Gators ink four to their incoming 2024 class.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The nationally ranked Florida volleyball program welcomes its 2024 signing class on Wednesday, as four high school seniors became Gators.
“We are thrilled with the highly-talented players and proven winners this class brings us. No doubt they will leave their mark on Gator VB just as each one of them did with their own high school program.” – Head Coach Mary Wise
Below are the details of the four signees’ – Jaela Auguste, Lauren Harden, Taylor Parks and Alec Rothe – high school and club accolades.
Jaela Auguste | 6-2 | MB | Hometown: Spring, Texas | High School: Grand Oaks | Club: Houston Skyline
Auguste’s High School Accolades
* 2021: District 13-6A Most Valuable Blocker
* 2022: District 13-6A Most Valuable Blocker
* 2022: TGCA All-State
* 2022: TGCA All-Star
* 2022: District 13-6A Co- Champions
* 2022: Texas Showdown All-Tournament Team
* 2022: All-Montgomery County Defensive Player of The Year
* 2022: 6A GHVCA Post-Season Team 2022 AVCA Phenom, 2022 Grand Oak Female Athlete of the Year, 2023: GHVCA Pre-Season Watch List
* 2023: Northwest ISD Tournament Champions
* 2023: Northwest ISD Tournament MVP
* 2023: Volleypalooza Third place finish
* 2023: Volleypalooza All-Tournament Team.
Auguste’s Club Accolades
* 2023: GJNC Bronze 17 Open Division
* 2023: PrepVolleyball Club All- American
* 2023: Best Offensive Player
* 2023: Bronze Medalist Northeast Qualifier- Open
* Club Wide Highest Hitting Percentage
* 2023: Under Armour All- American
* 2022: Under Armour MVP
Auguste’s USA High Performance Accolades
* 2023: FIVB U19 World Championship- Gold
* 2023: USAV NORCECA Girls U19 Pan American Cup- Gold
* 2023: U19 National Team
* 2022: USAV NTDP U17 Training Series
* 2021: USAV NTDP U16 Training Series
Auguste’s Off-the-Court Accolades
* Also competed in Track & Field
* 2023: UIL 6A State Qualifier- High Jump
* 2022: UIL 6A State High Jump Runner Up
* 2021: Freshman of The Year
* Track Houston 15-16 Girls AAU High Jump Champion
* 2020: Academic Letterwinner
* 2020-21: Track Houston Youth Track Coach/ Highjump
* Mom, Alisha, was a member of the Sam Houston State Volleyball & Track teams
* Dad, Wilder, played basketball for Sam Houston State and was a member of the Harlem Globetrotters
Why Auguste Chose Florida
* “I chose Florida because I knew it was the best fit for me and my personality! When I went to camp, I loved the environment and the staff. Florida felt like home and it was perfect for me!”
