Kordes Signs Club Volleyball Teammates Chernin and Deno
Nov. 14, 2007
ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis volleyball head coach Anne Kordes announced today that local standouts Casey Chernin (Wildwood, Mo. / Lafayette) and Alyssa Deno (Fenton, Mo. / Ursuline) have signed national letters of intent to compete for the Billiken volleyball team next season. The Team Saint Louis volleyball club teammates will have four years of eligibility starting with the 2008-09 academic year. "I couldn't be more excited about signing two of the top players out of the St. Louis area to represent SLU next season," Kordes said. "Both players will have the opportunity to contribute immediately and make an impact as we continue moving toward our ultimate goal of getting this program ranked nationally. Casey and Alyssa are fantastic additions to our program both on and off the court." Chernin, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter, helped Lafayette to a third-place finish at the 2007 Class 4 state tournament. She earned second-team All-State accolades last season after receiving honorable mention plaudits the previous year. Chernin picked up All-District honors three times, in addition to being a two-time All-Region and All-Conference first-team pick. She also guided the Lancers to conference, district and sectional crowns during her four-year varsity career. "Casey is one of the strongest outside hitters I have seen out of the 2008 class," Kordes said. "With the strength of her arm and her ability to get up and pound balls, she is going to make an immediate impact on our team. She also has a lot of competitive energy and her personality will fit right in with our players." Deno, a 6-foot-1 right-side hitter, was named to the All-State first team in 2007 after leading Ursuline to a 30-7 mark and a district title. As a senior, she ranked third in the conference with 3.57 kills per game and was a member of two All-Tournament teams. Deno received Academic All-State honors as a junior, and was also selected to the All-Region and All-District first teams. The four-year letterwinner was chosen as the team MVP in 2006.
"Alyssa, our first player to commit, is just a great all-around player," Kordes said. "She will have the ability make an impact at a number of positions in the front and back row. She is a great competitor, a really good passer and is as lethal out of the back row as she is out of the front on the attack." In 2007, both players helped lead the Team Saint Louis club volleyball squad to a fifth-place finish at the National Junior Olympics with Chernin going on to earn All-America first-team accolades. On Friday, third-seeded Saint Louis begins the defense of its Atlantic 10 Championship title when it takes on sixth-seeded George Washington at 4 p.m. (CT) at Halton Arena in Charlotte, N.C. |
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