Gazette-Times

The Oregon State volleyball team has added 6-foot-2 middle blocker Tami Brown of Sheldon High and defensive specialist/libero Dianni Freeman of Tigard to the program for the 2009 season, coach Terry Liskevych said Monday.

They join November signees Megan McBride, a 6-1 setter from Auburn, Wash.; Camille Saxton, a 6-0 outside hitter from Balzac, Alberta, Canada; Alyssa O'Neil, a 5-9 defensive specialist/outside hitter from West Linn, and Ashley Eneliko, a 5-11 middle blocker/opposite hitter from Seattle.

Brown earned first-team All-Southwest League honors as a hitter and was named a second-team 6A state tournament all-star. She was also a McDonald's All-American nominee in basketball.

"Tami is an outstanding, all-around athlete that has extreme upside as a volleyball player," Liskevych said. "Until this year, she has been a three-sport athlete and has only played club volleyball in the last four months.

"She has the potential to be a very good Pac-10 middle blocker, and her competitiveness and maturity will also be valuable assets to our program."

A 5-4 defensive specialist/libero, Freeman is the daughter of Shawn Freeman, a 1987-88 OSU basketball letterman.

She was an honorable mention 6A all-state selection, a first-team Pacific League all-star and Tigard's MVP as a junior and senior.

"Dianni is an excellent back row player and will help us in both the defensive specialist and libero positions," Liskevych said. "She is extremely quick and is a very hard worker. We look forward to coaching her."

She also played for the ASICS Athena Volleyball Academy.