Lauren Harden | 6-3 | OH | Hometown: Fishers, Ind. | High School: Hamilton Southeastern | Club: The Academy Volleyball Club
Harden’s High School Accolades
* 2023: Max Preps High School Volleyball National Player of the Year Watch List
* Broke the HSE All Time Kill
* Record at Crown Point Invitational 9-23-2023
* Reached 1000 kills milestone 9-2-2023 vs Bellmont
* WISH-TV Athlete of the Week September 2023
* 2023: High School Volleyball SBLive Best Hitter in the Nation
* 2023: Max Preps Preseason All-America Team
* 2023: Max Preps Best High School Team in Indiana
* 2023: Max Preps Best High School Player in Indiana
* 2023: IndyStar Girls High School Volleyball Super Team 2023: Indiana High School Sports Athlete of the Year Nominee
* 2022: Max Preps All-American
* 2022: Class 4A State Champion
* 2022: All-USA Indy Star Super Team First Team
* 2022: Indiana High School Junior All Star Team Champion
* 2022: Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association 4A First Team All-State
* 2022: Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association 4A All-District Team
* 2022: Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference Volleyball 1st Team
* 2021: Added to the Hamilton Southeastern Hall of Fame
* 2021: Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association 4A First Team All-State
* 2021: Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference Volleyball First Team
* 2021: Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association All-District (4A North Central)
* 2021: IHSAA volleyball All-USA Central Indiana Super Team
* 2021: Pre-Season All America First Team (Max Preps)
* 2020: Max Preps National Player of the Year Candidate
* 2020: Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association 4A All-State 2nd Team
* 2020: Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference Volleyball First Team
* 2020: Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association All-District (4A North Central)
* 2020: Indiana All-County Volleyball Team
Harden’s Club Accolades
* 2023: Prep Volleyball Club All American
* Third Place Northeast Girls National Qualifier
* 2022: Under Armour Next Camps MVP
* 2021: JVA All National Team
* AAU Academic All American – 15 Open
* AAU All American – 15 Open
* 2021: AAU Nationals – Third Place 15 Open
* Prep Volleyball Top 150 for the Class of 2024
* 2020: Volleyball Magazine All American Honorable Mention
* 2019: MVP Award ROX Crossroads Finale (Southland Center, IL)
* 2019: ROX Crossroads Finale Champions 15 Division (Southland Center, IL)
* 2019: MLK Challenge Champions 13/14 Open
Harden’s USA High Performance Accolades
* 2023: National Training Development Program – USA Volleyball
* 2022: National Training Development Program – USA Volleyball
* 2021: National Training Development Program – USA Volleyball
* 2020: National Training Development Program – USA Volleyball
Harden’s Off-the-Court Accolades
* Academic All-American 2021 and 2022 for high school
* Junior National Honor Society
* Quill and Scroll Honor
* Dad, Lawrence, ran track at Michigan State
* Holds the records for indoor 55-meter hurdles
* All-American at Michigan State
Why Harden Chose Florida
* I chose Florida because I was immediately in love on my visit. On my visit I got to understand and get to know the campus, the awesome academics the school provides, meet the team, coaches and some of my future teammates. It was the most fun I had ever had on a visit. I just had a feeling that this was going to be my home for the next 4 years.”
Taylor Parks | 5-11 |S | Hometown: Clearwater, Fla. | High School: Calvary Christian | Club: OTVA
Parks’ High School Accolades
* 4-year starter
* 3-year captain
* Finished career with 3120 assists, 405 kills, 832 digs, 112 blocks and 152 aces while leading team to 90-20 record (as of 10/8/2023)
* 2020: First for assists per set in nation for class of 2024
* 2020: Rookie of the Year Award
* 2021: 3A State Champions (First in school history)
* 2021: Florida Dairy Farmer’s 3A Player of the Year
* 2021: Pinellas County Player of the Year
* 2021: AVCA Phenom Watchlist
* 2021: AVCA / MaxPreps National Player of the Week for Florida
* 2021: PrepVolleyball’s top 10 setters to watch
* 2021: FACA All-State Team and All-Academic Team
* 2021: University of Tampa Team Camp Champions & MVP
* 2021: Berkeley Premier All-Tournament Team
* 2021: Warrior Invitational All-Tournament Team
* 2021: Team MVP
* 2021: Team finished ranked Ninth in the nation
* 2022: AVCA Phenom Watchlist
