FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – After announcing the addition of 10 new Sharks to the 2019 roster, the Nova Southeastern volleyball team and head coach
Brian Rosen are proud to reveal an additional two more signees. Over the past week,
Alex Boone and
Ally Ford have inked their names to the Shark squad, bringing the overall 2019 recruiting class to 12.
"Our Shark volleyball family has gotten stronger in so many ways the past few weeks," explained Rosen. "The late additions of grad transfer,
Ally Ford, and transfer,
Alex Boone, could not have come at a better time. We added two more Div. I transfers, each with two years of high-level game experience - Ally with four years of college training. These student-athletes are on top of the four other DI transfers and six incoming freshmen already signed to join us in the fall. Coach Selene [Teitelbaum] affectionately refers to the incoming group as the 'Dirty Dozen'. Alex and Ally will bring a tremendous amount of talent and leadership to our roster. In our early phone calls, I knew they would be perfect fits for the winning culture we are creating here at NSU. Our players on campus instantly fell in love with both, and we could not be more excited to have them joint the Frenzy this fall."
As a freshman at Charlotte, Boone played in 25 matches for the 49ers, recording 103 total blocks, which topped her team and ranked her seventh overall in the Conference USA. Additionally, her 1.18 blocks per set ranked third in the C-USA. Boone set career highs on the road against UTSA with 10 blocks, 9 kills, and a .750 hitting percentage. Alex finished the season with 82 kills and registering at least three blocks in 17/25 matches. In her sophomore year, she played in just eight matches before an injury. In limited action, she recorded 23 kills and 17 blocks. As a prep star at Mountain Heritage HS, she finished her four year career with 1,465 kills, 1,279 digs, four all-conference selections and was twice named Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year.
"Coming from Davidson [College], I was very familiar with Alex when she showed up on the transfer portal, and I knew she was the perfect fit for our program. As a freshman at Charlotte, she hit .714 against us! The minute she arrives on campus this fall, Alex will be ready to make an impact on our program and the Sunshine State Conference. She has a drive to win and understands the work necessary to get there. Alex brings much needed leadership to our locker room and her position group, which is comprised of three talented freshmen. She shares our vision for the potential of this volleyball program and will be instrumental in our success."
After redshirting her first two years at Univ. of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Ford shined during her third year for the Mocs, appearing in 105 sets, starting in all 28 matches. She led the team with 417 kills (3.97 per set), ranking third in the Southern Conference in kills per set and fourth in total kills. Over the course of the year, Ford had 26 matches with double digit kills, including a career high 22 against ETSU, while posting 12 double-doubles and finishing the season third on the team with 267 total digs. From her performance as a redshirt-sophomore, she was named to the All-Southern Conference Second Team. During her prep career at Flint Hill High School, she was named the Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year in her junior and senior seasons. Off the court, Ford graduated in three and a half years with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, finding her name on the Dean's List with a 4.0 GPA in seven of her semesters. When she attends NSU, she will be pursuing her masters in Counseling with a concentration in substance abuse.
"Ally is such a special individual, and an incredible addition to our program," remarked Rosen. "In the classroom, she goes above and beyond, wanting to go into substance abuse counseling and make a positive impact in the lives of others. Her numbers on the court speak for themselves, and she is a force to be reckoned with. Her serve will score points and give us opportunities to go on runs every time she steps behind the line. Ally's arm swing in the front row has the ability to blow defenders away. Beyond all of this, Ally brings experience and knowledge to our program that simply can't be taught. She went from sideline captain, to injured, to the go-to hitter at one of the top programs in the Southern Conference. I cannot wait to see the impact Ally will have on our program on and off the court."
