Tendler Announces Elon Phoenix Volleyball Additions for 2013 Season

ELON, N.C. – Elon University head volleyball coach Mary Tendler has announced the signing of four players, Sydel Curry (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian), Morgan Maner (Burlington, N.C./The Elon School), Kayla Agae (Las Vegas/Silverado) and Ally Karle (Flanders, N.J./Mount Olive), for the 2013 season.

“All four of these players are a great fit for us,” said Tendler. “They are very good students and they each bring something different to the team. I appreciate all the time and energy my recruiting coordinator, Jennifer Fry, and my assistant, Tina Readling, put into identifying these talented student-athletes. We welcome each one of them and their families to Elon University and our volleyball program.”

Curry, a 5-9 setter, was a four-year starter for Charlotte Christian and the team captain for three of those years. The team advanced to the state quarterfinals for three seasons and she helped post a new school record for most wins in a season in 2012. Curry was a four-time CISAA All-Conference selection (2009-12) and a two-time NCISAA All-State selection (2011-12). Sydel is the daughter of former Virginia Tech basketball player Dell and VT volleyball player Sonya Curry and intends to study psychology. She is also the sister of former Davidson basketball and current NBA player Stephen and current Duke basketball player Seth.

“Sydel has a great court presence for a setter,” commented Tendler. “She is a calm, competitive leader who finds a way to get the job done. We watched her a lot during the club season and every time we saw her she seemed to have taken her game to another level. With her work ethic, athleticism and dedication to the game, Sydel will be a very effective setter for the maroon and gold.”

Maner, a 5-7 defensive specialist/libero, is a four-time team MVP, the 2011 Triad Athletic Conference Player of the Year, a four-time TAC all-conference selection and a two-time NCISSA-1A all-state selection. As a three-year captain, she helped The Elon School to the TAC regular-season title and the North Carolina IA state title in 2011, while also earning state playoff bids in 2009 and 2010. As a member of Piedmont Volleyball Club, Maner won the Capitol Hill Classic as a part of Piedmont’s Mizuno 18s and finished second at the Monument Classic. She has earned her school’s academic high honors every year and is a member of the National Honor Society. Maner serves as class president and her student government association’s secretary. Morgan is the daughter of former Istanbul Technical basketball player Hal and Cindy Maner and intends to study biology. She will be a third-generation Elon student, preceded by her grandfather, Beamon R. Busick, and her mother.

“I have had the pleasure of knowing Morgan and her family for a long time,” described Tendler. “She has attended many of our matches and participated in numerous sessions of our summer camps. Morgan is a very consistent passer and a very disciplined defender. She also has two different types of serves that wills score points and keep our opponents out of system. After knowing Morgan for so long, it will be nice to finally see her in an Elon Phoenix uniform.”

Agae, a 5-9 outside hitter, helped Silverado High School to a state championship and regional runner-up title in 2009. The team also finished as the regional runner-up her sophomore season and the made it as far as the regional semi-finals during her junior year. While playing club for CSA of Nevada, Agae was selected to the SCVA High Performance Team in 2008 and 2009 and the USA High Performance Team in 2012. In 2010, she was invited to the USA Select Camp and was named to the all-tournament team at the Global Challenge. She was also named one of PrepVolleyball.com’s top-25 freshmen in the country in 2009. Kayla is the daughter of Paepaevalu and Suzanne Agae and intends to study biology. Her sisters, Marilyn and Rebecca, also played collegiate volleyball at Feather River College and Yavapi College, respectively.

“Kayla has great instincts on the volleyball court,” described Tendler. “She has the unique ability at a young age to pick-up visual cues on the court and instinctively make plays. She will arrive at Elon with a high level of skill and the ability to be effective in both the front and back row. When I watch her play, she makes everything looks so easy.”

Karle, a 6-1 middle blocker, recorded 1,000 kills while playing at Mount Olive High School and ranked number one in the state in kills in 2012. She was named the team’s most valuable offensive player in both 2011 and 2012 and was honored as The Daily Record Player of the Year in 2011. Karle helped Mount Olive to back-to-back conference titles her junior and senior seasons as the team advanced to the county semifinal and the state quarterfinals all for the first time in program history in 2012. While playing club for Atlantic Valley Volleyball Club, she helped the squad finish first in the region and earn a bid to 2012 nationals, while also being named to the regional all-tournament team. Ally is the daughter of former Western New England basketball and baseball player Peter and Barbara Karle.

“Ally has the size and quickness to be a very productive middle blocker both offensively and defensively,” said Tendler. “She attacks from a high point and can hit in front or behind the setter. She is a very positive, upbeat player on the court, who has good leadership skills that will help her contribute in many facets of the game.”

All four players will be eligible to play for the Phoenix starting with the 2013 season.