Incoming Volleyball Class Ranked Seventh Nationally

EUGENE, Ore. – Anticipation for the upcoming 2019 Oregon volleyball season continued to grow on Wednesday as prepvolleyball.com ranked the Ducks' incoming freshman class No. 7 in the nation.

The six-player class is made up of five athletes who are all ranked inside the top 80 on prepvolleyball.com's Senior Aces list, including three ranked in the top 30, and two Under Armour all-Americans.

The No. 7 national ranking gives Oregon and head coach Matt Ulmer four top-10 recruiting classes in the last five years.

The highly-touted freshman group will join seven returning players from last season's Elite Eight team, including second-team all-American Ronika Stone and honorable mention all-Americans Brooke Nuneviller and Willow Johnson. The Ducks also bring back outsides Taylor Borup and Brooke Van Sickle, while Kylie Robinson and Karson Bacon – Oregon's top two recruits in the 2018 class – are in line for significant playing time after redshirting in 2018. The Ducks also have offseason addition Abby Hansen, a transfer middle blocker from USC who will be a redshirt freshman in the fall.

Extensive biographies on all six of the Ducks' incoming freshman are below.

ELISE FERREIRA
Setter | Bakersfield, Calif. | Liberty HS | Senior Aces: No. 80
About Elise: A familiar name for longtime Oregon volleyball fans, Ferreira is the daughter of Carl Ferreira, who was the Ducks' head coach from 2000 to 2004. A three-time all-conference selection in the Southwest Yosemite League, Ferreira is a versatile setter who has also been utilized as a right-side hitter in Liberty's 6-2 offense. Liberty head coach Amy Parker described Ferreira as "one of the most dedicated, focused and hardworking athletes that I have ever had the privilege to coach." Ferreira is the lone setter coming in for the Ducks in 2019, helping offset the loss of current senior August Raskie. Ferreira has already gotten a taste of competing for Oregon, enrolling early and playing on the beach volleyball team this spring.

ALEX LAITA
Outside Hitter | Pacific Palisades, Calif. | Palisades Charter | Senior Aces: No. 56
About Alex: Laita is considered one of the most improved players in the class, rising up the rankings despite having only a couple years of high-level experience under her belt. Laita helped her Sunshine club team take bronze in the 17 Open over the summer, establishing herself as the team's go-to hitter. According to prepvolleyball.com, "Laita's natural athleticism and nimbleness make her an exciting player to watch, whether she's attacking at the net, defending or hitting bics with extreme range from the back row."

MORGAN LEWIS
Middle Blocker/Right-Side Hitter | Carlsbad, Calif. | La Costa Canyon HS | Senior Aces: No. 25
About Morgan: An Under Armour second-team all-American, Lewis is regarded as one of the biggest hitters in the class and is ranked 25th nationally by prepvolleyball.com. The Carlsbad, Calif., native competed for the Wave VBC club team, where she was coached by Oregon alumna Rachel Morris, while also racking up more than 1,000 career kills for La Costa Canyon High School. Prepvolleyball.com describes Lewis as a "hammer" who has "been known to rip swings that people two courts away could hear" since she was 15 years old.

GEORGIA MURPHY
Libero | The Woodlands, Texas | The Woodlands HS | Senior Aces: No. 27
About Georgia: The top-ranked libero in the 2019 class, Murphy is a first-team Under Armour all-American who has starred for the nationally-ranked Texas Tornados club team since she was in eighth grade. Hailing from The Woodlands, Texas, Murphy piled up more than 2,000 career digs for The Woodlands High School, and she was recently named the 2018 District 15-6A most valuable player. Prepvolleyball.com says of Murphy: "A player who is nothing if not smooth, Murphy's high volleyball I.Q. and athletic grace allow her to make the game look easy."

BEA WETTON
Defensive Specialist | Hillsboro, Ore. | Liberty HS
About Bea: A late addition to the indoor recruiting class, Wetton will provide depth for the Ducks while also competing for the beach team in the spring. An Oregon native, Wetton was a first-team all-league selection for Liberty High School in the fall while spending time at middle blocker and outside hitter, giving the Ducks a versatile player who can help out all over the court.

TAYLOR WILLIAMS
Outside Hitter | Eugene, Ore. | Churchill HS | Senior Aces: No. 23
About Taylor: It seems as though Williams was meant to end playing for Oregon, as the Eugene native grew up rooting for the Ducks and her father and uncle both competed for Oregon track and field. Described as a "late blooming Monster (with a capital 'M')" who is "just starting to reach the very tip of her enormous potential" by prepvolleyball.com, Williams was a second-team all-state selection for Churchill in 2017 before being selected as the 2018 Midwestern League player of the year after a stellar senior season. Williams is the Ducks' highest-ranked recruit in the 2019 class at No. 23 on the Senior Aces list.