PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots volleyball team is adding five recruits who will join the Pilots next fall, announced head coach Brent Crouch. Kassidy Naone, Kellie Hughes, Elizabeth Reich, Emily DeMots, and McKenzie Schwan have committed to the Pilots, and the group will come to UP as freshmen in the fall.

"As a whole, this large class, with the addition of redshirt freshman Izzy Guzik, may be the most athletic class that UP has ever seen," said Crouch. "They are also fantastic students and high-character young women. The program as a whole is thrilled to welcome them!"

Naone, a 5-11 outside hitter from Kailua, Hawai'i, will earn her fourth varsity letter for Le Jardin Academy this season. She helped her high school team earn Interscholastic League of Honolulu Runner up in 2015 and 2016, and the Bulldogs claimed the 2016 State Title. In 2013 she earned all-league honorable mention, moving up to second-team all-league in 2014, and landed ILH Player of the Year honors in 2015. She also claimed Hawai'i Fab-15 First Team All-State Honors and was selected to the HHSAA All-Tournament team this season. Named the team MVP in 2015 and most improved player in 2013, she holds the records for most kills in a season with 261 and a hit percentage of .259. In the ILH Championship match she recorded a career high of 26 kills, and she followed that performance with a hit percentage of .625 in a state playoffs first round match.

Playing for Ku'ikahi Volleyball Club for the last three years, Naone helped her team place third at the 2015 AAU 15 Open and was named a 2015 Open All-American. In 2016 she helped her team place ninth at the AAU U17 Open and win the Ruby Division, while also placing first in the Aloha Region Power League 18U. Naone, who's also on the varsity paddling team, is a La Jardin Academy Scholar Athlete and Scholar Recipient.

"Kassidy is an all-around great player," said Crouch. "She can receive serve, block, serve, and kill the ball at every position along the net. She's very athletic and physical, and we expect Kassidy to compete for playing time as a freshman at either pin, or possibly in the middle. We love that our connection to Hawai'i is continuing!"

Hughes is a 5-6 setter from Livermore, Calif., who has earned four varsity letters for Foothill High School. A scholar athlete from 2013-2016, she was named team MVP in 2013 and most improved in 2014. She helped the team win the Royal High School Tournament in 2016, and they were runners up in the North Coast Section Championship in 2013. Earning Tournament MVP honors in the Royal High School Tournament, she was also awarded East Bay Athletic Lague MVP in 2015 and 2016, and also landed on the All-EBAL First Team. Hughes has played for several clubs, including Valley (2012), Kamana (2013), Norcal (2014-2015), and Vision (2016), and was named to the All-NorCal Team in 2015.

"Kellie is not only an excellent setter, but can also dig and serve at high levels," noted Crouch. "Her all-around game therefore transitions well to the beach, where she has had success as a junior. We expect her to shore up our setting position and to contribute in significant ways on the beach in the spring."

Reich, a 6-1 middle blocker from Colorado Springs, Colo., has earned four varsity letters for Lewis-Palmer High School. She helped the team win the PPAC League and Colorado 4A State Championships in 2013, 2014, and 2016. In 2015, her team were the runners up at the state tournament. They were also the Max Prep National Champions in 2014 with an undefeated 29-0 season. She landed on the PPAC First-Team in 2015 and Second-Team Colorado Springs All-Area in 2014 and 2015, and was this year's Colorado 4A State Player of the Year. She also made the 2015 AVCA Phenom List, the 2016 PrepVB.com Pre-Season HS All-American Watch List, was the 2016 PrepVolleyball Top 150 Senior Ace, and the 2016 UnderArmour All-American Watch List. She also led the PPAC league and team in solo (54) and team blocks (76) as a junior. A scholar athlete, she received 2015-16 CHSAA Academic All-State First Team honors, is a 2016-17 National Honor Society member, and a 2016 Rocky Mountain Youth Leadership Essay Award Winner.

She has played for the Colorado Juniors (2012-16) and helped her club team claim the USAVB Rocky Mountain Region Champions in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. They were also Junior National Qualifiers from 2013-16, as well as the 2014 Omaha Presidents' Day Champions and the 2015 & 2016 Pacific Northwest Qualifier Champions.

"Liz may be the best all-around athlete to arrive at the Bluff in any sport recently," Crouch said about Reich, who also stars in lacrosse. "We graduate both starting middles this year, and we know that Liz is going to be able to get on the court early, and do well. She has a cannon for an arm, and it will be fun to watch her hit slides in the WCC."

DeMots is the tallest player in the 2017 recruiting class at 6-2 and joins the Pilots as an outside hitter. The Portland native is a four year letter winner from Sunset High School and has helped her team earn four consecutive second-place finishes in league. This year as a senior captain she led the Apollos to a third place finish in the Oregon 6A State Tournament, landing on the Second Team All-State team.
 

Throughout her career at Sunset she was named First Team All-Metro League 2015 and 2016, second team All-Metro in 2014, and third team All-Metro in 2013. DeMots has led the Apollos in kills all four years on the squad. She has played for the Oregon Juniors Volleyball Academy since 2012 and also lettered in basketball in 2013.  

"Emily is a hitter and a blocker that can attack out of every position along the net," added Crouch. "The tallest player in the class, we think Emily's blocking will develop quickly and she can contribute early in her career shutting down opponent left side."

Schwan is one of the most versatile athletes in this class earning four letters in both volleyball and softball, and a letter in basketball. She also played soccer at Bellarmine Prep. An outside hitter, libero, and defensive specialist from Auburn, Wash., she helped her team win the Washington State Championships in 2013 and 2014. She led her team to the Narrow league Title in 2013, 2014, and 2015, and they were District Champions in 2013 and 2014. They placed second in the District in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, the Lions finished sixth at the Washington State Tournament and were 4A SPSL League Champs in 2016. Team captain for the 2016 season, Schwan again led the Lions into the state tournament. Her accolades include Narrow's League Honorable Mention her sophomore year, and second-team league honors as a junior. This year she was also nominated for Washington Gatorade Player of the Year with 382 kills, 52 aces, 20 blocks, and 343 digs on the season and landed All-State this year in 2016. Playing for the Kent Juniors Volleyball Club (U12-U18s), she earned ECC MVP in 2013, and she recently received the USA National bid to the championships.

"McKenzie will compete for the libero position as a freshman since Monica Gajda is graduating," said Crouch. "Like Liz, she is an exceptional multi-sport athlete and technically very advanced.  She currently hits outside for her high school and club teams, and will be a force on the beach."