Pulliza adds three more to 2009 roster

November 7, 2014

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Janeliss Torres, Cassie Clarke and Katelyn McCarthy will join the University of Arkansas volleyball team for the 2009 season, Razorback head coach Robert Pulliza announced today.

The trio brings Pulliza’s first recruiting class to seven for next year.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the addition of Janeliss, Cassie and Katelyn for next year’s team,” Pulliza said. “The coaching staff expects all three of these players to have an immediate impact on our program and we’re excited that they want to be a part of the Razorbacks’ success.”

Torres, a 6-1 middle, joins the Razorbacks from Guamani Private School in Salinas, Puerto Rico. As a high school senior, Torres helped her team win the conference title and seventh-place ranking while earning All-Star team honors. A multiple time high school tournament MVP, Torres also competes for the Puerto Rican Junior National team. In the summer of 2006, Torres represented Puerto Rico at the Youth NORCECA winning a bronze medal. She was a participant at the 2007 Youth World Championships in Baja California, Mexico, and paced Puerto Rico to a fourth-place finish at the 2008 NORCECA Tournament in Saltillo, Mexico. She will guide the Junior National team this year at the World Championship in Mexico. The oldest of two children to Lourdes M. Lopez Ortiz and Juan J. Torres Garcia, she has a younger sister, Jailene. Cassie Clarke checks in from Fayetteville High School where she finished her prep career in volleyball and basketball. Clarke was a three-year all-state and four-year all-conference selection with at Verdigris and Fayetteville Highs. As a senior, Clarke earned three all-tournament team honors and was selected to represent the West in the annual All-Star match with Fayetteville. In addition to volleyball, Clarke was a member of Fayetteville’s Class 7A girls basketball state title team helping them to a perfect 32-0 record. Clarke earned state tournament MVP honors for her play as a senior. Clarke is the youngest of two children to Conley and Chris Clarke. Older brother Rotnei plays basketball for the Razorbacks. McCarthy hails from Bentonville, Ark., where she played for Bentonville High and Ozark Juniors Club teams. A 5-7 outside hitter, McCarthy earned three all-conference and two all-state honors. As a senior, she was the MVP of the Arkansas 7A State Championship team, was named Player of the Year by both the
Northwest Arkansas Times and the
Morning News of Northwest Arkansas and guided her team to a 33-4-2 record. McCarthy also played club volleyball for Ozark Juniors helping her team to seven top three tournament finishes.

McCarthy and Clarke were part of the same volleyball club team that recently won the Pacific Northwest Qualifier, becoming the first team from the Delta Region to capture the title.

In addition to volleyball, McCarthy was a member of the Junior Thespian Society, Select Choir, Fellowship of Student Athletes and took part in several community service activities. McCarthy is the youngest of three children to Robert and Lisa McCarthy. She has an older sister, Megan, and an older brother, Kyle. Arkansas is in the midst of spring workouts and returns to the court in August as fall drills begin. For more information about Arkansas volleyball, log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com.