Regis volleyball to welcome in five freshmen in 2023 Recruiting Class

May 19 | By: David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

DENVER, Colo. — The Regis University volleyball program is excited to announce the addition of five new student-athletes to the Rangers family, completing a 2023 Recruiting Class that brings the Regis roster to 16 players heading into next fall.

Regis is coming off a strong 2022 campaign that saw the team finish 22-8 overall, advance to the RMAC Tournament championship game, and earn its third straight trip to NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament. The Rangers accomplished these feats after welcoming in seven recruits in 2022 and replacing more than half the roster last offseason.

Fast forward a year and the Rangers now have the luxury of welcoming back 11 returners from the 2022 squad. That wealth of experienced allowed Regis to seek out young talent, depth and sustainability with this year's recruiting class as the program takes aim at competing on the national stage again in 2023.

"We feel very pleased with how our 2023 class came together. With a very large group of our starters returning from last fall, we really focused our recruiting on some young players versus examining the transfer portal. This young group will be integral to helping us sustain continued success for our program," said Regis head volleyball coach, Joel List. "We haven't had a roster with this kind of depth since 2019. Our new recruits will undoubtedly make practice more competitive. I hope my job to put the best lineup forward each gameday will be a tough one. I'm looking forward to see who works hard this summer and comes back in August ready to play. I've put together the toughest preseason schedule possible. Our new freshman will get to experience and see what it takes to be among the best in the country."

The Rangers' five new signees include:

Grace Demmel | 6'1 | Freshman | Middle Blocker | Niwot, Colorado

Demmel is a local product from Class 4A powerhouse Niwot High School, where she was an All-Conference and All-Region Honorable Mention selection for the Cougars. A three-time letter winner, Demmel played in 183 sets with 336 career kills and 113 total blocks.

As a senior, Demmel set a career high with 151 kills in 81 sets played, hitting at a .293 clip, while helping the Cougars to a 21-9 overall record and a trip to the Class 4A state quarterfinals.

List on Demmel: "Grace exhibits good size as a middle and excels as a blocker. In addition, her enthusiasm for the game and her genuine love for her teammates will be strong character additions to our team. Grace represents a great fit with our very strong middle group."

Lindsey Cure | 6'1 | Freshman | Middle Blocker | Goodland, Kansas

Born in Wray, Colorado and a Kansas prep star for Goodland High School, Cure is another tall, athletic and young middle blocker added to the fold.

Cure was a four-sport standout for GHS in volleyball, swimming, track and basketball, where she helped her team to a state championship in 2021-22. Her senior year in volleyball, she would help Goodland to its third straight Great West Activities Conference (GWAC) league championship while being named First Team All-Conference and the league MVP.

Her performance also earned her Second Team All-State in volleyball, adding to a decorated prep career that also includes holding Goodland's school record in the javelin.

List on Cure: "Lindsey symbolizes a perfect example of what we look for in a recruit when it comes to athleticism: a successful multiple sport athlete all four years of her high school career. Her basketball, track, and swimming experiences will pay huge dividends for her here at Regis. These experiences will allow her to become very versatile on the court, and her work ethic will allow her to segue into our system very quickly. We look forward to Lindsey meeting our high expectations."

Elie King | 5'7 | Setter | Freshman | Arvada, Colorado

Regis locked up another area star in Arvada setter Elie King, who was a three-year letter winner for Faith Christian Academy.

As a senior, King was named the Player of the Year in the Class 3A/2A Metro League as well as a First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-State selection for Class 3A.

In addition to her success at Faith Christian, King played three seasons of club volleyball for The Diff Volleyball Club before playing her senior summer with Colorado Juniors.

List on King: "Elie comes from a great club and high school background, and she emanates from right down the road in Arvada. Given Elie's fierce competitive nature, great defensive skills as a setter, and tough serve, she will step in and be a very exciting player to watch for the next four years. Elie represents another local Colorado recruit. We feel privileged and happy to keep great players in Denver with the opportunity for their families and friends to watch them succeed on the court & in the classroom."

Kayli Starkey | 5'8 | Setter | Freshman | Lakeville, Minnesota

Starkey is an exciting recruit that comes to Regis with a wealth of volleyball experience and knowledge. Her sister, Teagan, plays for another premiere Division II program in Concordia St. Paul, led by their father Brady Starkey; a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year.

Kayli shined on the court and in the classroom during her time at Lakeville South High School, earning All-Conference Honorable Mention both as a volleyball and lacrosse player, as well as All-State academic honors.

Starkey also brings a set of intangible communication and leadership skills to the table, evident by her being voted the team captain of her lacrosse and volleyball teams.

List on Starkey: "Kayli exemplifies a very solid recruit for us. Her decision to come to Colorado and become a Ranger for her college career equates to very good fortune for our program. She brings a winning attitude and consistency to our roster. Kayli exhibits great leadership skills accompanied by very clear goals. She also possesses solid experience as a setter, but she has also helped her teams succeed as a defensive specialist and hitter. Kayli will be an integral asset for our team because of this unique skill set and experience."

Giselle Cazares | 5'3 | Defensive Specialist | Freshman | Pearland, Texas

The Rangers rounded out their 2023 class by snagging a defensive specialist from the Lone Star state in Giselle Cazares.

A prep star for Glenda Dawson High School, Cazares garnered attention from Regis for her play with Absolute Volleyball Academy (AVA); a premier club team out in Webster, Texas.

List on Cazares: "We noticed Giselle this spring while recruiting in Kansas City. The best way to describe her is she's a gritty defensive specialist that will cause some problems with any offense that she plays against. When Giselle visited Regis, she immediately garnered the respect of our team. 'Excitement' is an understatement for when Giselle arrives on campus in August."

Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories