Rackham Watt Announces 2021 Signing Class

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee volleyball head coach Eve Rackham Watt announced Thursday the addition of five signees for the program's 2021 signing class.

Emily Beeker, Izzy Durnell, Ashllyn King, Ava Moes and Julie Wittekind make up the Class of 2021, with Wittekind joining the Lady Vols as a mid-year enrollee. The class includes a pair of 2020 Under Armour Honorable Mention All-Americans and a PrepVolleyball.com top 150 prospect.

"This class not only addresses our positional needs, but their versatility will allow our team to train at an even higher level," Rackham Watt said. "All of these girls believe in what we are building at the University of Tennessee and are committed to being a part of it. They understand the hard work required at this level and are excited about it. I believe they will add not only to our talent, but also tremendously to our culture."

A full Class of 2021 rundown is listed below.

Emily Beeker signing release

Emily Beeker
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Hendersonville HS | Xcel 18 Select
Middle blocker | 6-5

Honors

Named to the 2019 Times News All-Area volleyball team
A 2019 Mountain Six All-Conference volleyball team member
Earned Citizens Times All-Area volleyball team recognition in 2019
Led the Mountain Six Conference with 175 total blocks and 102 solo blocks in 2019
Was named Hendersonville High School Volleyball Offensive MVP for the 2019 season

Beeker: "I chose the University of Tennessee for a plethora of reasons. Some of those reasons being the high level of volleyball training and competition, the exciting yet hometown feel of Knoxville, the perfect distance from my hometown, the academic and athletic resources available and the focus on the Lady Vols program. The campus is beautiful and has lots of activity. I also admire the athletics involvement in political activism and human rights."

Rackham Watt: "Emily Beeker will provide depth for us in the middle blocker position. She is on the newer side to the sport, so we plan to redshirt her first season. What excites us most about Emily is her willingness to learn, compete and believe in herself. Her long term potential is really high and it will be fun to watch her develop. At 6-5, she is built to be a true middle blocker and with hard work, she has the potential to be great."

Izzy Durnell
Suwanee, Georgia
North Gwinnett HS | Atlanta Extreme
Outside Hitter | 6-1

Honors

Named 2020 AVCA Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention
Tabbed as an AVCA Maxpreps Under Armour All-Region Team member for 2020
Named to the JVA Ultra Ankle National Watch List for 2020-21
Was named to the GHSA Georgia All-State team and All-Star Senior team in 2020
Won GHSA Gwinnett County Player of the Year honors and was also named first team in 2020
A two-time member of the GHSA Gwinnett All-County team
Was named to the All-Region team in 2019 and 2020
Won the 2020 GHSA County Championship with North Gwinnett
Reached the Georgia Class 7A State Final Four with North Gwinnett in 2018 and 2020
Led North Gwinnett to the Georgia Class 7A State Sweet Sixteen three times in 2018, 2019 and 2020
Was the 2020 North Gwinnett High School Volleyball MVP
Earned 2020 Gwinnett Daily Post Volleyball Player of the Year honors
An AVCA National Phenom for 2019-20
Earned an invitation to the 2021 Team USA Volleyball National High Performance Continental Team
A 2019 PrepVolleyball.com Big South Showcase Standout - 16U Best Right Side
Named Coaches' Athlete of the Year for 2018 at North Gwinnett High School
Captained her Atlanta Extreme Club Team in 2018-19 and 2020-21
A two-time captain for North Gwinnett in 2018-19 and 2020-21

Durnell: "I'm so inspired by Eve, Gavin, Tyler, and the entire Tennessee coaching and volleyball operations staff. The recruiting process was so amazing and personalized. Everything about it made me feel like it was the perfect fit for me. I'm excited about the winning culture and attitude the Lady Vols are creating and can't wait to be a part of this team. I love the competitive academics and athletics UT offers and the beautiful atmosphere of the school itself. The respect and gratitude the University of Tennessee shows for its female athletes is absolutely incredible."

