialist and outside hitter.

Demons and Dukes are both 5-4 and will be defensive specialist; Gauthier (5-2) will be a libero; Lowe (5-6) is a defensive specialist; Newton (5-10) is a middle/outside hitter; Scott (6-0) is a middle blocker; and Williams (5-3) is a defensive specialist.

The 10 newcomers will team up with two seniors (April Hayes and Kari Parker), two juniors (Shawanna McClain and Danielle Richardson) and two sophomores Keyandra Irvin and Lewis) to form the 2008 SSU women's volleyball squad.