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Volleyball 5/13/2020 2:20:00 PM Patrick T. Walsh | LRTrojans.com

Little Rock Volleyball Adds Seven to Roster

Photo by BENJAMIN KRAIN —10/11/19—\rUA Little Rock volleyball action during the Trojans loss to Coastal Carolina

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock Head Volleyball Coach Van Compton announced the addition of seven newcomers to the Trojan program Wednesday, providing the team increased athleticism and depth as part of the 2020 Signing Class.

The incoming class – comprised of freshmen, junior college players and a transfer from a Southeastern Conference program – will bolster a Trojan program that has posted a winning record in 22 of Van Compton’s 32 years guiding Little Rock’s Team.

In all, the Trojans are adding four newcomers from the high school ranks, two from the junior college level while one heads to Little Rock after spending the last two seasons at LSU.

Trojan Newcomers in 2020

Stefania Anagnostou

steh-FAWN-EE-ah | 5-11 | OH | Athens, Greece

Anagnostou her club team to a national championship in her native Greece at A.O. Markopoulo while also serving as the starting outside hitter at Messiniakos VC.

“She brings a lot of international experience as a full rotation outside hitter to Little Rock. Our entire staff loves her athleticism and skills. We expect her to be a key player in the Sun Belt over the next four years.”

Van Compton on Stefania Anagnostou

Nejra Hanic

nay-ra han-eech | 6-0 | OH | Sarajevo, Bosnia- Herzegovina

Hanic played at OK Novi Grad club where she led her team to international tournament titles in Makarska and in Sarejevo, claiming MVP titles in the latter. She also guided her team to third at the National Youth Tournament.

Nejra comes from a great coaching background and has a great philosophy of the game to go along with her heavy arm swing. She is a key part of this signing class and has a lot of international experience. Todd Bourdo first saw her in 2018 and she’s been a key target of ours since then.”

Van Compton on Nejra Hanic

Livia Kimura

5-7 | DS/L | Sao Paulo, Brazil

A native Brazilian, Kimura spent the past two seasons at Trinity Valley Community college where she claimed all-region honors and as well as being named an Academic All-American. She led Trinity Valley to fifth at the national tournament her freshman season then led her team defensively with 430 digs (5.06 digs per set) last season.

Livia comes from a great Brazilian club and a really good junior college program. She brings calm and steadiness to our serve receive and has very good ball control. I expect her to make an immediate impact in our serve receive game.

Van Compton on Livia Kimura

Leigh Maher

5-2 | DS/L | Metairie, La.

Maher spent the last two seasons at LSU where she was an integral player in the Tigers’ defensive game. She set a career-high 15 digs against Ole Miss and had three service aces in a sweep of Auburn. Originally from Metairie, Louisiana, she was a three-time state champion in high school.

Leigh brings great exposure and experience to our program at Little Rock after spending the last two seasons at LSU. She will help our young team both on and off the court.

Van Compton on Leigh Maher

Halee Pedro

HI-LEE | 5-5 | DS/L | Kailua, Hawai’i

A first team all-region selection that led her conference in digs and digs per set in each of the last two seasons. She is originally from talent-rich Hawai’i.

She immediately stood out based on her hard work. We fell in love with her work ethic and passion for the game. She has great energy and we expect her to be a great teammate and important part of our program.

Van Compton on Halee Pedro

Lauren Shea

6-1 | RS | Castle Pines, Colo.

A product of Colorado, Lauren brings height and an impressive vertical to the team. Not only an impactful and hard-working player on the court, she was on the honor roll all four years of high school.

While Lauren has good height, we were surprised at her vertical and the way she hits the ball. She has a strong desire to improve and I am very excited to see what her growth potential will be. Lauren has the chance to help our team a lot.

Van Compton on Lauren Shea

Zanobia Willis

zah-NO-BEE-ah | 6-0 | MB/RS | Red Oak, Texas

Hailing from the talent-rich Metroplex, Willis was named the top blocker in the DFW area and best blocker in her district while MaxPreps ranks her sixth in Texas in blocking and 16th nationally.

Her athleticism is off the charts. She has an impressive vertical and has roots in Central Arkansas. She will develop into a great player over the next four years with a chance to be one of the top middles in the Sun Belt.

Van Compton on Zanobia Willis

For the latest information on Little Rock Volleyball, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockVB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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