Women’s Volleyball | 11/27/2018 12:58:00 PM | Dan McDonnell, USI Athletic Communications USI Volleyball adds six in early signing period

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University of Southern Indiana Volleyball announced that six incoming freshmen have signed national letters of intent to compete the Screaming Eagles in 2019. The list includes 5-foot-11 outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois), 5-foot-4 defensive specialist Audrey Crowder (Avon, Indiana), 5-foot-11 right side hitter/setter Katherine Koch (Belleville, Illinois), 5-foot-10 outside/right side hitter Jordan Martin (Huntertown, Indiana), 5-foot-8 setter Bella Mitchell (Moline, Illinois), and 5-foot-8 setter Kelsie Vanitvelt (Grand Blanc, Michigan).

Leah Anderson is currently a senior at Bloomington High School in Bloomington, Illinois, where she has earned varsity letters in volleyball. An All-Big 12 Conference honoree as well as an All-Area performer, Anderson has garnered multiple team and All-Tournament honors during her career at BHS and is a three-time Big 12 Scholar Athlete. BHS won Big 12, regional and sectional titles in 2018 before falling at super sectionals.

At the club level, Anderson has competed for the Illini Elite Volleyball Club and was a 2018 President’s Day All-Tournament honoree. She led her squad to a pair of tournament wins as well as a third-place finish at AAU Nationals in 2015.

Audrey Crowder is a senior at Avon High School (Avon, Indiana) where she has garnered varsity letters in volleyball. In 2017, Crowder helped lead AHS to the IHSAA Class 4A title as well as sectional and regional titles in 2016. She most recently helped her squad to a runner-up finish in the 2018 IHSAA Class 4A Tournament.

Crowder also played for the Circle City Volleyball Club where she helped her team to a Windy City championship as well as a third-place finish at MEQs, fourth-place showing at AAU’s and a fifth-place finish at nationals.

Katherine Koch is currently finishing up her final year at Belleville West High School where she earned numerous All-Tournament honors as well as All-Conference and All-Area accolades. In the classroom, Koch has collected numerous academic accolades, including All-Conference Scholar Team honors.

A member of the High Performance-STL (Illinois) Volleyball Club, Koch helped her team to a second-place finish at Philadelphia NEQ’s (USA Division) in 2016, a second-place finish at Indianapolis MEQs (USA Division) in 2017 and a first-place finish at the President’s Day Classic in 2015. She was named to the JVA Watchlist in 2018.

Jordan Martin is in her final year at Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she has recorded more than 600 kills and 300 digs during her three-year varsity career. A member of three sectional championship teams during her varsity career, Martin is an All-Northeast honoree and was selected to play in the 2018 Don Shondell East/West All-Star game as well as the North 3A/4A All-Star team.

Martin has played for the Summit Volleyball Club, where she was a member of the 2018 Lake Michigan Open Power League co-Championship team. She also was named to the JVA Watchlist in 2018.

Bella Mitchell is a senior at Moline Senior High School where she earned letters in volleyball and track & field. She earned All-Conference, All-Metro and All-State (honorable mention) as a junior in 2017 and has currently collected All-Conference honors as a senior in 2018.

A member of two conference championship teams at MSHS, Mitchell also competes at the club level for the Iowa Rockets.

Kelsie Vanitvelt is in her final year at Grand Blanc High School where she has earned All-League, All-Conference and All-Region accolades during her prep career. She has been named one of the top 50 players in the state of Michigan and was a nominee for Student-Athlete of the Month and Year after leading her squad to a district title in 2018.

Vanitvelt has played for the Unified Volleyball Club throughout the last four years and has been running a 5-1 in the National Open Division.