WISE – UVA Wise volleyball head coach Kristen Salyer announced the addition of eight newcomers to the 2021-22 roster Wednesday afternoon.
Abigail Blankenship, Cana Davidson, Morgan Blevins, Dannah Persinger, Kaylee Scarce, Anna Whited, Taylor Wilson, and Katherine Magette will join the Cavaliers next season.
A native of White Pine, Tennessee, Blankenship attends Jefferson County High School where she is a four-year varsity letter winner under the direction of head coach Torrey Yocom. The 5-foot-9 outside hitter won a conference championship during her junior campaign and was named Outside Hitter of the Year and an all-conference selection that season. This past fall, Blankenship was once again an all-conference honoree and named to the all-region team.
In the classroom, Blankenship is an A/B honor roll student and recipient of the Honors Biology Award. She is also a Jefferson County Youth Leadership Representative and plays with the club team Club Unite. The daughter of David and Rhonda Blankenship, Abigail plans to pursue a degree in education when she comes to campus.
Davidson, a product of Yorktown, Virginia, plays both outside hitter and defensive specialist under head coach Tommy Thomas at Peninsula Catholic High School. Davidson began her high school career at Beaumont School where she won the Best Offensive Player award her freshman year. In her sophomore season at Beaumont, she earned Most Valuable Player accolades.
The daughter of Todd and Laia Davidson, Cana has played with several club teams including Utopia Beach, Neo Volleyball Club, and Coastal Hampton Roads. She chose UVA Wise because of the coaches and campus and plans to major in exercise science when she arrives in Wise.
A 5-foot-11 outside hitter from Abingdon, Virginia, Blevins attends Abingdon High School where she is a two-sport athlete playing both basketball and volleyball. In her sophomore season, Blevins was named All-Mountain 7 District Second Team and ranked fourth in Region D (3A) in kills.
As a junior, Blevins was tabbed All-Mountain 7 District First Team and was selected as an All-Region D (3A) honorable mention as her team went undefeated in the district and went on to claim the regular season championship title and win the Mountain 7 District Tournament. That same season Blevins set the single-match school record in kills and aces with 26 and nine, respectively. A member of the National Honor Society, Blevins will begin her senior volleyball season this spring and is also a member of Tri Cities Extreme Volleyball Club.
Blevins parents, Robbie and Cindy Blevins, are former UVA Wise student-athletes. Robbie was a member of the men's basketball program while Cindy was a member of the women's basketball team. Morgan will pursue a degree in nursing when she comes to Wise in the fall.
Persinger, a native of Jonesborough, Tennessee, is a two-sport athlete at Daniel Boone High School where she is a member of both the softball and volleyball team. A two-time All-Big 6 Conference honorable mention, Persinger and her squad won the Big 6 Tournament and regional championship her junior season and advanced to the state tournament that same year.
In her senior campaign, the 5-foot-10 middle blocker was named a team captain while being tabbed All-Big 6 Conference First Team and an all-tournament team selection as her squad won the regular season championship. The daughter of Danny and Leslie Persinger, Dannah has also played club volleyball with Tri-Cities Extreme and 4 Seasons. She picked UVA Wise because she loved the campus and atmosphere.
Hailing from Dry Fork, Virginia, Scarce is a four-year varsity letter winner at Tunstall High School. A two-time Piedmont District champion, Scarce and her team posted 22-win seasons in both her freshman and junior year. In her sophomore season, Scarce received the Most Improved Player award. As a junior, she was named to the All-Piedmont District Team and received the Coaches Award.
Scarce has played club volleyball with Active Volleyball Club and Pura Vida Volleyball Club and is also a member of Tunstall's softball team. The daughter of Steffen and Phyllis Scarce, Kaylee chose UVA Wise because she was impressed with the athletic department and the beautiful campus.
A native of St. Paul, Virginia, Whited attends Eastside High School where she earned all-district honors as a right-side hitter her freshman season. As a sophomore, she was named Hitter of the Year and was an all-region selection playing at the outside hitter position.
In her junior campaign Whited earned numerous accolades as she was tabbed to the all-region and all-state team. Her crew posted a 20-6 overall mark as she earned Player of the Year recognition that same season. The daughter of Gary and Tamara Ring, Anna plans to major in education when she arrives at UVA Wise in the fall.
Wilson, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter from Kingsport, Tennessee, is a two-sport athlete at Sullivan Central High School where she is a member of both the volleyball and track team. She is a three-year varsity letter winner and three-time all-conference honoree with head coach Logan Kemp.
As a senior, Wilson was named to the all-district tournament and all-region tournament team. She also plays club volleyball for Tri-Cities Extreme Volleyball Club and chose UVA Wise because of the coaching staff and beautiful campus. The daughter of Kevin and Tina Wilson, Taylor will pursue a degree in psychology when she joins the campus.
Magette, a product of Courtland, Virginia, plays setter at Southampton High School where she is a three-year varsity letter winner. Magette is also a two-time all-district first team and all-region second team selection.
During her sophomore season Magette earned the Rookie of the Year award and a was named an all-tournament team honoree in her junior year. She has played club volleyball with Beach Elite and volunteers as a youth volleyball coach. The daughter of Robert and Dixie Magette, Katherine picked UVA Wise for its academics, campus, and culture.
For schedule updates and more information on the UVA Wise volleyball program, visit www.uvawisecavs.com.
