Nov. 11, 2009

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Marist volleyball head coach Tom Hanna announced on Wednesday that setter Audra Brady, middle blocker Gabby Lutjen, and left side hitter Grace Hill have signed National Letters of Intent to play volleyball at Marist starting in the 2010 season. The three players will all come to Marist after highly successful high school and club careers.

"This group of student-athletes will be vital to our future success," said Hanna. "They have the talent and experience to help take our program to the next level and be a contender in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference year in and year out. They'll also enhance our already strong academic performance as a team."

Audra Brady - Setter - 5-9 - Allentown, Pa. - Allentown Central Catholic HS/Synergy

Brady is a four-year setter for Allentown Central Catholic, leading the team to three straight 3A state title matches and is still in the running for a fourth appearance. After finishing the 2006 season as state runners-up, Central Catholic won the 3A title in 2007 and 2008. During her career, Brady led Central Catholic to four district championships and three Lehigh Valley Conference championships. Brady was named All-State in 2008 and was selected to the State Championship All-Tournament Team that year as well. In 2009, Brady has been a First Team All-Conference and All-District setter.

Hanna on Brady: "Audra is a solid setter who has developed nicely over the last two years. Her experience winning state championships at Central Catholic and playing at a high level with Synergy will only help our program continue to take major strides forward. I'm extremely excited that Audra chose Marist over a number of other solid schools and volleyball programs."

Gabby Lutjen - Middle Blocker - 6-2 - Smithtown, N.Y. - Smithtown West HS/Island Academy Volleyball Club

Lutjen was recently invited to the 2009 USA Volleyball Junior National Team Holiday Camp that will be held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. this December. She also participated at the USA Volleyball Youth National Team Training Camp in 2008. Lutjen has played for the USA Youth and Junior A2 National Teams over the last two summers, winning a gold medal in 2008 at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships in the Junior International Division. She attended the 2007 USA Volleyball Select Developmental A1 Camp. Lutjen also played for the Garden Empire High Performance Team in 2006 and 2007. She was All-County and All-District in 2007 and 2008 for Smithtown West.

Hanna on Lutjen: "Gabby comes to Marist with a tremendous amount of experience at a high level of play. She has a lot of experience with USA Volleyball over the last few seasons that program will benefit from greatly. Her training at The Island Volleyball Academy has prepared her well to be a successful player in college and beyond. Gabby is a true student-athlete who excels in the classroom and on the court."

Grace Hill - Left Side Hitter - 6-0 - Portage, Mich. - Portage Northern HS/Dead Frog Volleyball Club

Hill is one of 10 finalists for Miss Volleyball in Michigan in 2009, an award given to the top high school player in the state. She has been an All-Conference and All-Region player in each of her first three seasons in high school. Hill was an Honorable Mention All-State performer in 2006. She was then a Second Team All-State selection in 2007 and 2008. Hill is also a member of National Honor Society.

Hanna on Hill: "Grace is another top flight student-athlete coming into our program. She'll be extremely successful for us on the court and in the classroom. Her experience at a traditionally strong high school program like Portage Northern, combined with the great training and competition with Dead Frog, will be a terrific asset to our program. Grace will be on eof the more physical left side hitters in the conference over the next four years."

Marist is currently 16-11 on the 2009 season, 10-6 in the MAAC with two matches remaining in the regular season. The Red Foxes are currently holding the fourth seed for the upcoming MAAC Tournament and are two matches ahead of Iona and Loyola, who are tied for fifth. Marist concludes the regular season on the road, beginning on Saturday with a 2 p.m. match at Fairfield.