Volleyball Signs Sacred Heart Standout Kelli Dickson
Nov 14, 2001 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 14, 2001
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Local high school standout Kelli Dickson has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at Tulane University, head coach Betsy Becker announced Wednesday with the start of the NCAA's early signing period.
Dickson, a three-sport athlete as a prepster, joins the Green Wave after a two-year career at The Academy of the Sacred Heart where she helped the Cardinals to back-to-back Louisiana Division 3A State Championships. As a senior, Dickson earned MVP honors of the state championship tournament.
"We're really excited about signing a player the caliber of Kelli Dickson," Becker said. "She not only brings unbelievable athletic ability, but also a high volleyball IQ. Kelly is a hard-nosed competitor and she will add a tremendous amount to our team, athletic department and university.
"She's a prototypical player for the rally scoring era of college volleyball. She's very disciplined and makes very few errors. But the biggest thing she brings to the table is her desire to win. That attitude will help us continue to make strides as a team and help Tulane become a power in Conference USA."
Dickson was named first-team all-state last year and is expected to be given the honor again when the Louisiana High School Athletic Association releases their teams later this month. She was an all-district and all-metro honoree after her junior and senior seasons.
Dickson is also a standout basketball player and cross country runner, earning all-district honors in women's hoops as a junior and participating in the state cross country meet as a senior.
The signing of the Sacred Heart standout is the first of the third recruiting class by Becker as the Green Wave continues to go through a youth movement. This year, the Green Wave features four freshman that have seen significant action, including two that have been full-time starters throughout the season, and four underclassmen starters.
The youth movement has proven to be a successful formula for Tulane, though, as the Green Wave finished the regular season 16-13 which marks the first time since 1994 that the team finished the year with a winning record.
Dickson is no stranger to the Tulane athletic family as her father, Rick, is now in his second year as the Green Wave's athletic director. In addition, her sister Kari, played volleyball for the Green Wave last season and is currently a student at Tulane University.
The Green Wave returns to action on Thursday, Nov. 15 when Tulane participates in the 2001 Healthy Choice Conference USA Tournament. With a 7-9 league record, Tulane earned the No. 9 seed in the tournament and will take on eighth-seeded Memphis tomorrow night at 6 p.m. in Hofheinz Pavilion.
