zAUGUSTA, Ga —Augusta volleyball's head coach Sharon Quarles has announced the signing of six student-athletes to join the program for the 2024 season.

The Jaguars' 2024 recruiting class includes right side hitter Marin Freeland, outside hitter Jacklyn Simms, middle hitter Layne Witherspoon, setter Mia Saavedra, libero Giulia Rodrigues, and libero Libby Nickels.


"Augusta Volleyball is excited to welcome and introduce our newest six commits who will help elevate our program to even greater heights this upcoming season," said Quarles. "This is an awesome group of women who will be a great addition to the team, our university, and the community. The potential of this group is incredibly high on and off the court. They strive for success in every aspect of being a student-athlete. Jag Nation is going to truly enjoy the excitement, athleticism, and power that these six athletes bring into Christenberry Fieldhouse this fall!"
 


Marin Freeland
Riverton, UT 6'2" RS
Major – Communications
Senior – Murray State
Freeland is a Division I transfer with one remaining year of eligibility. Her first two years were spent at Central Wyoming College, where they were one of the top-seven teams in the nation.  Freeland tallied 231 kills to average 2.08 per set for the Rustlers in 2022. This past season, she played for Murray State, where she saw action in 18 matches for the Racers.
From Head Coach Sharon Quarles:
"We are excited to have her height and competitiveness on the right side this coming year.  Looking forward to Marin leaving her mark on the program in the fall with her big block and her heavy arm swing."



Jacklyn Simms
Fairfield, IL 6'0" OH
Major – General Studies
Senior – West Virginia State

Simms is another transfer recruit coming to Augusta for her final season of eligibility. She spent the first two years at Wabash Valley College before transferring to West Virginia State. Simms made the All-MEC First Team after excelling on both offense and defense. She had five double-doubles this season, averaging 3.52 kills per set and 2.71 digs per set. Simms had eight matches where she posted double-digit digs and three matches with 15 or more digs. On the offensive side, she had 13 matches with double-digit kills and hit at a .287 clip. She was also named MEC Player of the Week twice this season. She ranked 9th in the Mountain East Conference for hitting percentage (.267), 6th for kills/set (3.38), and 6th for points per set (3.83). 

From Head Coach Sharon Quarles:
"We are super excited to have Jacklyn call Augusta her new home this season and find her place on the outside while being a six-rotation player."
 


Layne Witherspoon
Wildwood, MO 5'10" MH
Major – Biology Pre-Med
Sophomore – Eastern Illinois University

Witherspoon appeared in 22 matches with seven starts as a freshman at EIU. She played in 43 sets, posting 42 kills on a .248 hitting percentage. Layne recorded a season-high of nine kills against Little Rock (11/04) and Western Illinois (11/16), totaling 13 blocks on the season.!

From Head Coach Sharon Quarles:
"Layne's explosive and dynamic playing style with a quick arm swing makes her an exciting addition to the gym this year for the Jags. Both of Layne's parents are former student-athletes at UGA. Her father Will played football for the Dawgs and her mother Rebecca played volleyball. Welcome back to the state of Georgia and Augusta University, Layne! GO JAGS"



Mia Saavedra
Tampa, FL 5'10" S
Major – Business
Sophomore – Spring Hill College

Saavvedra's accolades while at SHC this past season included AVCA All-America Honorable Mention, AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year, AVCA All-South First Team, and SIAC All-Tournament Team. She started in all 35 of her appearances and played 117 sets as a true freshman, recording 319.0 points, 247 kills, and 569 assists. Saavedra totaled 286 digs and owned a perfect (1.000) reception percentage. She tallied 90.0 blocks (6-84) and led the conference with two triple-doubles..

From Head Coach Sharon Quarles:
"Mia brings a well-rounded skill set to the table. She can defend, block, attack, and most importantly, run an offense. Her versatility is going to play well into how we are looking to expand the offense this season."


Giulia Rodrigues
Fort Lauderdale, FL 5'3" L
Graduate – University of North Carolina at Asheville

Rodrigues played both beach and indoor volleyball at State College of Florida and only indoor volleyball at UNCA. While at SCF, she played 39 matches and 120 sets, totaling 63 assists, 23 aces, and 438 digs. She was named NJCAA Player of the Week 2x and FCSAA 25 dig club member. In 2022, Rodrigues' team won the AVCA Beach National Championship. At UNCA during the 2022 season, she reached double-figure digs totals in 21 matches with a season-high of 27 digs. She was featured on NCAA social media pages for multiple digs kills in a match and ranked 5th in the Big South for digs per set.

From Head Coach Sharon Quarles:
"Giulia will have two years of eligibility while working towards her graduate degree at Augusta. Her gritty and determined nature, along with her ability to cover a large defensive area, sets her apart. She is a little "firecracker" that is going help lead the defense."
 


Libby Nickels
New Smyrna Beach, FL 5'1" L
Major – Cellular and Molecular Biology
Freshman – New Smyrna Beach High School

Nickels is an incoming freshman hailing from New Smyrna Beach High School where she won 3 state championships (one indoor and two beach volleyball), 6 district championships, and four regional championships. She was an All-County Honorable Mention selection her senior year.


From Head Coach Sharon Quarles:
"Libby might be listed as a freshman, but she sure does not play like it. With her presence on the court, her voice, her feistiness, and backed up with her play, we are confident that she will stand out amongst her teammates. She is a great addition to the complement of defenders that we already have on our roster."


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