FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason head coach Aylene Ilkson has announced the addition of six new student-athletes that have signed their letters of intent to join the Patriots for the fall of 2019.
 
"This is an incredible group of young women who will not only make our program significantly better but enrich the George Mason community," said Ilkson. "All of these athletes have a competitive nature about them that will push Mason volleyball to another level. We could not be more excited to welcome each of them and their families to our program." 
 
Marley Willard | Roanoke, Va. | Hidden Valley
 
Willard, a 5'3" libero, was selected First Team All-Conference (2016-2018), First Team All-Region (2016-2017), and First Team All-State (2017) during her high school career. She also earned Defensive Player of the Year honors three times. She holds her high school record for single-match digs with 32 and went on to earn the 1,000 Digs Award in 2018.

"Marley was on our radar since the moment our staff came to Mason," said Ilkson. "It is her infectious personality, spirit and will to succeed that makes her such a fun player to watch. She will help to stabilize our defensive unit for years to come."
 
Willard played club volleyball for Lynchburg Volleyball Academy (2016-2018) and will play for Coastal RVJ 18 National in 2019. The libero received the Top Digger Award in the Capital Hill Classic in 2017. 
 
Stephanie Der | Chantilly, Va. | Chantilly 
 
Der celebrated a decorated high school career as a libero for the Chantilly Chargers. As a First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region and First Team All-State selection, Der led Chantilly to the Concorde Conference Championship in 2017 and 2018. Her senior campaign ended in winning the Region D Championship and State Championship for Class 6A. 

"Stephanie is one of the most stable passers I have seen play the game in a long time," said Ilkson. "Her ability to read and see the court has made her one of, if not the best libero in the DMV and we couldn't be happier to have her staying close to home to play in front of her family and friends at Mason."
 
In club ball, Der competed in the Girls' Junior National Championships from 2014-2018. Virginia Juniors finished as the runner-up of the tournament in 2017 with Der being recognized on the All-Tournament team. 
 
Sydney Gott | Quincy, Calif. | Quincy High School
 
Gott, a 6'3" middle blocker, is coming off a senior season full of accolades. The Quincy, Calif., native was named MVP of Mountain Valley Conference and MVP of the Northern Section Division 5. The highly recruited middle blocker was also named a California Nike All-American.

"Sydney is an athlete who has the fundamentals in place to become a dominate middle in our conference," said Ilkson. "Her ability to hit the slide and score points is going to impact our offense upon her arrival to Fairfax."

Gott led the division in hitting, kills and blocks, finishing her senior season with 486 kills, 64 blocks and a .486 hitting percentage. 
 
Cristen Ledet | Concord, N.C. | Cox Mill
 
Ledet finished a successful high school career as an outside hitter at Cox Mill. A three-year letter winner in the sport, she was a member of the 2016 3A State Championship team. Her senior year, she earned All-Conference honors as well as being named Most Valuable Player. 

"Cristen is a natural athlete who has just begun tapping into her potential," said Ilkson. "She is an incredible jumper who can hit in a variety of positions making her extremely valuable to our offense. She is a gritty player who is relentless in the pursuit of success and will work tirelessly until that is reached."

Ledet plays club volleyball for Carolina Juniors.
 
Christina Walker | Palmyra, Va. | Fluvanna County
 
Walker, a 6'2" outside hitter, earned First Team All-Conference and First Team All-Region honors for Fluvanna County. The varsity captain led her team in kills and blocks and finished her senior season with 370 kills. She plays for Charlottesville Area Volleyball Club. 

"Christina is a talented athlete that has a huge amount of upside," said Ilkson. "Her previous experience as a middle makes her a diverse hitter with great blocking instincts which we are really looking forward to taping into as a pin hitter. Christina is a real student of the game and is one of the hardest workers out there who is going to push others to strive for greatness like she does."

To compliment her on-court accomplishments, Walker is a four-year honor roll student and was inducted into BETA her junior year. 
 
Jewel Clark | Ashburn, Va. | Briar Woods
 
A four-year letter winner in volleyball, Clark was named to the 5A First Team All-District and All-Region for 2018. She captained Briar Woods her senior year, going on to win the Most Valuable Player honor.

"Jewel is an extremely physical athlete who is an absolute work horse in the middle," said Ilkson. "She has fantastic footwork that makes her blocking moves look effortless. Every time I have watched Jewel play I'm impressed with the improvements she has made and we can't wait for this local talent to play in front of her family and friends at Mason." 

In club ball, Clark plays for Virginia Juniors and was a member of the 2017 16s USA National Runner-up team. In 2016, she earned the ACPL All-League Team Honor.