Rackham Watt: "Izzy Durnell is a player we are really excited about. She is extremely versatile and a lefty, which adds an additional level to her all-around game. She had a tremendous senior year, garnering multiple awards and leading her team deep into the state tournament. What we love about Izzy is her ability to play any position. She will find a way to compete throughout her career."

Ashllyn King
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Blackman HS | Tennessee Performance Volleyball Club
Outside Hitter | 6-0

Honors

Named to the 2019 AVCA Phenom List
PrepVolleyball named King as a "Player that Shined" at the 2019 JVA World Challenge in the 16s division
A PrepVolleyball soph79 elite honorable mention in 2018
Named to the 2019 Ultra Ankle JVA Watch List
King earned all-district, all-tournament and all-region honors for Blackman as a freshman and sophomore
Won all-district offensive MVP honors as a junior and was also named to the state all-tournament team
Earned all-district honors for the fourth consecutive season as a senior and was again named offensive MVP
The TSWA named her to the 2019 all-state team
Won 2020 Daily News Journal all-decade team accolades

King: "I fell in love with the volleyball program and everything that tied into it; the coaches, team and staff. Being on campus felt like home and that was feeling no other campus has ever given me."

Rackham Watt: "Ashllyn King is a great in-state player, which is important to our staff. Another versatile athlete with a high motor, Ashllyn has the ability to play multiple positions. We are excited to have her in our gym every day. Her positive attitude, vocal personality and high energy will make her a great teammate."

Ava Moes
Prior Lake, Minnesota
Lakeville South HS | Mizuno Northern Lights Volleyball Club
Outside Hitter | 6-3

Honors

Tabbed as an AVCA Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention for 2020
Listed as the No. 71 ranked prospect according to PrepVolleyball.com
PrepDig ranked her as the No. 3 player in Minnesota for 2021
Was South Suburban Conference All-Conference Honorable Mention her junior season
As a junior and senior, the Star Tribune named her to the All-Metro first team
Was a Pioneer Press East Metro Player of the Year finalist as a junior
Tabbed to the all-conference team as a sophomore
Led the 2020 Northern Lights 17-1 team to a first-place finish at the GJNC Qualifier
2019 Northern Lights 16-1 team AAU All-Academic Award winner
Helped the 2018 Northern Lights 15-1 team to a third-place finish at the AAU National Championship in the 15 Open division and was an AAU All-Academic Award winner
In 2016, she led the 13-1 Northern Lights squad to third place at the AAU National Championships

Moes: "Everyone that I met on campus and in Knoxville spoke so highly of the university and the people there. When I met the coaches, a few girls on the team and other commits, I knew that it was the right place for me."

Rackham Watt: "Ava Moes will come in right away and improve the level of our gym. She is a natural blocker, with great vision and a terminating attacker with a high contact point. Ava has trained at a very high level her entire prep career and also has the ability to play anywhere along the front row. She is a great athlete with a really high IQ and we are excited to see her grow in our system."

Julie Wittekind
Cincinnati, Ohio
Turpin HS | NKY Volleyball Club
Defensive Specialist/Libero | 5-8

Honors

Named OHSVCA All-District first-team in 2019 and 2020
Was an AVCA All-Region team member in 2020
Earned all-state honorable mention in both 2019 and 2020
Recorded ECC All-Conference first-team accolades in 2019 and 2020
In 2017, was named to the ECC All-Conference second-team
Finished her high school career with 841 digs
Wittekind was also named Turpin High School MVP and Scholar Athlete

Wittekind: "I remember thinking this is it! I loved the campus, the incredible education I would be receiving and the history of UT Athletics. I believe Eve and the coaching staff will take Tennessee volleyball to great places."

Rackham Watt: "We are so excited to welcome Julie to Rocky Top. She enrolled this January and will get a head start on training this spring. Julie brings great ball control and exciting defense, which will add to the depth of our backrow. She is a player who loves to train, is a great teammate and someone our staff has a lot of belief in. I am looking forward to watching Julie develop in our system."

University of Tennessee Athletics

Players Mentioned

Julie Wittekind

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