University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Oates Adds Two Defensive Specialists
2/6/2024 11:19:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
GREELEY, Colo. – Lyndsey Oates, Northern Colorado Head Volleyball Coach, announced the addition of two transfers to the 2024 signing class Tuesday.
The Bears bolstered their back line with a pair of defensive specialists. Samantha Steele, a graduate transfer from Ohio and Mississippi State sophomore GA McCarter joined the team as mid-year transfers.
"Defense and ball control was an area where we needed to get better based on last year's stats," Oates said. "We also only return one defensive player (Bella LePore) so we were looking to add from the transfer portal in that position. We feel like we hit the jackpot with these two. They are a fantastic addition to our team on and off the court!"
Samantha Steele
Year: Graduate Student
Height: 5'8"
Position: Defensive Specialist
Previous School: Ohio
Hometown: Omaha, Neb.
Highschool: Millard South
"Sam brings a lot of experience where she was the libero at a program similar to ours," Oates said. "She is a very mature athlete who is ready to contribute right away."
Senior at Ohio (2023)
Appeared in all 31 matches and 119 sets … Paced the squad with 507 digs, averaging 4.26 per set … Tallied 258 digs in 65 sets during Mid-American Conference play for a 3.97 average … Added 118 assists (0.99) and 41 aces (0.34) over the campaign … Recorded double-digit digs in 29 of 31 matches, including a season-high 23 against Kent State Nov. 15 … Three-time Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week ... College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Selection … Member of the 2023 All-MAC Academic Team.
Junior at Ohio (2022)
Appeared in all 32 matches and 118 sets … Led the team in digs with 522 and an average of 4.42 digs per set… Recorded 288 digs for 4.30 digs per set during MAC play… Tallied 117 assists and 23 service aces… Achieved a .971 reception percentage… Posted her 1,000 digs against Howard (Sept. 2)… Recorded a season-high 27 digs against Tennessee Tech (Sept. 10)… MAC East Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 26)… Academic All-MAC… Academic All-District.
Sophomore at Ohio (2021)
Appeared in 25 matches and 98 sets … Recorded six kills and 79 assists … Led the team in service aces with 25 … Led the team in digs with 521 and averaged 5.32 digs per set … Posted 380 digs and averaged 5.59 digs per set during conference play … Had a career-high 34 digs against Northern Kentucky (Aug. 28) … Collected a double-double against Bowling Green with 10 assists and 30 digs (Nov. 13) … Second-team All-MAC … Academic All-MAC … MAC East Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 18).
Freshman at Ohio (2020) Played in 20 matches for the Bobcats … Led team with 436 digs in 79 sets for 5.52 digs per set … Recorded season-high 34 digs in a five-set win over Kent State on Mar. 16 … Earned MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week three times on Jan. 25, Feb. 8 and Feb. 15 … Named to MAC All-Freshman Team.
High School
All-Nebraska Honorable Mention in 2019 and 2018 ... Holds Millard South school record for most digs in a game (42), most digs in a season (597) and most digs in a career (1,929) ... AAU All-American in 2019 ... Freshman All-Nebraska in 2016 ... Won a district championship in 2018.
Personal
Born Nov. 7, 2001 ... Parents are Mary Beth and Richard Steele ... Has one sister, Lauren ... Majoring in biology ... Four-time Academic All-State ... National Academy for Future Scientists and Technologists award winner ... National Honors Society member ... Also lettered in soccer.
GA McCarter
Year: Sophomore
Height: 5'5"
Position: Defensive Specialist
Previous School: Mississippi State
Hometown: Collierville, Tenn.
Highschool: Houston
"GA also comes with good college experience, but her club seasons were cut short in high school due to injuries so her best volleyball is still ahead of her and she learns and grows," Oates said. "She is ready to contribute right away."
Sophomore at Mississippi State (2023)
Appeared in seven matches and saw action in nine sets … Earned a season-best five digs and two assists at No. 8 Arkansas (Nov. 5) … Collected three digs at Ole Miss (Nov. 19).
Freshman at Mississippi State (2022)
Made collegiate debut during the first match of the Arkansas series (Oct. 1) … Appeared in the second match of the Texas A&M series (Oct. 8) and the first match of the Missouri series (Nov. 25).
High School
Prepped at Houston High School under head coach Becky Pendleton …Led Houston to State Runner-ups in 2019 …Named All-District Team, All-Region team, Varsity Best Defensive Player, and Varsity MVP in 2018 … Started her freshman and sophomore year (432 digs)…Played tennis her freshmen and sophomore year (2019, 2020) …Was a part of the National Honor Society and Beta Club.
Club
Played for Infinity Volleyball Academy under head coach Jenny Hazelwood but did not play due to injury.
Personal
Born Georgia Anne McCarter on March 3, 2004, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee…Also goes by the nickname "GA" … Daughter of Bert McCarter and Wendy Peyton…Has one older brother Ethan Peyton and two younger brothers Matthew and MJ McCarter.
