BERKELEY – Calling it one of the deepest and most complete classes in Cal history, PrepVolleyball.com has given the Bears’ 2015 group of incoming freshmen a No. 9 national ranking in its annual ratings of the top-30 recruiting classes in the country.
The Bears’ collection of new student-athletes features six players, each of whom put together decorated prep and club careers.
PrepVolleyball.com adds that the class “boasts players having a lot of experience and success at all levels, both as individuals and with their respective teams at the prep level.”
It marks the second consecutive season Cal’s recruiting class has earned a No. 9 ranking by PrepVolleyball.com and the seventh time since 2005 the Bears’ incoming group of freshmen has been rated in the top-10 by the publication.
Making up the 2015 class are 6-foot-2 outside hitter Savannah Rennie (San Diego), 5-8 libero Amanda Kirtley (San Bernardino), 6-3 outside hitter Belen Castillo (Merced), 6-5 middle blocker Sarah Shafiq (Winnetka, Ill.), 6-1 setter Mackenzie Albrecht (Sonoma) and 6-2 outside hitter Carmen Annevelink (Los Altos).
Four of the six were ranked among PrepVolleyball.com’s “Senior Aces” – Rennie (No. 20), Kirtley (No. 51), Castillo (No. 63) and Shafiq (No. 77) – while Albrecht and Annevelink were among the publication’s “Next 150.”
Rennie was an Under Armour Third Team All-American who graduated from high school early and enrolled at Cal for the recently-completed spring semester. Shafiq, Albrecht and Annevelink each earned Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention. Rennie and Castillo played on the U.S. Youth National Team while Kirtley was selected to PrepVolleyball.com’s Defensive Dandies First Team.
Cal’s 2015 schedule is expected to be announced next month. The Bears return All-American middle blocker Lillian Schonewise and All-Pac-12 middle blocker Lara Vukasovic to the team.
