Two NAIA All-Americans from Brazil and a former Ohio high school star are transferring to Lee University to play volleyball, coach Andrea Hudson announced Wednesday.
First-team All-America hitter Arlene Ferreira and third-team All-America middle blocker Valquiria Caboclo already are enrolled at the Cleveland school after leaving Texas-Brownsville. Both of them as well as 6-footer Haley Coffman from Lebanon, Ohio — by way of Bowling Green State University and its club volleyball program — said growing as Christians was a big reason for their decisions.
Texas-Brownsville went 34-3 and reached the final eight of the NAIA national tournament last fall, when Lee made the semifinals. Hudson’s Lady Flames lost four international players, including top star Milica Krsmanovic.
“We are so excited to have Val and Arlene here at Lee,” Hudson said in a school release. “It was great to get them in the spring so they could be here to get to know the players and begin to train with our team.
“Val was one of the toughest middle blockers at the national tournament. … She is going to be a big front-row player for us, for sure. Arlene offensively is giong to be very hard to contain. Defensively she has a very keen eye for the ball. She plays with a lot of intensity.”
Coffman was a Greater Western Ohio Conference all-star and Lebanon High School’s top scholar-athlete as a junior and senior. She still has four years of college eligibility.
“My twin brother attended Lee last year and loved it,” she said.
“Haley is a great player both in the middle and on the right side, and she played competitive ball last year,” Hudson said. “She will be ready to step in when needed. Haley brings a hard-work ethic and an awesome attitude to the court.”