Tulane beach volleyball head coach Wayne Holly has boosted his largest-ever signing class for the 2017-18 season with the addition of three first-year players to next year’s roster. Gabriella Becerra, Addie Hermstad and Lauren Orlich, along with Holly’s five previously announced signees, will join the team in August as the Green Wave look to improve on their winningest season in program history.
Gabriella Becerra
Becerra comes to Tulane out of Southlake, Texas, where she will graduate from Carroll Senior High School in May. Playing club for 692 Beach Volleyball, she was chosen for the Club National Team in both 2016 and 2017. In 2016, she finished in the top 12 at the USAV Nationals and was a Gold bracket finisher at the AAU Championships. A four-year letter winner in indoor, Becerra helped her high school team to three Nationals appearances and top-12 in-state rankings in three of her four years there. She also served as the team captain her junior and senior years.
Holly on Becerra…
“Gabby is an amazing person, highly driven, and among the most improved player I have seen over the last year. Her commitment to excellence in the game and her great work ethic make her a terrific defensive and sideout player. Gabby adds to our team another highly skilled, well-trained beach volleyball player capable of making an immediate impact.”
Addie Hermstad
A senior at Mater Dei High School, Hermstad hails from Seal Beach, California, where she was a two-year letter winner in beach volleyball for the Monarchs. She played most of her high school career in the No. 1 position and captained her team in her senior season. In 2016, Hermstad helped her team to a first-place finish in the Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League. She played club with Elite Beach Volleyball, where she led her club squad to a gold-medal finish at the USA Volleyball Tournament.
Holly on Hermstad…
“Addie is an outstanding person and a great learner with a huge upside as a volleyball player. Her desire to become great and ability to learn quickly have allowed her to progress rapidly in the game. She adds needed size to our roster and gives us more options in the blocking role.”
Lauren Orlich
The Green Wave’s final addition to the 2017-18 beach volleyball roster will be Lauren Orlich, a Scottsdale, Arizona native and soon-to-be graduate of Chaperral High School. During her prep career, Orlich amassed a total of five letter-winning seasons in both indoor and beach volleyball, captaining her indoor team in her senior year and leading the Firebirds to a second-place finish in the Northeast Valley Conference on a 12-5 record. Orlich played club with RPM Sand, where she finished in ninth place at the 2016 AAU Junior Nationals and posted a gold-bracket finish at the 2016 AAU Nationals.
Holly on Orlich…
“Lauren is a great person who has worked very diligently to become a terrific beach volleyball player. She adds more size to our roster and makes us stronger at the blocking position.”
Courtesy of Tulane Athletics.
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