Tennessee Volleyball Announce 2018 Recruiting Class

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee volleyball head coach Rob Patrick announced the addition of five newcomers as part of the 2018 signing class this past Wednesday.

The Lady Vols' recruiting class includes four players ranked by PrepVolleyball.com, with three of those players being ranked in the top 100 while also earning Under Armour High School All-America honors.

"This class presents one of the most physically gifted groups of young ladies we have brought in at one time," said Patrick. "We are extremely excited about the high level of success they have had in their club and high school careers. As a group their volleyball IQ is off the charts."

"We have really addressed some of our needs at our pin hitting positions. We have become more physical, athletic and offensively diverse with the four hitters who have just signed with us. They all have the ability to make an immediate impact in our program."

"We are excited about the addition of Emma Binns who will provide us with a very skilled and athletic defensive specialist."

Emma Schriner • 6-3 • OH • Jamestown HS • Williamsburg, Va.
Schriner comes from Jamestown High School out of Williamsburg, Va. Schriner is an outside hitter who is the No. 60^th ranked player by PrepVolleyball.com along with being named as a First Team Under Armour All-American. She will be one of 24 players invited to play in the Under Armour All-American match being held in Kansas City during the NCAA Div. I Women's Volleyball National Championship in December. As a senior for the Eagles, she is currently hitting .425 with 445 kills and 117 errors. Schriner also has 188 service aces and 46 total blocks. She is currently leading her team, for the fourth year in a row, to the Virginia High School League (VHSL) state tournament. She was also named the 2017 Region A Class 4 Player of the Year. Schriner has been awarded the 2016 Atlantic Coast Power League MVP and was a part of the All-Tournament and All-League teams during that season. She earned the Best Blocker Award in the Capital City Classic in Washington, D.C. in 2016. Schriner also competed for the Williamsburg Volleyball Club. She chose Tennessee because she feels at home and feels she can grow as a player and person.

Patrick on Schriner…
"We are excited about Emma's potential as a rightside outside hitter for us. Her 6-foot-3 frame and 10-foot-3 jump touch will allow her to come in and compete physically at the net her freshman year. Emma has made the decision to start in January with our program, which will only hasten her development. Being a former middle hitter, she has the ability to attack the ball across the entire net off of one foot or two."

Lily Felts • 5-11 • OH • Berean Christian School • Knoxville, Tenn.
Felts will join the Volunteers after completing a standout career as a state champion at Berean Christian School in Knoxville, Tenn. Felts, who is an outside hitter, was named as one of the top 100 players by PrepVolleyball.com, while also being recognized as an Under Armour All-American. She broke the state kill's record for a match with 51 during the regional playoffs while averaging 7.7 kills per set to go along with 397 service aces. She was named to the All-State Team three years in a row and in 2017 she was named the Division 1A Tennessee State Volleyball MVP. Felts, competes for the K2 Volleyball Club and was a member of the 18 Elite Jota Team that finished third at the 2017 AAU Open Nationals and she was named an AAU All-American. She has strong family ties to the university, with both parents being Tennessee graduates and her father Cory played club volleyball and competed in the high jump for the track team. She chose Tennessee because she wants to continue her family's Volunteer sports legacy.

Patrick on Felts…
"Lily is one of the elite six rotation players in the country. Her fierce competitive nature will add to the already positive energy of our current team. We are excited about adding a player who finished No. 2 in career high school kills (2,336) in the state of Tennessee to our offensive arsenal. Lily will have a huge impact on our program due to her abilities to control the ball off her platform at an elite level, along with the ability to place the ball on any spot on the court."

Raquel "Rocky" Perinar • 6-0 • OH • Minooka Community High School • Channahon, Ill.
Perinar comes from Channahon, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. Her family's volleyball heritage runs deep, as five family members have played or are currently playing at the Div. I level. Perinar is an Under Armour All-American and ranked as one of the top players in the country by PerpVolleyball.com. She also led her team to a state runner-up finish in 2016 and is currently leading her team to the Illinois State Championship in 2017. In her senior year, she has a .342 hitting percentage with 327 kills. Perinar also racked up 280 service aces to go along with 219 digs. She competes for UNO Volleyball Club and chose Tennessee because of the atmosphere and the coaching staff's passion.

Patrick on Perinar…
"Rocky is another member of this class who will bring a physicality that will allow her to compete at a high level at the net early in her career. She has the ability to play all six rotations and attack successfully on both pins and through the back row. She presents a physical net presence also with her blocking. We are excited about Rocky's potential as a back row player."

Danielle Mahaffey • 6-0 • OH/RS • Northwest HS • Cincinnati, Ohio
Mahaffey hails from Cincinnati, Ohio and played for Kendall Stanley. Mahaffey has been ranked as one of the top 100 players by PrepVolleyball.com. As a senior for Northwest High, Mahaffey had a .451 hitting percentage with 211 kills. She also has 152 service aces and 132 digs. She plays for the Northern Kentucky Volleyball Club, and she chose Tennessee because she liked the vision and passion the coaching staff has for the program, and the academic support system the university has.

Patrick on Mahaffey…
"Danielle will bring elite-level blocking skills to the program. She is another addition to this class who has the ability to be a high-level six-rotation player. Another physical and athletic young lady who can hit on either pin while also being an offensive force from the back row. Danielle's quiet demeanor belies her highly competitive nature."

Emma Binns • 5-9 • L/DS • TC Roberson HS • Asheville, N.C.
Binns hails from Asheville, N.C. and played at TC Roberson under Michelle Wagaman. Binns has been a leader for TC Roberson, helping them to consecutive playoff appearances. In 2017, she was the 4A Player of the Year for the MAC Conference and an AAU All-American. She played club volleyball for Xcel Volleyball, where she was a member of their top 2017 team that competed at AAU Nationals. Binns will be a January enrollee at Tennessee, and she chose the school because of the coaching staff and players, as well as the academics.

Patrick on Binns…
"Emma is very strong, quick and determined defensive player. She has the ability to dig and control the hard-driven ball and is very consistent in the serve-receive game. Emma brings a wicked jump top spin serve to our team, which has the ability to consistently put our opponents in out-of-system situations. I am excited to work with Emma during the spring semester due to her early enrollment."

University of Tennessee Athletics

Related Videos