April 13, 2011 – Coming off its finest season in school history, the Hillsdale College volleyball program is intent on remaining in the nation’s elite, and to that end, has signed four talented players to national letters of intent, starting with the 2011 season.

Three of those three players come from well outside the state of Michigan, while a third hails from nearby Bronson. Signing with Hillsdale College are: outside hitter/defensive specialist Bailey Lindner (Ponte Bedra Beach, Florida), and middle hitters Meagan McPhetridge (Snohomich, Washington) and Kat Carpenter (Bronson, Mich.).

During the late signing period, starting April 13, the team added a fourth prospect to the program, setter Alexis Waugh, who attended Roncalli High School in Indianapolis, Ind.

Lindner was a versatile player who excelled as a passer from the back row, as well as a primary offensive option as a hitter. Standing 5 feet, 8 inches tall, she was a big part of the 2010 USAV national championship Jacksonville Juniors club volleyball program. During the club season, Lindner averaged a 2.5 passing average (3.0 is perfect), and helped lead her team to a second-place finish in the 2010 Big South National Qualifier Tournament.

She played for two different high schools, Ponte Vedra in 2008, and the Providence School of Jacksonville in 2009 and 2010, while being homeschooled. As a sophomore, she was an All-County honorable mention selection by the St. Augustine Record newspaper, and that honor was just the first of many to come during her prep career.

In her first season at Providence, she was one of five top players to watch, according to the Florida Times Union, and she justified that notice by being named to the All-First Coast Second Team, and was on the all-tournament team at the Bolles Invitational. She also served as the team chaplain and earned the Christian Servant Leadership award, while her team was district champs.

As a senior in 2010, she was her team’s most valuable player and set new school records for total kills in a season and kills per match average. A team captain, Lindner was named All-First Coast First Team and earned all-tournament honors at events held in Bolles and the Gatortown Classic. Lindner was also an active beach volleyball player in Florida, having played on the Florida Beach Volleyball Tour 18U team. Her beach team won several tournaments last summer, and her Fort Lauderdale East Coast Beach club team took second place at the national 18U tournament.

Away from the court, Lindner is a very active volunteer in activities ranging from middle school volleyball programs to church youth groups. She worked as a vacation Bible school assistant, acted as a volunteer for the Cincinnati-based Ronald McDonald House and volunteered at the Second Harvest Food Bank. She also spent time with the Let Us Play Foundation and helped organize the Spike Volleyball Christian Camp at Armleader Academy.

Like Lindner, McPhetridge was homeschooled, and had a very accomplished club career, in her case, with the Washington Volleyball Academy. She played for that club starting with the WVBA’s 15s team in 2008, progressing to the WVBA 17s most recently, in 2010. A 5-11 middle hitter, McPhetridge helped lead her team to a fifth-place finish at the Junior Olympics in 2008. She was also a winner of the 2010 Wendy’s High School Heisman Award.

Last summer, McPhetridge was part of her church’s mission trip to Haiti, and has worked as a volunteer teacher’s assistant at a private school near her home. In 2009, she was a volunteer for the Maltby Food Bank. In 2007, McPhetridge was an NCFCA (National Christian Forensics and Communication Association) speech and debate regional qualifier.

Carpenter comes to Hillsdale from Bronson High School, about a half-hour’s drive west of campus, where she helped push the Vikings into becoming one of the most successful Class C high school volleyball programs in recent years.

A 6-1 middle, Carpenter helped Bronson win the 2009 Class C state championship, and followed that up by being named First-Team All-State as a senior in 2010. She also racked up All-Region, All-Area and All-League honors in her senior season, and was named the SJV League’s most valuable player in 2010. Her team earned the MHSAA Good Sports are Winners award in 2009, and she was part of a Vikings team that was academic all-state in 2009 and 2010.

Carpenter competes within the Dead Frog Far Out Volleyball Club, and has also played for the Angola Aegis Volleyball Club, in 2007 and 2008.

Carpenter was a member of the Bronson Pioneers 4-Club over the past seven years, as well as the St. Mary’s Youth Group, high school prayer group, and she was a member of the National Honor Society. She was on the high honor roll in all of her semesters in high school, and was one of Bronson High School’s students of the month during the 2009-10 academic year.

Waugh, the most recent addition to the team, was a four-year starter in high school and a veteran of eight seasons on the club volleyball circuit. While playing for the Rebels at Roncalli, Waugh was named All-State four times, All-County four times, a member of the 2010 Indiana 3A/4A South All-Star Team, and was named her team's most valuable player following her senior season.

While playing for the Team Indiana club volleyball team, Waugh earned AAU All-American honors twice, and led her 14-1s team to a third-place finish at nationals. When she moved up to the 15-1s club, her team was AAU national runner-ups.

In the classroom, Waugh was a member of the National Honor Society, earned the Indiana Academic Honors Diploma, and was named the English Student of the Year. She's also very active in her local church, putting in many volunteer hours at St. Jude's Parish. She served there as a eucharist minister, and is part of her school's ski club and Spanish club.