Volleyball Signs Trio To National Letters Of Intent

BOULDER —Colorado volleyball head coach Jesse Mahoney has announced the signing of three prep standouts to continue their education at CU as part of the 2017 volleyball class.

Jaden Newsome (Houston, Texas), Danielle Price (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada) and Anyse Smith (Amarillo, Texas) have each signed on to join the Colorado volleyball program next season.

"We are thrilled to welcome such a talented group of student-athletes to Boulder," Mahoney said. "With the additions of Jaden, Danielle and Anyse, we've added three student-athletes with great ability and athleticism, while adding solid depth at three positions of immediate need for our program. These are exceptional student-athletes who will represent the University of Colorado well, not only on the court, but in the classroom and in our community. We expect this group to make a huge impact in our volleyball program and we couldn't be more excited to welcome them to the Buff Family."

2017 Recruiting Class

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown/School/Club
Jaden Newsome	S	6-0	Houston, Texas/Clear Brook HS/Absolute Volleyball Academy of Texas
Danielle Price	MB	6-4	Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada/Chinook HS/Panthers VBC
Anyse Smith	OH	5-10	Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa HS/Jet-Atomic VBC

Jaden Newsome, 6-0, S, Houston, Texas/AVA of Texas
Newsome, a four-time letterwinner and two-time team MVP, was recently named a 2016-17 AVCA Under Armour Honorable Mention All-American. A PrepVolleyball.com Senior Ace (No. 36), Newsome produced 1,257 assists as a senior, guiding the Clear Brook High School Wolverines to a 25-15 record. Newsome played in 129 sets and also added 251 kills, 113 blocks (63 solos and 50 assists), and 322 digs while hitting .357.

During her four years at CBHS, Newsome recorded 3,511 assists, 585 kills, 1,208 digs and 111 service aces in 460 sets played. Her hitting efficiency was .315. She is the CBHS setter career leader in assists, digs and kills.

Over the course of her career, she has earned numerous honors. Newsome was a named to the AVCA Phenom List three straight years (2013-15) and was a three time Greater Houston Volleyball Coaches Association (GHVCA) Fab 50 honoree (2014-16). Prior to her senior season, she was named to the TAVC 5A/6A Preseason All-Texas Team and AVCA Under Armour Watch List. In 2015, Newsome was named a PrepVolleyball.com Top 50 Recruit and in 2014, she was named a PrepVolleyball.com Sophomore 79 Honorable Mention. PrepVolleyball.com also honored Newsome in 2013 as a Frosh 59 Honorable Mention.

Newsome has been a part of the USA Volleyball pipeline. She was a member of the 2016 USA High Performance A1, the 2015 USA High Performance A2 and 2013 USA High Performance Skills program.

For nine years, Newsome played club volleyball at Absolute Volleyball Academy of Texas, which was named one of the top 60 volleyball clubs in the country in 2016. She will play on the 18 Rox team this spring.

Jaden Nicole Newsome is the daughter of Torri and Kristi Newsome. She has one younger sister, Kailin. She enjoys traveling, cooking, swimming and boating. She is left-handed, but plays volleyball right-handed. Newsome intends to major in engineering, but is also interested in sports marketing.

A top recruit, Newsome was also recruited by Missouri, Baylor, Clemson, Arkansas State and Wake Forest. She picked CU because she wanted to play Pac-12 volleyball, its academic reputation and the beautiful campus.

Mahoney on Newsome
"Jaden is one of the premier setters in the class. At 6'0" she has the size and physicality that you want to see in the position, along with a smooth athleticism. As a setter she has the total package: great hands, is deceptive, and the mentality to make great decisions running the offense. Jaden is a comfortable and confident floor leader and will flourish in our offensive system here at Colorado."

Danielle Price, 6-4, MB, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada/Panthers VBC
Price was a middle blocker for Chinook High School and helped lead the Coyotes to a 30-14 overall record as a senior. That same year, CHS earned a 9-0 league record. Price recorded 165 kills, 67 blocks and 20 aces while hitting .314 in 2016. She earned first-team all-star honors in 2015 as a junior when the Coyotes finished league play at 10-0.

Price has been a member of Volleyball Canada. In the spring of 2016, she was named to the Youth National Development Program. Price was part of Team Alberta in the program, which she lists as the biggest moment in her high school career. Team Alberta U17 was the Summer 2016 Gold Medal winner at the National Tournament in Richmond, British Columbia.

Danielle Marie Price is the daughter of Darren and Marion Price. She also has an older sister, Alli. Price was a competitive swimmer from the age of four until she was 15. She is interested in photography. Price intends to major in integrative physiology and is also interested in business.

Many teams recruited Price, including Rutgers, Butler, Villanova, Gonzaga and Mississippi State. She was also heavily recruited in Canada by University of Saskatchewan, Trinity Western, Western Ontario, Memorial University and Queen's University. Price chose Colorado because she was really impressed with the school, coaches, girls on the team and Boulder. She said, "It was a great fit."

Mahoney on Price
"Danielle is a prototypical Pac-12 middle blocker. She has great size at 6'4", with long levers and fluid movements, and she is extremely quick off the floor. Coming from Canada, she has flown under the recruiting radar but her experience in the Canadian National Team pipeline this past summer has exposed her to a high-level of volleyball and allowed her to take big steps in developing her game. Danielle's high level of athleticism, her competitive spirit and her blue-collar work ethic will make her a force as a middle blocker here at Colorado."

Anyse Smith, 5-10, OH, Amarillo, Texas/Jet - Atomic VBC
A four-time first team all-district selection, Smith led the Tascosa High School Rebels to the district championship in 2016. The team recorded a 21-11 overall record while she tallied 646 kills, 367 digs and 78 blocks, while hitting .324. Smith was named the team's most valuable hitter as well as all-state. Early on in the season, she was named the Arlington Invitational Best Tournament Player.

Smith also shined as a junior, helping the Rebels to a 23-12 mark. Again she was named the most valuable hitter and all-state.

A two-sport athlete at THS, she also competed in track and field, earning three letters. As an eighth grader, she set the schools high jump record (5-2), which still stands. She was also a member of the sprint relays.

Smith has been playing for JET – Atomic Volleyball Club in Amarillo, Texas.

Anyse Marlee Smith is the daughter of Horatio Smith and Valerie Hall. She is the fourth child of six. Her older brother Horatio Jr. plays college football. Outside of volleyball, Smith enjoys traveling, watching TV and movies, and being with family. She intends to major in sports and exercise science but is also interested in medicine.

Several of the nation's best programs, including Hawai'i, Illinois, Kansas, Washington State and Colorado State, also recruited Smith. She picked CU because of the good academic program, the volleyball team is competitive in the conference, it's not too far from home and the campus is beautiful.

Mahoney on Smith
"Anyse is one of the most dynamic outside hitters in the 2017 class. She may only be 5'10" but she is a high-flyer, contacting the ball at 10'5". Anyse is a natural six-rotation player - she has a great feel for the ball as a passer and defender – but what really separates her is the ability to hit a very 'heavy' ball with great range. We look forward to continuing her development and maximizing her versatility as an attacker and ball-handler at the collegiate level."

Mahoney added, "We are still actively recruiting for our 2017 class and we will be announcing a few more additions to our roster this spring."

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