SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Missouri State volleyball program has received commitments from three prep standouts and one junior college player, head coach Melissa Stokes announced Friday. Olivia Brand, Katelyn Jaeger, Karen Rivatto and Kayln Vlasin cast their lot with the Bears and will join Missouri State for the 2011-12 school year.

Olivia Brand, MB • Springfield, Mo. • Glendale HS

A local product from Springfield Glendale High, Brand is a 6-foot middle blocker whose Falcons won three conference titles during her four-year career. A four-time all-conference and all-district pick, Brand earned first-team all-state recognition following her senior and junior seasons and was a second-teamer as a sophomore. As a senior, Brand hit .473 with 426 kills, 305 digs, 96 blocks and 40 aces. She had 403 kills on .338 hitting, 345 digs, 111 blocks and 48 aces as a junior, and had 320 kills and 380 digs while hitting .262 her sophomore season. Brand also throws discus for the Glendale track and field squad, and her father, Curt, owns Missouri State’s indoor and outdoor school records in the high jump.

Coach Stokes on Brand: “Olivia is a complete player. She comes from a volleyball family and has been playing for so long, she does everything well. Her high volleyball IQ will help our program continue to build on our success.”

Kaitlin Jaeger, MB/OH • Webb City, Mo. • Webb City HS

Jaeger is a two-sport standout from Webb City (Mo.) High, recently completing her four-year volleyball career as the school’s all-time kills leader with 1,306 while playing as a middle and outside hitter. Jaeger was a first-team all-conference, all-district and all-region player in each of her final three years, helping Webb City to a school-record 25 victories as a junior. The Lady Cards won at least 20 matches in each of her four seasons with a .716 winning percentage. Jaeger is also a three-time first-team all-conference forward for the Webb City basketball team, which is coming off a 30-1 season and Class 4A state championship.

Coach Stokes on Jaeger: “Kaitlin is a very fast, explosive and fluid athlete. She has a fast arm and makes things look easy. Her versatility will give us a lot of options on the court.”

Karen Rivatto, OH • Porto Alegre, Brazil • Colegio Nossa Senhora Da Gloria/Northeastern Junior College

A native of Brazil, Karen Rivatto spent the last two years at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., where the Plainswomen finished second in the region both of her seasons with a combined 69-20 record. NJC was ranked in the top 10 nationally in 2010 and finished 2009 in the top 20. Rivatto was first-team all-region both seasons, the region player of the year as a sophomore and freshman of the year in 2009. In two seasons at NJC, the outside hitter had 811 kills (4.34/set) on .307 hitting, 62 aces (0.33/set), 555 digs (2.97/set) and 131 blocks (0.71/set).

Coach Stokes on Rivatto: “Karen will bring a wealth of volleyball knowledge and experience to our gym. She is a very savvy player and has all the shots in the book. Her ability to pass and play defense will allow her to contribute as a six rotation player for us.”

Kayln Vlasin, MH • Neosho, Mo.

Vlasin will join the Bears in January 2011 after playing prep volleyball at Neosho High through her junior season and completing high school a semester early as a home-schooled student. In her final season at Neosho, Vlasin was first-team all-conference, all-district, all-region and all-area, totaling 285 kills, 177 digs and 102 blocks to lead the team in all categories as a middle hitter. She earned those same honors as a sophomore, though second-team all-district and honorable mention all-region, while piling up 326 kills, 132 digs and 89 blocks.

Coach Stokes on Vlasin: “We are very excited Kayln is graduating early and joining our team in January. This is the first time we have had a player graduate early from high school.  However, Kayln is an excellent student and a very driven individual. Kayln is a great athlete and has excellent blocking instincts. We are looking forward to training her.”