USC Women’s Volleyball Signs Ariail, Glock, and Smith to 2021 Class
Tyrah Airial, Elle Glock, and Katelyn Smith will join the Women of Troy in the fall of 2021
Launch the media gallery 1 playerLOS ANGELES – The six-time national champion USC women's volleyball team signed Tyrah Ariail (Frisco, Texas/Lebanon Trail HS), Elle Glock (Wahoo, Neb./Wahoo HS), and Katelyn Smith (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Aliso Niguel HS) to national letters of intent as part of the 2021 freshman class first-year head coach Brad Keller announced on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
"This 2021 class is an outstanding group of young women; representative of volleyball talent from all across the country," said Keller. "They have each experienced tremendous success on the court and are exemplary students in the classroom. We are excited to welcome them to the Trojan Family and expect each of them to make an immediate impact on our program."
USC's three signees—Ariail (29th), Glock (39th), and Smith (11th)—are each ranked among the nation's top 40 recruits of 2021 according to PrepVolleyball.com and together comprise the publication's seventh-ranked class nationally. Additionally, Ariail and Glock were each named to the AVCA's 2021 Under Armour High School All-America second team earlier today (Nov. 11).
Ariail—a 6-1 middle blocker—is a three-time All-District first-team choice and was twice chosen as her district's Blocker of the Year in 2018 and 2019. She is a two-time Academic All-District selection and was named to the 2019 Sports Day Dallas Area third team. Ariail plays for Texas Advantage Volleyball Club and is the 29th-ranked prospect according to PrepVolleyball.com. She helped lead her club to the 2018 junior national championship and a silver-medal finish in 2019.
"Tyrah is an explosive athlete," said Keller. "She has the type of talent that can take over a match in more ways than one and is both an effective attacker and defender at the net. Her reach and speed are unmatched and are just two attributes that we feel will allow her to impact this team in a profound way."
Glock—a 6-1 setter—is PrepVolleyball.com's 39th-ranked recruit and plays for Volleyball Club Nebraska. She led Wahoo High School to the Nebraska state championship three times and concluded her career with 3,201 assists. A four-time all-conference selection, Glock received first-team honors thrice (2018-20) and is a two-time All-State choice. Glock is a perennial name on prep watch lists and Nebraska media all-state teams.
"Elle brings such calm and consistency to her presence on the court," said Keller. "She is an athletic and savvy setter whose remarkable volleyball IQ and court awareness will be invaluable to her success in the collegiate game."
Smith—a 6-3 middle blocker and opposite hitter—is PrepVolleyball.com's 11th-ranked recruit and plays for Tstreet Volleyball Club. She has experience in the USAV pipeline as a member of the 2017 A1 national training program and the 2020 US Women's Junior National Training Team. She was a four-time scholar-athlete award winner at Aliso Viejo HS and earned All-South Coast League honors three times. Smith led her club to the 2019 16s Open national championship.
"Katelyn comes from a great volleyball family and has been around the game for a long time," said Keller. "She has one of the best arms I have seen and is a truly talented hitter. While she can hit a heavy ball, and exhibits exceptional skill on the volleyball court, her personality and positive energy will contribute to the future success of our program."
Last season, USC faced one of the nation's toughest schedules and finished the with an 18-14 overall record despite myriad injuries and changes to the Trojans' lineup. The Women of Troy went 11-9 in the Pac-12 and landed in sixth place. USC received an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament and made its 37th all-time appearance in the tourney (29th consecutive) where the Trojans advanced to the second round before falling to top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Baylor. Outside hitter Khalia Lanier was honored as an AVCA second-team All-American.
For more information on the USC women's volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/WVB. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Source: USC press release (Nov. 11, 2020)