MOREHEAD, Ky. – While Morehead State beach volleyball's second season is still months away, the program welcomes three newcomers to the program. All three newcomers will be freshmen during the 2018-19 academic year.

Signees Hannah Mabrey (Acworth, Ga.), Margaret Musselman (Pataskala, Ohio) and Hannah Keating (Liberty Township, Ohio) make up beach volleyball's inaugural signing class. Mabrey and Musselman will compete in beach only competition, while Keating is slated to compete in both indoor and beach volleyball.

"I could not be more excited to announce our first beach volleyball recruiting class," said head coach Jaime Gordon. "These three women are committing to a vision of what we want to build here at Morehead State. We have decided to build this program on a foundation of a love for the game, and I cannot imagine anyone more passionate about both beach volleyball and Morehead State than these three. This is a special day for our program because it is the start of something special as this class sets off to establish a tradition of Eagle beach volleyball."



Mabrey joins the Morehead State program after competing for S3 Beach Volleyball in Cartersville, Ga. At Morehead State, she intends to major in graphic design and photography.

Competing for S3, Mabrey captured 17 top-five event finishes, including victories at the HP A2 Zonal Region Bid Tournament, USAV Lucky Charm Qualifier, SRVA at Rally, and an AAU qualifier.

Mabrey is a standout indoor volleyball player for head coach Joe Auriemma and the Kell High School Longhorns. As a senior in 2017, she was named Second Team All-Area.

"Hannah is the beach equivalent of a gym rat," said Gordon. "She is happiest when she is in the sand whether it be at practice, competition, or volunteering for events, clinics, and tournaments. She is an outstanding defender with exceptional range. She is also tremendous at adjusting to the needs of her partners. She has a great ability to understand the gaps and voids she needs to fill in order for the get the best out of her partner. Hannah is an extremely creative and expressive person, and that is reflected in her adaptive way she plays the game. She is a spark plug of energy, and I can't wait to have her out there on the courts in the blue and gold!"



Musselman joins the beach volleyball program after competing with fellow signee Hannah Keating for the Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Club.

Musselman and Keating comprise a formidable duo, having captured Ohio Valley Region Championships and Ohio Valley Region Columbus Beach Open titles. Musselman also finished third at the AAU Beach Mid-American Championships.

Musselman is also a standout indoor volleyball player for Watkins Memorial High School. As a junior, she broke her own school assist record, dishing out 689 assists.

Academically, Musselman is a member of the National Honor Society and Scholar Athlete Leadership Team at WMHS. She is also a recipient of the bronze and silver scholar awards.

"Margaret is an outstanding communicator. She is so well connected to her teammates and does a great job of directing the flow of the game," added Gordon. "Her ball control and defensive efficiency are significant strengths, and her shot placement and court awareness is really well connected. In a sport where the impact that coaches can have during competition is limited, Margaret possesses great leadership and tactical feedback for her teammates."



Keating joins the beach volleyball program after competing with fellow signee Margaret Musselman for the Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Club.

Competing with Musselman, the duo captured Ohio Valley Region Championships and Ohio Valley Region Columbus Beach Open titles. Keating has also captured top-five performances at the Ohio Valley Region Junior Beach Tour and USA Volleyball Junior Beach Tour in Loveland, Ohio.

She also has had the opportunity to experience the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala., competing in the Juniors Festival.

Off the court, Keating is a member of the National Honor Society at Lakota East High School. She has also been named to the school's honor roll throughout her high school career.

"Hannah has committed so much time to both her indoor and beach game. It is impressive to see the development she has had in both areas," Gordon said. "She is a great presence at the net with a very quick finish on the ball. She has a good range in her shot selection and puts up a great block for defenders to play behind. One of the challenges for crossover players is making the transition from indoor to the beach season. Hannah has shown a great ability to do this on a weekly and sometimes daily basis, which just reflects the type of athlete she is."