COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Volleyball continued its 2017 recruiting class on Wednesday with the signing of opposite-right side attacker Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana (San Juan, Puerto Rico), as announced by head coach Wayne Kreklow.
"We are very excited to officially welcome Dariana to our Mizzou Volleyball family," Coach Kreklow said. "Dariana is an outstanding person and an excellent volleyball player. She possesses a rare combination of size, skill and athleticism that makes her one of the top players in the Class of 2017. Her success at the international junior level with the Puerto Rican U20 team speaks to her level of play and I'm confident that she will transition quickly to collegiate volleyball. We'll look for her to make an immediate impact on our program and develop into one of the best players we've ever had at Mizzou."
"Before I had the chance to look at Mizzou, I was already between other choices, but I felt as if I was bound to make the wrong one," Hollingsworth recalled. "None of those other schools spoke to me in a way that made me think about my future four years at college. I was still in 11th grade when I saw my first Mizzou Volleyball match. I remember it clearly. It was against the Florida Gators and the Tigers won in five sets. The feeling I had during the match was unforgettable. The Mizzou girls were working together and the atmosphere at the Hearnes Center was awesome. After my official visit, I was 100-percent sure that there was no other place I wanted to be at."
Before ultimately picking Mizzou, Hollingsworth also considered Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa State.
Recently, Hollingsworth has excelled with numerous Puerto Rican National Teams. The Colegio Adianez High School alum competed with the Sub 18 Puerto Rico National Team at the 2015 NORCECA Championship. Hollingsworth later moved on to the Sub 20 Puerto Rican National Team and played in three tournaments.
At the 2016 NORCECA Championship, Hollingsworth was outstanding against elite opponents, earning "Best Scorer" honors following the competition. She earned additional national competition experience with the U18 Puerto Rican National Team at the 2015 Pan American Cup Championships in Havana, Cuba.
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