CHARLESTON, S.C. – Citadel volleyball head coach Dave Zelenock announced Monday the official signing of three players for the 2018 season. The trio includes middle blockers Maya Elassal and Alicia Roberts as well as defensive specialist/libero Faith Justice.

"This 2018 class is loaded with athleticism and they impressed us with their physicality and knowledge of the game," Zelenock said. "They are dedicated to The Citadel's core values of Honor, Duty and Respect and we can't wait to have them join us and make a huge impact on the program. This class will help us add balance and stability to both the middle and the back court. Faith and Maya were already committed when we got here, and were all in even after the staff changes. They both are dedicated to The Citadel and being great cadet-athletes. Alicia, we went out and found right away when we knew there was a need for another middle. We got lucky that a person of her character and athletic ability was still available. All three of these incoming cadets are what we strive for every one of our recruits to be: dedicated to the Corps, great academically and a winner on the court."
 
Maya Elassal
MB / 6-1 / Herndon, Va. (Oakton HS) / Virginia Elite VBC
Elassal comes to The Citadel out of Herndon, Virginia, and Oakton High School, having played her club ball with Virginia Elite VBC. A three-year letterwinner at Oakton, Elassal was a two-time first-team All-Conference selection and was named to the All-Region second team as a senior last season. As a senior, Elassal broke Oakton's all-time career blocking record and earned All-Tournament honors in both the district and regional tournaments. The season before, she helped guide Oakton to the state semifinals after winning both the district and region crowns. She was also named an All-Tournament selection in both the conference and regional tournaments that season.

In the classroom, Elassal boasts a 4.2 grade-point average and has been awarded the Scholar Athlete Award all four years of her prep career. She is also an active member of Oakton's National Honor Society.

Zelenock on Elassal – "Maya is a great athlete. She's long limbed, fast and can jump really well, but the thing we are most excited about is how she will contribute from the neck up. She's very smart and a great communicator, she has no problem speaking her mind and has a great energy about her. We expect Maya to compete for a starting role immediately."
 
Alicia Roberts
MB / 6-1 / Griffin, Ga. (Hampton, HS) / Tsunami VBC
Roberts hails from Griffin, Georgia, where she played for Hampton High School and Tsunami VBC. A four-year letterwinner for Hampton, she also earned two varsity letters in basketball and four more in track and field. Her club team, Tsunami, was ranked 32^nd in the nation. Roberts is a two-time All-Region first-team selection and two-year captain. Last season as a senior, she was named the Offensive Player of the Year. As a junior, she was named her team's Most Valuable Player after earning Most Improved Player honors the season before.

A three-time AB Honor Roll student-athlete, Roberts was her junior class president and is a member of the Senior Ambassadors Club. Her brother, Daniel, is a sophomore hurdler on the men's track and field team for the University of Kentucky, and her oldest brother, Stephen, played football at Middle Tennessee State.

Zelenock on Roberts – "Alicia is newer to high-level volleyball, so her ceiling is huge, right now she's just scratching the surface of her potential. The first thing people will notice is how athletic she is, but once you get beyond that is the heart she puts into everything she does. She has an infectious personality that will show be a great addition to the program."
 
Faith Justice
DS/L / 5-4 / Mauldin, S.C. (Mauldin HS) / Axis Elite Academy
Justice is an in-state player out of Mauldin High School, having played her club ball for Axis Elite Academy. Her Axis Elite 15 team opened the season third at the AAU Nationals in the premiere division in 2016. A two-time letterwinner at Mauldin, she helped guide the team to region championship crowns in 2016 and 2017 with Mauldin advancing to the Upper State championships game last season.

Zelenock on Justice – "Faith is as steady as they come in the back court. She has a great work ethic and solid foundation technically. We think right away she will be able to contribute just because she is one of those kids who makes you find a place for her on the court."


For more information on The Citadel volleyball team, please visit CitadelSports.com and follow @CitadelVB and @CitadelSports on Twitter.