* 2022: AVCA / MaxPreps National Player of the Week for Florida
* 2022: FACA All-State Team and All-Academic Team
* 2022: University of Tampa Team Camp All-Tournament Team
* 2022: Tournament of Champions Supernova
* 2022: Berkeley Premier All-Tournament Team
* 2022: Warrior Invitational Champions & MVP
* 2022: Team MVP
* 2022: District Champions, Sweet 16, Team finished ranked 21st in the nation
* 2023: University of Florida Team Camp MVP
* 2023: Tournament of Champions Gold Division Champions & All-Tournament Team
* 2023: Warrior Invitational Champions & MVP
Parks’ Club Accolades
* 2021: USAV JO’s 11th place finish & All-Tournament Team
* 2021: Under Armour All-American Camp Invite
* 2021: Team Captain
* 2022: NIT 3rd Place Finish / Prep Volleyball All-Tournament Team
* 2022: Nike MEQ All-Tournament Team
* 2022: Under Armour All-American Camp Invite
* 2022: AAU All-American
* 2022: Third place at AAU National Championships
* 2022: Ninth place at USAV Junior National Championships
* 2022: Team finished ranked Fourth in the nation (PrepVolleyball)
* 2022: Team Captain
* 2023: NIT Second Place Finish / Prep Volleyball All-Tournament Team
* 2023: Volleyball Mag two-time “Dream Team of the Week” selection
* 2023: Sunshine Qualifier Open Champions
* 2023: 17 Open AAU National Champions / AAU All-American / Tournament MVP / PrepVolleyball All-Tournament Team
* 2023: Ninth place at USAV Junior National Championships
* 2023: PrepVolleyball First Team All-American
* 2023: Team finished ranked seventh in the nation (PrepVolleyball)
* 2023: Under Armour Camp MVP
* 2023: Under Armour All-American and named to the Under Armour High School All-America Match
* 2023: Team Captain
Parks’ USA High Performance Accolades
* 2021: High Performance International Select Team Florida
* 2022: NTDP Winter Training Series – Anaheim, CA
* 2023: NTDP Spring 2023 Training Series – Washington, DC & Summer 2023 Training Series – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Parks’ Off-the-Court Accolades
* National Honor Society
* Spanish National Honor Society
* Mu Alpha Theta
* English National Honor Society
* Rho Kappa
* ACSI Distinguished Christian High School Students
* Academic Excellence Honor Roll, Scholar Athlete Award
* Ranked in the top 10 in her class, Unweighted 4.0 GPA
* Skycrest Christian Middle School Valedictorian
* Skycrest Skyhawk Top Female Athlete Award
* Volunteer coach at Skycrest Christian and Calvary Christian volleyball camps
* Also competed in beach volleyball, where her team finished State runners up in 2021
* Named MVP of her beach volleyball team in both 2021 and 2022
* Cousin Nikki O’Rourke played at the University of Florida under Coach Wise
* Mother, Heather, played volleyball at Georgia Tech
* Stepfather, Kris – played baseball and football at Georgia Tech
* Was also a pitcher for the KC Royals and NY Yankees
* Grandfather, Robert, played basketball at Florida State
Why Parks Chose Florida
* “Playing at the University of Florida had been my dream since I started playing volleyball. I chose Florida so that I could compete at the highest level, while receiving a prestigious education. Not only did I want to learn from the most experienced, successful, and respected coaches but also to be a part of such a special group of girls, who truly love each other, on and off the court. It was so obvious that the vibe at UF is unmatched, and everything about it just felt so right.”
Alec Rothe | 6-3 | MB | Hometown: Dublin, Ohio | High School: Dublin Scioto | Club: Elite Volleyball Training Center
Rothe’s High School Accolades
* 2023: MaxPreps All-America Team: Sixty players from Arizona to Wyoming comprise the nation’s best
* 2023: Ranked #7 in the PrepVolleyball’s Top 150 best volleyball players for the Class of 2024
* 2023: Prep Dig Ohio – Ranked #1 Recruit in the State of Ohio for the Class of 2024
* 2023: 1st team all OCC
* 2023: OCC player of the year
* 2023: Division 1 district player of the year
* 2023: D1 1st team all district
* 2023: D1 1st team all state
* 2023: AVCA all region
* 2023: AVCA Best & Brightest 2nd Team
* 2023: AVCA GPA Award
* 2023: AVCA All American Watch List
* 2023: JVA AthLeader – The JVA is pleased to announce the 2023 JVA Athleaders
* These 26 honorees are among the top junior volleyball student athletes in the nation who display outstanding achievement in the classroom, in addition to leadership, involvement in extracurricular activities and community service, all while excelling as volleyball athletes.
