Winthrop volleyball brings four new players into the fold
Winthrop volleyball coach Bruce Atkinson announced the addition of four student-athletes who will join the Eagle program this fall.
Julia Scott and Madilyn McCarthy will enter as freshmen while Annelies Dokter and Dorien Den Otter will transfer.
Scott is a local product from Rock Hill and played at Westminster Catawba Christian School. She is a 5-foot-4 defensive specialist who lettered in volleyball for three years. She was a two-year captain of the varsity squad and was named to the All-Conference team in 2013 and 2014. She was also selected to the NCISAA All-State team in 2014.
“Julia is a fundamentally sound passer and defender that will immediately help improve our team’s ball control,” Atkinson said. “She has been trained well and her strong technique will allow her to compete for quality playing time on the court.”
McCarty is a 6-foot setter from Springfield, Ill., where she will graduate from Springfield High School. McCarty was voted to the All-Conference team three times and was twice named an All-State special mention.
“Maddy is a high-level setter who will compete for a starting position this fall,” Atkinson said. “She has an excellent understanding of the flow of the game and has the ability to run the up-tempo offense we like. She is very athletic and has great size for a six-rotation setter.”
Dokter and Den Otter are both natives of The Netherlands and will transfer from the University of Texas-Brownsville.
Dokter is a junior 6-foot-1 outside hitter who was named the 2013 freshman of the year in the Red River Athletic Conference. She was a part of a Brownsville team that won two conference titles, was the 2014 NAIA national championship runner-up and the 2013 NAIA national champion.
“Annie is a powerful six-rotation outside hitter who has the ability to immediately boost our productivity in the front and back row,” Atkinson said. “Having helped her team to a record of 71-5 over the past two seasons and a NAIA national championship, we are excited for Annie to bring that successful experience here at Winthrop.”
Den Otter is a sophomore 5-foot-8 setter who played for Brownsville for one year. The 2014 team won the conference title and was the NAIA national runner-up.
“Dorien will bring both offensive and defensive experience to us in the setter position,” Atkinson said. “As a teammate of Annie’s, Dorien helped take her team to the NAIA national championship match this past season. Two things that really stand out about Dorien’s game are her strong work ethic and the energy she brings to the court. These qualities are contagious and will in turn help raise the level of play of those around her.”
Winthrop will open the season August 28-29 when they head to Columbia, Mo., to compete in the Missouri tournament.
This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 2:06 PM with the headline "Winthrop volleyball brings four new players into the fold."