The Penn State women's volleyball team has signed three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent, head coach Russ Rose announced. Nicole Fawcett, Christa Harmotto and Laura Holloway will be eligible to compete for the Nittany Lions beginning in the 2005 season.
Fawcett, a 6-3 outside hitter from Zanesfield, Ohio, is a three-time first team All-Ohio pick after leading her Benjamin Logan High School team to a combined 92-13 record during her four-year tenure. She holds the career record for kills in the state of Ohio and was tabbed the all-area Player of the Year on four occasions.
Harmotto, a 6-3 middle hitter from Aliquippa has led her Hopewell Area High School team to a 61-3 record since her sophomore year. The Vikings are still competing in the PIAA state championship, taking on Seton LaSalle in the quarterfinals tomorrow. Harmotto and her team are 59-0 against WPIAL opponents since 2002 and hold a 49-match winning streak in their section.
Holloway, a 6-0 outside hitter from Barrington, Ill., has led her Barrington High School team to two Illinois state runner-up titles and compiled a 68-9 record over the last two seasons. A team captain her senior season, Holloway was named the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year.
Guards Mashea Williams of Erie, Pa. and Brianne O'Rourke of Pittsburgh, Pa. have both signed national letters of intent to play basketball for Penn State in the 2005-06 season. The talented duo signed yesterday, the first day of the early signing period.
Willliams, a guard out of Mercyhurst Prep, was a Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-American, and a first team All-State selection last year. She was also named the Erie-Metro Player of the Year, and led her team to the 2004 Class AAAA State Championship.
O'Rourke, a point guard, comes out of a highly successful program at Oakland Catholic High in Pittsburgh. She led her squad to the 2003 and 2002 AAAA State Finals, capturing the title in 2003. Considered one of the top point guards in the country, she suffered an ACL tear in December 2003, and sat out her junior season. As a sophomore, however, she was named a Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-American. During her first year at Oakland Catholic, she was the Western Pennsylvania Girls Basketball Hall of Fame Banquet Freshman Player of the Year.
The Penn State Nittany Lion basketball team will have the services of one of the top high school players in the state of Ohio as Jamelle Cornley has signed a national letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at Penn State next year.
Cornley, a native of Columbus, Ohio, has been a three-year player at powerful Brookhaven High School.
At 6-6, 235 pounds, Cornley will bring a physical, muscular frame with him from the basketball-rich Columbus area. A superb talent, Cornley was one of three players tabbed by Associated Press as Co-Ohio High School Players of the Year last season.
"We're very excited to have a player of Jamelle's quality join the Penn State basketball family," Nittany Lion head coach Ed DeChellis said. "He is a warrior on the basketball floor, strong and energetic. Two of the aspects of Jamelle's game that are so intriguing are his power and enthusiasm. He comes from an outstanding high school program and I believe he is a perfect fit for our system. We're elated he will be a Nittany Lion next season."
Cornley will head into his senior season at Brookhaven looking to lead it to continuing statewide prominence. During his first three seasons, Cornley has led Brookhaven to three straight trips to the Ohio Division I (big school) final four, winning the state title once.
