Nov. 13, 2008
(Clarke photo by Gwinnett Daily Post)
(Holzer photo by Mark Verica)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Four outstanding prep student-athletes will join the Commodore women’s basketball team for the 2009-10 season after each signed a National Letter of Intent to enroll at Vanderbilt next fall, Head Coach Melanie Balcomb announced Wednesday.
Elan Brown (Woodward Academy, Atlanta, Ga.), Tiffany Clarke (Norcross H.S., Duluth, Ga.), Stephanie Holzer (Cardinal O’Hara H.S., Newtown Square, Pa.) and Gabby Smith (Mount Notre Dame H.S., Cincinnati, Ohio) will make up Vanderbilt’s next freshmen class.
“This class will not only address our immediate needs on the court,” Balcomb said. “But it also ensures that Vanderbilt basketball will remain one of the elite programs in the country.”
Brown, a 6-0 guard for Coach Jon Merrill’s Woodward Academy War Eagles, averaged 12.1 points and 6.7 rebounds as a junior. She helped her squad put up a 24-5 record last season as Woodward qualified for the state tournament for the 17th consecutive year.
A fifth-team Sporting News All-American in 2008, Brown has been nationally ranked by a number of recruiting services, including BlueStar Basketball (No. 21) and the Roundball Journal (No. 62).
“Elan is a complete player,” Balcomb added. “She can shoot the three, rebound, run and get to the rim.”
Brown and Clarke were club teammates with the nationally prominent AAU mainstay Georgia Metros and will be reunited on the hardwood of Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gymnasium next season.
Clarke is a 6-0 power forward at Norcross High School for Coach Angie Hembree’s Blue Devils. During her junior campaign, Clarke averaged 16.8 points and 14.3 rebounds per game.
A two-time All-County selection, Clarke earned the 2008 Gwinnett County Scholar Athlete Award. Last season at Norcross, Clarke set a school record for most blocks in a season. She was recently chosen as a Sporting News preseason honorable mention All-American. A three-sport athlete, Clarke has earned All-Region honors in volleyball three times and was a 2008 regional champion in both triple jump and shot put.
“Tiffany’s athleticism, with her ability to block shots, rebound and defend, adds another dimension to our post play,” Balcomb commented.
Holzer, a 6-4 post player, averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds per game for Coach Linus McGinty’s Cardinal O’Hara Lions. Holzer is a three-time Street & Smith All-American, has been featured on the ESPNU HoopGurlz 100, and is ranked No. 51 nationally by BlueStar Basketball.
The 2008 Most Valuable Player of the Philadelphia Catholic League, Holzer led Cardinal O’Hara to a 25-2 record last year, and has the Lions ranked No. 11 in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 national girls’ basketball rankings. Holzer also competes for the Philadelphia Belles Girls’ Basketball Club.
According to Balcomb, “Stephanie brings the size, strength and skill level to be a dominating force in the post.”
Smith has scored 12.3 points per game for Coach Dante Harlan’s Mount Notre Dame Cougars, the 10th-ranked team on the ESPN RISE FAB 50 national girls’ basketball rankings. A 5-10 guard, Smith led the Cougars to a 26-2 record and their third straight Ohio Division I state championship in 2008.
A first-team All-GGCL (Girls’ Greater Cincinnati League) selection last year, Smith has been selected to the OGBR (Ohio Girls Basketball Report) Class of 2009 Senior Team. She also was named to the 2008 Sporting News honorable mention All-America team.
“Gabby is a deadly three-point shooter with great guard skills and a high basketball I.Q.,” Balcomb added.
“What stood out the most in the recruiting process of these four student-athletes was their character, commitment to academics and winning background,” Balcomb commented. “They all have played for outstanding coaches and programs in both high school and AAU which will make them immediate contributors at the next level.”
With the 2009-10 roster taking shape, the current batch of Commodores will begin the 2008-09 season this Friday, Nov. 14, as Vanderbilt plays host to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Memorial Gymnasium. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m. CT. Vanderbilt went 2-0 in a pair of exhibition contests earlier this month, beating both Division II Tusculum, 98-40, and the traveling squad “Love & Basketball,” 83-74.