The Bears bolstered their back line with a pair of defensive specialists. Samantha Steele, a graduate transfer from Ohio and Mississippi State sophomore GA McCarter joined the team as mid-year transfers.
"Defense and ball control was an area where we needed to get better based on last year's stats," Oates said. "We also only return one defensive player (Bella LePore) so we were looking to add from the transfer portal in that position. We feel like we hit the jackpot with these two. They are a fantastic addition to our team on and off the court!"
Samantha Steele
Year: Graduate Student
Height: 5'8"
Position: Defensive Specialist
Previous School: Ohio
Hometown: Omaha, Neb.
Highschool: Millard South
"Sam brings a lot of experience where she was the libero at a program similar to ours," Oates said. "She is a very mature athlete who is ready to contribute right away."
Senior at Ohio (2023)
Appeared in all 31 matches and 119 sets … Paced the squad with 507 digs, averaging 4.26 per set … Tallied 258 digs in 65 sets during Mid-American Conference play for a 3.97 average … Added 118 assists (0.99) and 41 aces (0.34) over the campaign … Recorded double-digit digs in 29 of 31 matches, including a season-high 23 against Kent State Nov. 15 … Three-time Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week ... College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Selection … Member of the 2023 All-MAC Academic Team.
Junior at Ohio (2022)
Appeared in all 32 matches and 118 sets … Led the team in digs with 522 and an average of 4.42 digs per set… Recorded 288 digs for 4.30 digs per set during MAC play… Tallied 117 assists and 23 service aces… Achieved a .971 reception percentage… Posted her 1,000 digs against Howard (Sept. 2)… Recorded a season-high 27 digs against Tennessee Tech (Sept. 10)… MAC East Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 26)… Academic All-MAC… Academic All-District.
Sophomore at Ohio (2021)
Appeared in 25 matches and 98 sets … Recorded six kills and 79 assists … Led the team in service aces with 25 … Led the team in digs with 521 and averaged 5.32 digs per set … Posted 380 digs and averaged 5.59 digs per set during conference play … Had a career-high 34 digs against Northern Kentucky (Aug. 28) … Collected a double-double against Bowling Green with 10 assists and 30 digs (Nov. 13) … Second-team All-MAC … Academic All-MAC … MAC East Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 18).
Freshman at Ohio (2020) Played in 20 matches for the Bobcats … Led team with 436 digs in 79 sets for 5.52 digs per set … Recorded season-high 34 digs in a five-set win over Kent State on Mar. 16 … Earned MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week three times on Jan. 25, Feb. 8 and Feb. 15 … Named to MAC All-Freshman Team.
High School
All-Nebraska Honorable Mention in 2019 and 2018 ... Holds Millard South school record for most digs in a game (42), most digs in a season (597) and most digs in a career (1,929) ... AAU All-American in 2019 ... Freshman All-Nebraska in 2016 ... Won a district championship in 2018.
Personal
Born Nov. 7, 2001 ... Parents are Mary Beth and Richard Steele ... Has one sister, Lauren ... Majoring in biology ... Four-time Academic All-State ... National Academy for Future Scientists and Technologists award winner ... National Honors Society member ... Also lettered in soccer.
GA McCarter
Year: Sophomore
Height: 5'5"
Position: Defensive Specialist
Previous School: Mississippi State
Hometown: Collierville, Tenn.
Highschool: Houston
"GA also comes with good college experience, but her club seasons were cut short in high school due to injuries so her best volleyball is still ahead of her and she learns and grows," Oates said. "She is ready to contribute right away."
Sophomore at Mississippi State (2023)
Appeared in seven matches and saw action in nine sets … Earned a season-best five digs and two assists at No. 8 Arkansas (Nov. 5) … Collected three digs at Ole Miss (Nov. 19).
Freshman at Mississippi State (2022)
Made collegiate debut during the first match of the Arkansas series (Oct. 1) … Appeared in the second match of the Texas A&M series (Oct. 8) and the first match of the Missouri series (Nov. 25).
High School
Prepped at Houston High School under head coach Becky Pendleton …Led Houston to State Runner-ups in 2019 …Named All-District Team, All-Region team, Varsity Best Defensive Player, and Varsity MVP in 2018 … Started her freshman and sophomore year (432 digs)…Played tennis her freshmen and sophomore year (2019, 2020) …Was a part of the National Honor Society and Beta Club.
Club
Played for Infinity Volleyball Academy under head coach Jenny Hazelwood but did not play due to injury.
Personal
Born Georgia Anne McCarter on March 3, 2004, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee…Also goes by the nickname "GA" … Daughter of Bert McCarter and Wendy Peyton…Has one older brother Ethan Peyton and two younger brothers Matthew and MJ McCarter.
Players Mentioned
DS
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