May 20, 2008

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The University of North Carolina volleyball program has announced the addition of four freshmen for the 2008 season. Head Coach Joe Sagula will welcome Kaylie Gibson, Aleksandra Georgieva, Cammy Kleinert and Morgan Fox in the fall along with previous signees Erica Behm and Shelbey Bleke.

"This group of young ladies will immediately create outstanding depth all over the court for us next year and the years to come," head coach Joe Sagula said.

Gibson is a 5-3 libero/defensive specialist from nearby Apex, N.C. who attended Apex High School. Gibson was a three-year varsity performer on the volleyball team as a setter and libero. A two-time all-conference selection and player of the year as a junior, Gibson graduated high school a semester early to enroll at Carolina for the spring 2008 semester and train with the team during the spring season. She was named a "Defensive Dandy" by PrepVolleyball and played club volleyball with the Triangle Volleyball Club.

Georgieva is a 6-0 outside/right side hitter from Sofia, Bulgaria who attended 81 Victor Hugo High School. Georgieva played volleyball for th Zvezdi 94 Club team for seven years and played all three hitter positions. A four-time tournament MVP, Georgieva was also named the best hitter in 2006 and 2007. Earlier this month Georgieva was named the MVP at the Bulgarian Junior Championships.

"Alexsandra will bring a great deal of experience to our team as she has played at a very high level and will be a great addition as a left or right side hitter," Sagula added.

Kleinert is a 5-11 outside hitter/defensive specialist from Austin, Texas who attended Westlake High School. Kleinert was a member of the No. 2 team in the country according to PrepVolleyball along with being a three-time Academic All-District selection. She was a 2007-08 AVCA High School All-American and was also named a TGCA West All-Star after earning All-State and District MVP honors. Kleinert played her club volleyball for the Austin Juniors Volleyball Club out of Austin, Texas.

Fox is a 5-6 defensive specialist from Chapel Hill, N.C. who attended East Chapel Hill High School. Fox was a four-year varsity performer who specialized as a libero/defensive specialist. She was named all-conference as a senior and was selected as East Chapel Hill's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Fox played her club volleyball alongside Gibson for the Triangle Volleyball club in Raleigh, N.C. where she earned the Triangle Award in 2007.

Along with this quartet of players, Joe Sagula will also welcome fall signees Erica Behm and Shelbey Bleke in 2008.

Behm is a 5-11 setter from Downers Grove North a suburb of Chicago. The four-year varsity setter owns the third most assists in Illinois High School history with 3,028, including the top mark since rally scoring. Behm was named to the Downers Grove Reporter all-area team four times and was named to the Sun Times and Chicago Tribune all-state teams as both a junior and senior. She plays club volleyball for the Sports Performance Volleyball club.

Bleke is a 6-3 middle from Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Fla. She is a Gatorade Player of the Year Finalist after averaging two blocks per game as a senior to go along with a .545 career hitting percentage. Bleke hit .650 in the state tournament as she helped lead Buchholz to the Florida 6A state championship as a senior. She currently plays her club volleyball for the Gainesville Juniors.

"The success of this class not only in the classroom but also on the court embodies what Carolina student-athletes are," Sagula said. "This entire class has played at a very high level with their junior clubs and will bring that experience with them to Carolina."