Chattanooga coach Jim Foster looks onto the court in his game with Notre Dame on Nov. 21, 2014, in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame won 88-53.The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Jim Foster was selected the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s women’s basketball coach of the year. Foster’s Mocs finished 29-4 with an undefeated run through the Southern Conference regular season and tournament and lost to Pittsburgh in the NCAA tournament. They reached No. 17 in the AP women’s Top 25 poll. Foster will be honored along with UT-Martin men’s coach Heath Schroyer and players of the year Craig Bradshaw of Belmont and Ashia Jones of UT-Martin at a July 10 luncheon at TSSAA headquarters during the TSWA annual convention.
Volleyball
* UTC volleyball coach Travis Filar announced Monday the additions of three players for his 2015 team: outside hitter Miranda Elpers from Assumption High School in Louisville, Ky., and defensive specialists Rachel Petkosh and Lindsey Farrell from, respectively, Merritt Island High in Florida and Bartlett High in the Memphis area. “I could not be more excited to finish our 2015 class with these three incredible individuals,” Filar said in a UTC release. “These additions, along with our two fall signees, Emily Plumlee and Ally Ford, will make up what I think is the most decorated class since I have been here.” Elpers totaled 641 kills in 268 sets in a four-year career that included three state championships, with 262 kills in 73 sets as a senior who was first-team all-state. She had 16 kills in one match and 13 kills with no errors in another. “Miranda will come to Chattanooga as probably the most prepared and game-ready six-rotation outside hitter that we have ever had in a first-year student-athlete,” Filar said. Petkosh was the libero as Merritt Island won the Florida 5A state title in 2011 and finished second in 2012 and 2014. She had 411 digs as a senior and holds the school record with 1,656 for her career, also with 183 aces. She is a three-time USAV All-American. “Rachel is coming from both a tradition-rich and highly successful program in both her club (Orlando Volleyball Academy) and high school teams in the Orlando area — the same programs that (former UTC star) Paula Passmore competed for,” Filar said. “She will immediately improve our backcourt play.” Farrell led Bartlett with 278 digs in 122 sets last fall, when the Panthers went 40-9. Filar said he has worked with her in a couple of summer camps since he took over the Mocs. “She possesses such a confident and competitive mindset that she will make the transition to the college game well,” he said. “We want to always recruit the best student-athletes in the state of Tennessee, and in Lindsey we feel like we have the best libero in the state coming to Chattanooga. And just as exciting, her best volleyball is ahead of her because of how hard she will work to reach her potential.”
Softball
* Area players again were among the standouts for the Brenau softball team in Sunday’s doubleheader split at Middle Georgia State that ended the regular season. Savannah Moore from Soddy-Daisy doubled and scored on a single by Dade County’s Madison Lacy for the Golden Tigers’ run in a 6-1 loss, and Madison Gossett from Dade was the winning pitcher in an 8-3 victory with Kelsey Payne from East Hamilton and Lacy each going 2-for-4 with a home run. Brenau is 33-17.
Diving
* Natalie Smallen of the Baylor Diving Club was second among 11-under girls in 3-meter and sixth in 1-meter in the USA Diving Junior Olympic Region 2 meet this past weekend at Chapel Hill, N.C. Smallen’s scores were 179.75 for 3-meter and 141.00 for the other. The top 15 qualify for the Zones Championship set for June 17-21 at Huntersville, N.C. Top-10 finishers there go on to the national meet in early August in Orlando, Fla.
Basketball
* LaFayette’s Sprite Dyer signed last week to enroll and play basketball at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. “She’s probably one of the most well-liked students and athletes I’ve ever seen come through LaFayette High School,” former Lady Ramblers coach Tommy Swanson said in a GNTC release. “She was an excellent rebounder for us, and she plays hard all the time.” Dyer was an undersized post but also provided scrappy defense, according to GNTC coach David Stephenson, who expressed delight with adding her toughness and leadership ability to a team with only three returning players.