* 2023: August: USA Volleyball, National Team Development Program (NTDP), Represent Team USA in the 2023 U21 World Championship, Aguascalientes, Mexico.
* 2021-2023: Member of the USA Volleyball, National Team Development Program (2+ years)
* 2023: Invited to represent Ohio at Under Armour All-American Games, Orlando, FL, Winter of 2023
* 2022: Completed High School Junior Volleyball High School Season with 1,016 Career Kills.
* 2022: Post Season Awards: Second Team All Ohio, OCC Capital Conference – Player of the Year, First Team Central District and First Team OCC Capital Conference.
* 2022: Named to the JVA All-National Team by Junior Volleyball Association & Fivestar
* 2022: Central Ohio High School Sports Awards: ThisWeek’s Super 12 girls volleyball team, Athlete of the Year
* 2021: Second Team “All-State/ All-Ohio”
* 2021: MVP – Dublin Scioto High School Volleyball – Team Voted
* 2021: Central Ohio, District Player of the Year.
* 2021: Named to the Ultra Ankle(R) 2021 JVA All National Team
* 2021: Central Ohio High School Sports Awards: ThisWeek’s Super 12 girls volleyball team, Athlete of the Year
* 2020: High School Varsity end of season awards: First Team All-Conference, Second Team All-District
Rothe’s Club Accolades
* 2021: JVA World Challenge – Placed first in the 15 Premier Division with Elite Volleyball Training Center (15 Black)
* 2019: Girls Junior Nationals (US Volleyball) – Placed second in the U13 American Division with Elite Volleyball Training Center (13 Black)
Rothe’s USA High Performance Accolades
* 2023: USA Volleyball – Invited to the National Team (NTT) to Represent Team USA in the 2023 U21 World Championship, Aguascalientes, Mexico
* Finished sixth overall
* 2023: Named alternate for the 2023 U19 PanAm and U19 World Championship National teams.
* 2021-2023: Member of the USA Volleyball, National Team Development Program (2+ years)
* 2022: Invited to try out for the U19 PanAm Cup National team
Rothe’s Off-the-Court Accolades
* Four-year Honor Roll student
* 2023: Peer Collaborator & Freshmen Orientation Team
* Two-year member of High School National Honor Society
* Three-year member of Student Senate, serving as the Social Events Chair
* Three-year member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes
* 2023: Celebration of Excellence Honoree
* 2019: Middle School Citizen of the Year Award
* 2023: Member of the Leadership Council for the Club Athlete Council with LeagueOne (LOVB) Volleyball representing Club Sports Athletes (representing Elite Volleyball Training Center.)
* 2023: Dublin Scioto Boy Volleyball Program – Volunteer Assistant Coach & practice player
* 2020-2023: Student Coach for Scioto Volleyball & Basketball Summer Camps
* Also competed in basketball and lacrosse
* During her basketball career, she was voted Honorable Mention All-State and set the school record for most rebounds in a season and most blocks in a season
* Earned All-Conference Honors for her lacrosse performances
* Her twin sisters play lacrosse for Grand Valley State and have competed on the Mexican Lacrosse National Team
* Mom played basketball at Nebraska-Kearney
* Grandfather played football for the University of Mexico and was a member of Mexico’s National Team for both handball and basketball
* Aunt was a member of the Mexico National Team for swimming
Why Rothe Chose Florida
* “The biggest thing for me when I was in the recruiting process was having a strong coaching staff, a family like culture, and a hardworking/driven environment. With aspirations of playing extremely high-level collegiate volleyball, and dreams of going to the Olympics someday, it was imperative for me to be around good people who want to do great things. Mary Wise, her coaching staff, and the players that they recruit are the epitome of genuinely good people. I firmly believe that being a gator will enable me to become the best version of myself on and off the court. There’s simply no other head coach I’d want to win a natty for besides THE Mary Wise.”
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