PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots volleyball program has signed its first recruit of the initial signing period to a National Letter of Intent, head coach Joe Houck announced Thursday. Sarah O’Connor, an outside hitter from Seattle, Wash., has committed to play for the Pilots next fall.
 
A four-year letterwinner for the Roosevelt Roughriders, O’Connor joins the program following a decorated high school career. Named the Team MVP in her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, O’Connor grabbed a spot on the Kingco 4A league “First Team” in each of her four seasons.
 
In 2011, her second year as the team captain, O’Connor led the Roughriders to the best record in school history (14-1) en route to being named the Kingco 4A league MVP.
 
In addition to her experience with the Roughriders, O’Connor has also participated in nationally competitive programs. In 2008 and 2009, she was a member of the USA Volleyball A2 High Performance program and gained experience during the USA Volleyball Holiday camps in each of those years. She also was a member of the 2010 USA Volleyball Continental Team.
 
O’Connor also helped her club team, the Washington Volleyball Academy, place first in the Junior Olympic Regionals in both 2010 and 2011. While with WVBA, she also competed in the Junior Olympic Nationals in 2008, 2010, and 2011.
 
 “Sarah is a dynamic individual with tremendous ball control. The Washington Volleyball Academy is one of the top Volleyball Clubs in the Pacific Northwest,” Houck noted. “She has been facing top-level competition over the past couple of years which will serve her well in a Pilots uniform.”