Freshman outside hitter Whitney Follette (8) hits the ball over the net as freshman setter Allison Palmer (23) watches during the Sun Devils’ 3-0 win over California on Sept. 28.Having a good recruiting class can help lift any program to new levels of competition.
Having a great recruiting class can almost instantly take that program to new levels of competition.
That’s the case with the ASU volleyball team.
The No. 21 recruiting class by PrepVolleyball.com — which includes Mercedes Binns, Whitney Follette, Macey Gardner and Allison Palmer — has been anticipated since Gardner’s commitment to ASU in her sophomore year of high school.
Since joining the Sun Devils, the Class of 2016 has helped the volleyball program jump out to one of their best overall starts in recent years.
The four Sun Devils come from all over North America. Gardner is a local product, as she grew up nearby in Gilbert. She committed to ASU just after her sophomore year at Gilbert High School.
Binns didn’t travel too far from home, as she grew up in southern California. Binns committed during the second half of her senior year at South Pasadena High School.
Palmer, also a native of California, went to Laguna Beach High School in Laguna Beach, Calif., and committed to ASU in the September of her junior year of high school.
Making the furthest trip out of the four is Follette, who went to Paul Kane High School in St. Albert, Canada.
“I wanted to get out of Canada,” Follette said. “I wanted to experience something new.”
Follette was also the last of the four to commit to ASU, waiting until April to give the University her official commitment.
“After I committed, (Macey and I) were both trying to get Whitney (to commit),” Palmer said. “We were Facebooking her all the time, texting her, trying to get each other here because we knew we were going to be a good-bonded freshman class.”
The commitment of all four to ASU has already paid off nicely, as each of them has found a solid niche within coach Jason Watson’s system.
Gardner, an outside hitter, and Palmer, a setter, have each started in every match this season for the Sun Devils.
Gardner has seized the opportunity, as she currently ranks No. 5 in the nation in kills per set (4.86), while Palmer’s performance puts her at No. 10 in the nation in assists (11.73). Binns and Follette have also made strong contributions to the team, as both rank No. 2 and No. 3 on the team in blocks per set at 0.88 and 0.85, respectively.
“It’s been freaking awesome,” Binns said. “No, really, it’s really fun. Traveling is fun (and) being with the team is fun — everything is great. It’s hard, but fun.”
Binns stands out on paper, not only for her height, but for her name as well. Born Mercedes Destiny Binns, her name sounds very similar to the luxury car brand Mercedes-Benz.
“It’s my dad’s fault,” Binns joked. “My dad, because his last name is Binns, he’s always like, ‘Oh, when I have a daughter, I’m going to name her Mercedes.’”
The four freshmen each bring different qualities both on and off the court that are unique from any other team in the country.
“You won’t find a team that bonds like Arizona State does, and that’s pretty awesome,” Gardner said.
Watson and his staff worked hard in getting each player to come to ASU, and have seen the quartet seamlessly blend in with the rest of the team.
“They’re wonderful, and they've come in and have integrated themselves well with everybody, and that’s not always the easiest thing to do as a freshman, especially if you're a freshman and seeing significant time,” Watson said.
It’s not even halfway through the Pac-12 schedule, and the foursome has already helped the Sun Devils turn into a conference contender. With three and a half more years left until their final game, it will be exciting for fans to watch and see what heights these “fantastic freshmen” take the ASU volleyball program to.
Reach the reporter at talopez3@asu.edu
