May 27, 2010

RedStorm volleyball adds transfer Raines

Rio Grande --- University of Rio Grande RedStorm volleyball coach Billina Donaldson has put together an outstanding recruiting class for the 2010 season. She has added another piece to the puzzle with the addition of transfer Lauren Raines.

Raines, a native of Albany, Ohio, played at Ohio University last fall and then transferred to Hocking College. She will have three years of eligibility remaining for the RedStorm. Raines played in 22 games for the Bobcats and delivered eight serve aces in 58 attempts. 

Raines talked about her route to Rio Grande. "Actually I'm in the nursing program at Hocking, so academically it was a really good choice to make the transition from Hocking to here," she said. "With Rio being a four-year program and graduating with a bachelor's, that was really interesting to me."

"Also, athletics here," Raines added. "I've known Billina for a couple years, she used to coach against our team in high school and I know a girl on the Rio volleyball team, Whitney Smith, we played together in high school. I just heard a lot of good things about the program from both people and was interested in extending my volleyball career."

Raines was an instrumental part of the Ohio state champion Albany Alexander team in 2008 that also had current RedStorm player in sophomore-to-be Whitney Smith and incoming recruit Nicole Ogg.  Alexander was runner-up at the state tournament in 2007. Raines was 2^nd team All-Ohio as a senior in 2008 and honorable mention all-state in 2007. 

Raines is looking forward to re-uniting with Smith and Ogg at Rio Grande. "I'm definitely very excited to be re-united with those two girls," Raines said. "What we had together in high school was really special and really rare and it's kind of cool that we get to bring it to a university now and be on a team together again."

She was All-Tri-Valley Conference in both her junior and senior seasons as well. Raines is a very accomplished student. She was on the honor roll from 2004-2009 at Alexander and is a member of the National Honor Society.

Coach Donaldson has followed Raines's career up to this point and has been impressed with what she has seen. "Lauren Raines spent most of her high school career as a setter.  I first saw Lauren play in a summer league between her sophomore and junior years.  She was quite impressive then even as a 16- year old kid," Donaldson said. "She lead her team (along with current RedStorm, Whitney Smith and incoming freshman Nicole Ogg) to the state tournament her junior year as a setter.  Her senior year she was asked to play libero, basically because she can play that position as well as she could set."

"She lead her team once again to the State tournament where they won the title," Donaldson added.

Raines plans to major in nursing and talked about her future plans with that degree intact. "I'm planning on going the full four years here and graduating with my bachelor's, my B.S.N., and then the future is open right now," she said. "I've been really interested in joining the Peace Corp and traveling overseas."

"I've also thought about going through med school, because you can do that with your R.N. and your B.S.N., and taking that route," Raines added. "I'm just kind of keeping my options open right now."

Donaldson is pleased to be able to bring Raines into the fold. "Lauren enjoys the game and misses it and we are so excited to have her come and be a part of what we have been building the last few years," Donaldson said. "Her serve is phenomenal and will be just one more thing she will bring to the court this season for us." 

Raines has been a versatile player throughout her career, serving as a setter, a libero and a defensive specialist.  She discussed where she might play with the RedStorm. "Coach Donaldson and I have met and talked a little bit about positions and I think she kind of has different plans in her head about where I'm going to be on the court," Raines said. "I've been pretty much everywhere except for hitting front row and I think she's kind of like, ‘we'll just see where it goes,' when we get together in the fall."

Donaldson expects Raines to come in and provide a significant impact to the team in 2010. "Her level of play is so far ahead of most incoming players and we look for her to step up and be a leader on our team," Donaldson said. "I can't say enough how excited we are to have Lauren with us."

"With this addition I believe we are going to shut-up a few critics," Donaldson added. "It looks like the Storm clouds are beginning to gather."

Raines stated that her ultimate goal is helping rebuild the Rio program into a winning one. "I think what Coach Donaldson has talked about, that has been very important, is rebuilding the program and I just want to be a part of that," she said. "I know they've had a lot of success from the first year that she came here to the second year and I hope to make just as much success from the second to the third and who knows where we'll be by our senior year."

"I just really want to contribute to rebuilding the program here and see where it goes from there," she added.

Lauren is the daughter of Lee & Michelle Raines of Albany, Ohio.

Raines joins Albany Alexander High School's Nicole Ogg , Jackson High School's Kelsey Martin, Caity and Cindy Willis of Athens High School, Jordan Nolan of Buckeye Valley High School and Kayla Landaker of River View Warsaw High School as the current members of the 2010 Rio Grande volleyball recruiting class. 

Rio Grande posted an 18-19 overall record in 2009 while finishing in third place in the Mid-South Conference with a 9-5 mark.