ELON, N.C. – Elon University volleyball and head coach Mary Tendler announced the addition of three more future Phoenix in Sydney Daniels (Needham B. Broughton High School/Raleigh, N.C.), Brooke Doherty (Holly Springs High School/Holly Springs, N.C.) and Clara LaRue (West Forsyth High School/Lewisville, N.C.) on Friday, Feb. 4.

"We are excited to welcome three more players and their families to the Class of 2026," said Tendler. "Since all three are from North Carolina, we have been able to watch them progress throughout the years in their high school and club seasons. We are so glad they chose to stay close to home to bring their talents to Elon Volleyball."
  Sydney Daniels • Raleigh, N.C. • Needham B. Broughton High • Defensive Specialist / Libero • 5-6
 

Notes: Daniels tallied 1226 career digs and set a single season record for digs (518) at Needham B. Broughton High School. Under coach Drew Hermanson, Daniels helped Broughton High to the state playoffs every year including a state semi-final appearance her sophomore year. She earned CAP 7 All-Conference honors and NCVBCA honors as a member of the All-Region team and 4A All-state teams. At Broughton High, Daniels was also a member of the National Honor Society and the National Art Honor Society. Daniels played club ball for coach Logan Barber at Triangle Volleyball Club and was placed on the 2021 AVCA All-American watchlist. She also earned recognition on the AVCA Phenom, 2020 NCVBCA and 2020 JVA watchlists.

Quoting Coach Tendler: "Sydney's passion for volleyball is very evident: she plays with her heart and connects with her teammates. She has a knack for reading a play defensively and knowing where the ball is going to be hit. She seems to always be in the right spot, and if she isn't, she pursues the ball relentlessly. I've known Sydney and her family for quite a while, due to her coming to summer camps each year from such a young age. It seems like a perfect fit for her to be a student-athlete at Elon."
  Brooke Doherty • Holly Springs, N.C. • Holly Springs High • Outside Hitter • 6-0
 

Notes: Doherty was a four-year letter winner at Holly Springs High School, where she was named captain her senior year and earned all-conference honors as a sophomore. Under coach Connor Davis, she helped Holly Springs to its first appearance in the Elite 8 of the NCVBCA state playoffs and was named a 2021 High School All-American Honorable Mention by PrepVolleyball.com. Off the court, she was a member of the National Junior Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Latin Honor Society and Art Honor Society. She was also a member of the Random Acts of Kindness Club and Purple Craze. Doherty played club for the Triangle Volleyball 18 Black team under coach Logan Barber, where she was named an Ultra Ankle Class of 2022 Player to Watch and Prep Volleyball Club Watch List for the class of 2022. In 2019, Doherty was selected to the USA Girls National A2 Training Program.

Quoting Coach Tendler: "Brooke is a very explosive, aggressive pin hitter that finds ways to score, whether by tooling the block or pounding it through the floor. Her athleticism stands out right away and, through hard work, she will just keep getting better and better in all aspects of the game. Her confidence and positivity are contagious and make those around her better. We have been so proud of the leadership she exhibited with her high school team as they had their best finish ever."
  Clara LaRue • Lewisville, N.C. • West Forsyth High • Outside Hitter • 6-0
 

Notes: A team captain at West Forsyth High School, LaRue earned All-Conference honors in all four years, to include All-Region nods in 2020 and 2021. She was named West Forsyth Impact Player of the Year in 2018-19, was tabbed her school's Offensive Player of the Year the following season and finished with 28 kills in a playoff match at the 2021-22 NCHSAA Volleyball State Championships. Off the court, Clara is the Features Editor for her school's student news site, The Zephyr. She played club at Twin City Volleyball Academy under coach Amber Brandon and also plays beach volleyball, where she went undefeated in the regular season her junior season and won the 2021 Triad Beach Volleyball Conference Tournament final.

Quoting Coach Tendler: "Even though Clara has played up almost every year, she has been a standout on each team. She is a very competitive player and understands that winning doesn't just happen in matches; she is willing to put the hard work in each and every day and has already seen it pay off. Clara can bring the heat with her swing, but also has a nice touch on the ball. We expect her to draw on her experience at both the left and right side to make our pin position more competitive."
 
The trio, along with Lindsay Harris, will join the Phoenix next fall for the 2022 season.