Nov. 18, 2011

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou volleyball team has announced the signing of two future players to National Letters of Intent. Joining the Tigers next season will be Lydia Ely (6-6, MB, St. Louis, Mo.) and Regan Peltier (6-2, MB, Nixa, Mo.). The pair will be the first Tiger signing class for Mizzou as it makes the transition to the Southeastern Conference next season. Both signees appear on the PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces list, which attempts to rank the nation's top prospects. Each boasts plenty of high-level experience on the national and club scene as well.

"We are very excited about the addition of both Regan and Lydia," Mizzou head coach Wayne Kreklow said. "We anticipate both having an immediate impact on our program both on and off the court. We're also excited about being able to keep two of the top Missouri players in state and look forward to them wearing Black and Gold next year."

Lydia Ely - 6-6 - Middle Blocker - St. Louis, Mo. - Rosati-Kain High School

Before Mizzou: Ranked as the No. 4 recruit in the state of Missouri according to ESPN's Eric Taylor ... Ranked as one of the top 250 players as part of the PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces list ... Led Rosati-Kain to a conference and district championship in 2011 and a runner-up nod at both levels in 2010 ... Member of the AVCA/Under Armour High School All-America Watch List ... Attended the USA Volleyball Youth National Training Team Camp in 2009 ... Member of the USA Volleyball A1 White that claimed the silver medal at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships in 2009 ... Member of the U.S. Girls' Select A1 Program which participated in the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships International Youth Division in 2008 ... Named to the PrepVolleyball.com Frosh 59 list, All-Conference and All-District while playing at Rosati-Kain in 2008 and 2009 ... Academic All-Conference in 2008-11 ... Helped St. Louis High Performance to a second-place finish at the JVDA Championships and a fifth-place nod at the Lone Star National qualifier in 2008 ... Began playing club volleyball in 2003 ... Received the Rosati-Kain High School Ann Negoan Meyer Scholarship from 2008-11 ... Member of National Honors Society and was the Rosati-Kain Student Ambassador.

Personal: Born on May 30, 1994, in St. Louis, Mo., to parents Doug and Cheryl Ely ... Has a brother (Matthew) and a sister (Sarah) ... Plans to major in physical therapy at Mizzou ... Will be a third-generation Tiger as her grandmother (class of 1961) and mother (class of 1985) each graduated from Mizzou ... Both her siblings currently attend Mizzou as well ... Father (Doug) played football at the University of Missouri-Rolla ... Various other relatives have also attended Mizzou.

Wayne Kreklow on Lydia: "Lydia has the potential to be a dominant front-row player for us. At 6-6, she has great size and will only get better as she matures and has the opportunity to train on a daily basis. She moves well and has a great arm. Lydia is very competitive and has the drive and determination that she needs to really blossom as a player. We expect that before Lydia finishes at Mizzou, she will become one of the most imposing front court players to wear Black and Gold."

Regan Peltier - 6-2 - Middle Blocker - Nixa, Mo. - Nixa High School - Midwest Xplosion

Before Mizzou: Second-team AVCA/Under Armour All-American in 2011 ... Ranked No. 98 on the PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces list ... Played with USA Volleyball on the Youth National Team that won the NORCECA Youth Continental Championships in 2010 ... Attended the USA Volleyball Youth National training camp in 2009 as well ... Earned a Bronze medal as a member of the USA Volleyball Girls' Select A1 program at the High Performance Championships in 2009 ... All-State, All-Region and All-District pick in 2009 as a member of the Nixa High School volleyball team ... Holds the Nixa school record for kills in a single match, kills per set, solo blocks in a career and total blocks in a career ... She played club volleyball for Midwest Xplosion in 2006 as well ... Picked Mizzou over Oklahoma and Missouri State ... Peltier is the second volleyball player from Christian County to commit to Mizzou in as many years following Jade Hayes' commitment last season ... Rated the No. 3 recruit in the state of Missouri by ESPN's Eric Taylor ... Led her team in blocks and was second in digs during the 2011 season, showing her versatility and athleticism.

Personal: Born Jan. 23, 1994, to parents Brian and Vicki ... Has two other siblings: Dylan (brother) and Briana (sister).

Wayne Kreklow on Regan: "Regan is a great all-around player and her strength lies in the number of things, that at 6-2, she can do as a player. She hits a heavy ball, has good length and as a great feel for passing. She moves well and has a great chance of being a great six-rotation player for us. I expect Regan to also be someone who has the size and physical ability to compete immediately for playing time.

For all the latest on Mizzou volleyball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MU_Volleyball.

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