Mizzou Volleyball Inks Four Future Tigers in No. 14-Ranked Class
11/10/2021 4:24:00 PM | Volleyball
Tigers sign highest-rated class in program history
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri volleyball made history on National Signing Day, welcoming the No. 14-ranked class in the country which matches the 2010 class as the best in program history. Head coach Joshua Taylor and his staff continued their recruiting momentum, signing four student-athletes ranked in PrepVolleyball's Top 150 for the class of 2022.
Estella Zatechka (Omaha, Neb.), Janet deMarrais (Colleyville, Texas), and Madilyn Sell (Ballwin, Mo.), will join in the summer of 2022 while Riley Buckley (Raleigh, N.C.) will make her way to Mid-Missouri and enroll early at the University, joining the program in January.
Estella Zatechka // 5'8" // DS // Omaha, Neb. // Elkhorn South High School
Estella comes to Columbia from Omaha, Neb. (Nebraska Premier), where she led the state in digs since 2019. Ranked as the No. 1 libero in Nebraska and third-best overall player in the state, Estella posted over 2,100 digs and 100 service aces in her varsity career at Elkhorn South High School.
Ranked No. 131 in PrepVolleyball's 2022 rankings, Zatechka earned AVCA Best and Brightest honors, was listed on the Nebraska All-Star Class 1 First Team and earned Second-Team Super State. Estella chose Missouri over Oregon, Marquette, Creighton, Notre Dame, Kansas and Arkansas amongst others.
Coach Taylor on Estella…
"Estella has had a phenomenal high school and club career leading the state of Nebraska in digs for the last three years. Her athleticism and competitive personality make it hard for any opponent to score when she is in the game. Her technique in serve-receive as well as on defense is crisp, and she makes each skill appear effortless. She leads by example and is an effective communicator making her someone that her teammates look up to. She can't get on campus soon enough!"
Janet deMarrais // 6'2" // OH // Colleyville, Tx. // Grapevine High School
Hailing from Colleyville, Texas (TAV/Skyline), deMarrais, an outside hitter, cracked the PrepVolleyball Top-50 earning the No. 46 slot nationally. As a varsity athlete and Academic All-Conference member, deMarrais made All-District Teams in 2019 and 2020, the All Dallas-Fort Worth Area Team and the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State team in 2020.
Tallying over 300 kills, 25 aces and 350 digs in her senior year, deMarrais added to her already impressive high school career of over 1,000 kills, 200 blocks and 500 digs. deMarrais chose Mizzou over Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado State, Purdue, Penn State and others.
Coach Taylor on Janet…
"In the past three years, with her high school and club team, Janet has proven herself as one of the most elite attackers in her class. She contacts the ball well above 10-feet and possesses the range and power to be an offensive threat from any spot on the court. She cares deeply for those she plays alongside and constantly looks for ways to make her teammates better. We are pumped to get her in Black and Gold!"
Madilyn Sell // 6'3" // MB // Chesterfield, Mo. // Marquette High School
Madilyn chose to stay in her home state of Missouri when signing with the Tigers volleyball program. From Chesterfield, Mo. (Rockwood Thunder Club), and ranked 66th overall in the PrepVolleyball class of 2022 rankings, Sell was named to the AVCA Phenom list for the past three years and was included on the AVCA All-American Watch List for 2021.
Earning three All-Conference recognitions as a middle blocker, Madilyn posted over 550 kills and 200 blocks, of which 50 were solo blocks. She earned Academic All-State honors all four years of high school. Madilyn picked Mizzou over Arkansas, Marquette, San Diego and Texas Tech among others.
Coach Taylor on Madilyn…
"Madilyn has one of the best work ethics I have seen. She devotes herself to improvement regardless of the difficulty, and her play reflects that devotion. Her side-to-side speed paired with her elite eye-work leads to her being a force at the net. Her selfless attitude and willingness to do whatever it takes to win makes her someone that others long to play with. We're so glad she decided to stay home and be a Tiger!"
Riley Buckley // 6'0" // S // Raleigh, N.C. // North Raleigh Christian Academy
Riley Buckley, a setter from Raleigh, N.C. (NC Academy), wraps up the 2022 recruiting class for the Missouri Tigers. Riley received the highest ranking for the Tigers in the PrepVolleyball's Top 150 for the class of 2022, coming in at No. 31 overall. She also earned All-American honors from PrepVolleyball in 2020 and 2021. In 2018 at North Raleigh Christian Academy, Buckley garnered National Freshman of the Year from PrepVolleyball.
In her high school career, Buckley dished out more than 1800 assists, 940 kills, 556 digs, 141 aces and 62 blocks which led her to receiving All-Conference and All-State honors all four years. She also made her mark as one of the best players in the country, earning North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a junior. Riley chose Mizzou over Louisville, BYU, Pepperdine, Florida, Minnesota, Texas, Clemson, South Carolina.
Coach Taylor on Riley
"Riley has an incredibly high IQ for the game and performs all skills at an elite level. She has an admirable work ethic and her desire to be great is insatiable. She will not only create amazing opportunities for all of our attackers, but she will also be an offensive threat when she is in the front row. In addition to all of this, she is a fantastic teammate, and we can't wait to get her in our gym in January!"
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