Published: December 15, 2007 12:04 am         

Woodrow’s Black signs with MSU

The recruiting season has begun for Mountain State University volleyball.

Woodrow Wilson’s Ashton Black became the first recruit of coach Tim Berry’s 2008 class.

“I’ve been impressed with Ashton since the first time I saw her play this past year,” Berry said. “She stepped up in a situation where she was needed. I see a lot of fundamental strengths. I think she will step up to the college level quickly.”

A 6-foot-2 middle blocker for the Flying Eagles, Black made the most of her opportunity to step into the starting rotation when Bre Knapp went down with an injury.

“She came on really strong after Bre got hurt,” Woodrow Wilson coach Shirley Brown said. “She just knew that she had to pick her game up and she played really well. In the regionals, she was an intricate part of us winning.”

Black excelled for the Eagles, especially in the regional championship win over George Washington. She controlled the net against the Patriots’ duo of Susan Waldie and Meredith O’Malley — both Marshall University recruits.

“It was just amazing,” Black said. “Since I’ve been in ninth grade, I’ve always wanted to block Meredith O’Malley. It was amazing just to block her and Susan Waldie.”

Black is thrilled to get the chance to play at the next level.

“I’m really, really excited,” she said. “I’m really excited that God has given me this gift to play volleyball and given me the ability to play so I am able to get a scholarship.”

Brown was also happy to see one of her players get a chance to continue on to the next level.

“I’m glad that she is going to get to play,” she said. “She wanted to stay home and that’s great.”

Black is also looking forward to playing for Berry next fall.

“Tim Berry seems like a really nice coach,” Black said. “He seems like a really good person. He seems like he is going to be a great coach that’s going to make us be a team and help us to win and succeed.”

She plans to study in the medical field at Mountain State

“I think I want to become a pediatrician so I can open my own Christian clinic and maybe, possibly, do something in missionary work,” Black said. “I just want to make a difference.”

— E-mail:

rjett@register-herald.com