Volleyball Newcomer Kleinman Finds A True Home In Greenville

By Joe Corley
ECUPirates.com

Once a fixture in the basement of Conference USA, the ECU volleyball team has come a long way under Coach Julie Torbett and that success is paving the way for the Pirates possibly to enter what for them had been uncharted waters.

ECU has shown improvement in each season under Torbett, who in 2013 took over a program that had gone a combined 6-82 in the previous three seasons. Last season, the Pirates took a major step forward as they finished 22-11 overall and were fourth at 13-7 in the American Athletic Conference. It was their first winning season since 2006, their first 20-win season since 2005, and their victory total was their highest since 1982.

With its upward momentum, ECU is gaining more and more respect, both within the American and in recruiting. PrepVolleyball.com honored this year's recruiting class, highlighted by 6-foot-2 outside hitter Sydney Kleinman, as "high honorable mention".

Kleinman is transferring in from Minnesota, where she saw action in 14 matches and 30 sets last year as a freshman for a team that at one point was ranked No. 1 and finished 28-6 after losing to Southern California in the Sweet 16. Once she decided to transfer, Kleinman, who was Second-Team Under Armour All-American as a high school senior at Frisco (Texas) Wakeland, set up visits to ECU and Washington.

She visited with the Pirates first and liked what she saw so much that she never went to Washington, a powerhouse which finished 25-8 last year after being upset by Illinois in the second round of the NCAA tournament to snap a string of five consecutive Sweet 16 appearances.

"I was looking for a family feel, to be connected, a place where everybody is there for each other," said Kleinman, who is joining a team that returns four core starters from a year ago, including Shelby Martin, who was the AAC Freshman of the Year. "I was missing that at Minnesota. It felt a little selfish. What I wanted was a selfless team.

"I'm really excited. We haven't had practice yet, but we have had open gyms. I really think there's a lot of talent, a lot of people trying to step up and be a leader, which is a good thing. I think we can do well."

For Torbett, it's yet another tangible sign that her patience and planning are continuing to pay off. She knew the turnaround within the program wouldn't be quick or easy, but if she stayed the course and kept plugging away, it would come.

"It certainly is easier to recruit when you're winning and you have players that love being where they're at," said Torbett, who is ECU's all-time leader in wins and has more than 400 victories in a coaching career spanning 24 years with previous stops at UNC Asheville and Winthrop. "These players love East Carolina University, and they love telling others how happy they are here. Others then want to come play here."

In fact, Martin was key in recruiting Kleinman to ECU. Martin played her high school volleyball in Waxahachie, Texas, just south of Dallas and about an hour south of Frisco. They faced each other in the Texas 5A state volleyball tournament twice.

"My team was lucky enough to win both," Kleinman said. "That's unfortunate for her, but fortunate for me. They were intense games that got really crazy.

"(Martin) is how I found out about ECU. She messaged me on Twitter and gave me information."

The rest is history. Kleinman visited ECU during a home baseball weekend. The weather cooperated with a picture-perfect eastern Carolina weekend, the players were very welcoming, and she clicked with the coaching staff. It was a good fit.

"I think it helps when kids know each other, and you're talking setter to hitter with Shelby and Sydney," Torbett said. "My players are my best recruiters. They'll spend way more time with each other than with me."

The Pirates, who will open with matches against Florida A&M, Alcorn State and Southern Miss in the Southern Miss Classic on Aug. 24-25, now boast a roster that includes four players who have been All-Americans. Kalee Vanderhorst, a Greenville native and a transfer from East Tennessee State who also is part of this year's recruiting class, was an AVCA Under Armour High School All-American at Broughton in Raleigh two years ago. Bri Wood was a 2016 Prep Volleyball Honorable Mention All-American at Freedom Christian in Fayetteville. Page Hiebert, another member of this year's recruiting class, was an NJCAA Second Team All-American for Hutchinson Community College in Kansas last year.

With the returning players and the newcomers, this is a highly anticipated season for ECU, despite the loss of five seniors from a year ago. The possibility of postseason play is realistic, whether it's the NCAA tournament or the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. Had it not been for a couple of unexpected early losses last season, the Pirates could've been playing beyond the regular season in 2017.

"The respect level for us is getting better," Torbett said, noting that no matter how ECU looks on paper, it still needs to continue to prove itself on the floor. "I think when we played so well at UCF last year in the conference opener, losing in five, but then turned around and went to USF and beat them in four, right there we knew we could beat any team in the conference.

"Other teams are now chartering into Greenville and practicing more in preparation for us. Our players are getting voted for all-conference. It's the little things you notice. Other coaches used to ignore us. They used to know they could come in here and get an easy win, but now they don't."

Volleyball Newcomer Kleinman Finds A True Home In Greenville

Players Mentioned

Page Hiebert

Sydney Kleinman

Shelby Martin

Kalee Vanderhorst

Bri Wood

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