Feb. 16, 2000

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Virginia head volleyball coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton has announced the signing of four players to national letters of intent to attend the University of Virginia and play volleyball for the Cavaliers beginning in the 2000-01 academic year. The four signees are: Shannon Boyle (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy), Kimberly "Paige" Davis (Austin, Texas/Westlake), Kathleen "Katie" Synan (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor), and Anne "Abby" Whittenburg (Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo). Boyle, Synan and Whittenburg have all been selected to All-Stater Magazine's Class of 2000 Super 75 list.

Shannon Boyle is a 6-2 middle blocker from Cincinnati, Ohio. She was a two-year starter for Ursuline Academy and team captain as a senior in 1999. Boyle, who earned first-team All-City and All-State honors in 1999, helped lead Ursuline to the 1999 and 1998 state final four. In addition, she was selected to participate in the city, state and Ohio-Pennsylvania All-Star matches in 1999. Boyle also led all Cincinnati city players in blocking average in 1999. Boyle has played club volleyball for Sports Express for the last three years. Boyle is a three-year member of the Spanish Honor Society as well as the Student Council (1997, 1998 and 1999).

"Shannon is regarded as one of the top middle prospects in the nation. Her athletic ability and mature court demeanor will make an immediate impact on our side of the net," said Shelton.

Paige Davis is a 5-10 outside hitter from Austin, Texas. She was a two-year varsity starter at outside hitter for Westlake High School. Davis served as Westlake's co-captain and also shared the team's MVP honors in 1999. She was named the District Co-MVP and was a first-team All-Centex selection this past season as well as a Texas Girls Coaching Association (TGCA) West All-Star. During the 1999 season, Davis was selected as the Pearland Tournament MVP and was named to the Fraulinfest All-Tournament team. She helped lead Westlake to the regional semifinals in 1999 after the team advanced to the regional quarterfinals in 1998. An outstanding athlete, Davis was also selected as Westlake's track MVP in 1999 and has been a regional qualifier in seven different events. She plays club volleyball for the Austin Juniors. Davis is a two-time Academic All-District pick (1998 and 1999) and also garnered Academic All-State accolades in 1999. She is a member of the National Honor Society.

"Probably the biggest "sleeper" recruit from the class of 2000, Paige is a tremendous athlete with a contagious, upbeat personality. Her potential is very exciting and we are looking forward to having her at Virginia," stated Shelton.

Katie Synan is a 6-2 left-handed outside hitter from Fredericksburg, Va. She is a four-year varsity performer in both volleyball and basketball for Chancellor High School. As a junior, she was the team Co-MVP and garnered first-team All-District and All-Region honors and was a second-team All-State selection. Synan was also named to the Free Lance All-Area team. Her senior season is currently in progress and Chancellor is undefeated entering the state playoffs. In basketball, she was a first-team All-State selection in 1999 and was chosen as the Co-District and Co-Region Player of the Year. Synan is Chancellor's second all-time leading scorer and is also just the second player to score 1000 career points. She was twice named team's MVP in basketball. She plays club volleyball for the Richmond Volleyball Club.

"We are excited Katie chose to stay close to home and bring her talents to our team. Physically, she has the tools to be one of the more dominant players in the nation, and we are anxious to see how quickly she reaches her potential, " commented Shelton.

Abby Whittenburg is a 5-8 setter from Amarillo, Texas. She served as Amarillo's volleyball co-captain in 1999. She is a 1999 Texas Sports Writers 5A All-State team pick and has twice been named to District 3-5A All-District team (1999 and 1998). Whittenburg is a two-time Globe News team pick and District MVP (1999 and 1998) and was named to the All-Area Super team in 1999. She was the All-Area MVP in 1998 as well. In 1999, Whittenburg garnered the All-School Award as Amarillo's Outstanding Female Athlete. In 1998, she was named to the TGCA 5A All-State team and to the Texas 5A All-State Tournament team. The same year, Whittenburg helped lead Amarillo to the 5A State Championship with a perfect 39-0 record. Whittenburg also earned three varsity letters as a member of Amarillo's basketball team. She was an All-District pick in 1998-99. She plays club volleyball for the Amarillo Juniors. Whittenburg is a National Honor Society member.

"Abby is considered one of the top setting recruits in the nation, and we are very pleased she chose Virginia. Her elite playing experience, leadership skills, and athleticism will allow her to come in and challenge for our starting spot right away," said Shelton.

Virginia finished the 1999 season with an 19-12 overall record a record and a 9-7 mark in the ACC. The Cavaliers earned their second consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament in 1999, but fell to Arizona 3-0 in the first round on December 2, in Austin, Texas.