CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel head volleyball coach Dave Zelenock announced the signing of Belle Hogan and Ali Ruffin to National Letter's of Intent. The duo will enroll in the fall of 2021.
 
Belle Hogan, S, 5-11, Fort Wayne, Indiana (Leo)
Plays for head coach Ashlee Robbins at Leo High School…earned all-conference and all-district honors after helping the Lions to an 18-8 record as a senior…averaged 4.6 assists, 3.3 kills and 1.3 digs per set her final season…totaled 423 assists, 301 kills, 164 digs and 36 blocks in 92 sets…garnered first-team all-conference honors in helping the Lions to the NE8 championship as a junior…averaged 6.6 assists on the season…finished year with 580 assists, 172 digs, 81 kills and 21 blocks…recipient of the Mother Theresa Award…member of the Honors Society and Honor Roll…sister, Delaney, plays volleyball at Xavier…also plays for Empowered Sports Club.
 
"Belle is a player who can come in and make an impact right away," said Zelenock. "Her primary positon is setting, but she also has a knack for scoring as a hitter that allows her to be utilized in a variety of ways. Her combination of skill and athleticism will allow us to be able to play a variety of systems and play an exciting style of volleyball. She is a really focused person who has high standards for herself, and is very goal driven. Those traits will serve her well here."
 
Ali Ruffin, OH, 5-11, Greenville, North Carolina (South Central)
Plays for head coach Kayla Ruffin at South Central High School…earned all-state honors as a junior after posting 318 kills, 243 digs, 24 service aces and 26 blocks…selected as the team MVP as the Falcons finished 20-1 on the season…three-time all-conference selection…recorded 216 kills, 205 digs and 36 service aces as a sophomore…finished freshman year with 218 kills, 261 digs and 32 service aces…member of the National Honor Society, as well as the Math and Science Society and the French Honors Society…also plays for East Carolina Junior Volleyball Club.
 
"Ali is a super physical and versatile player," said Zelenock. "Her primary focus for us will be hitting on the pins, but she can also set if called upon. She plays the game with high IQ and a lot of power. When you put those together, it is fun to watch. Ali is a very determined and intense person on and off the court. She is going to make a great cadet-athlete."
 
For more information and score updates on The Citadel volleyball team, please visit CitadelSports.com or follow @CitadelVB on Twitter and @CitadelVolleyball on Instagram.
 
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