SAN LUIS OBISPO – Following two of the top-rated recruiting classes in both program history and the whole of Division I volleyball, the Cal Poly Athletics Department and fourth-year head coach Jon Stevenson recently announced that six players – all of whom ranked among prepvolleyball.com’s 150 Senior Aces – have signed a National Letter of Intent with the anticipation of joining the Mustangs for the 2009 campaign.

Slated to join the Cal Poly program, which in 2006 culled prepvolleyball.com’s 23rd-ranked recruiting class before improving to No. 21 last year, will be 6-1 opposite Holly Franks (Sierra HS/Clovis, Calif.), 5-11 outside hitter Chelsea Hardin (Iolani HS/Honolulu, Hawaii), 5-7 setter Anuhea Keanini (Punahou School/Kailua, Hawaii), 6-4 middle blocker Jennifer Keddy (Sentinel HS/Missoula, Mont.), 6-1 outside hitter Megan McConnell (Mountain View HS/Mountain View, Calif.) and 6-0 outside hitter Molly Pon (Davis HS/Davis, Calif.).

“Since I began in March 2005, one of my goals was to elevate the perception of our program to allow us to recruit student-athletes who could become the very best at their respective positions in the country during the course of their collegiate careers,” Stevenson said. “I believe we have achieved that goal. This is a group of players that possess the potential to compete at the highest level. It's now our job as a coaching staff to work with them to realize that potential.”

Franks was named the Most Valuable Player of the North Sequoia League in 2007 after averaging 2.3 kills and 1.2 blocks per set and recording 29 aces as a junior last season. The 2007-08 North Sequoia League women’s basketball MVP, Franks also competed in track and field for Clovis HS, where, as a high jumper, she posted consecutive 10th-place finishes at the 2006 and 2007 California Interscholastic Federation State Championships.

Hardin, prepvolleyball.com’s 39th-ranked senior player in the class of 2009, earned the third of three-straight All-Interscholastic League of Hawaii first team honors this past season. A two-time All-Hawaii second team pick (2006-07) and a first team selection in 2008, Hardin was also named to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin’s All-State Fab 15 as a junior after helping Iolani HS to a 26-5-2 overall record and a runner-up finish at the 2007 Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Tournament. During the 2007 season, Hardin’s Iolani HS defeated Keanini’s Punahou School on four occasions.

A four-year prep letterwinner, Keddy averaged 5.6 kills per set and hit .344 this past season to help Sentinel HS to a 14-3 overall mark and a second-successive Western AA Division title. Keddy, also cited as one of prepvolleyball.com’s Senior Aces, earned all-state and all-conference first team honors as a junior in 2007 and all-conference second team accolades during her sophomore campaign.

The 2008 Interscholastic League of Hawaii Player of the Year, Keanini was ranked No. 29 on prepvolleyball.com’s Senior Aces list. Keanini earned her second-consecutive All-Hawaii first team accolade in 2008 after assisting Punahou School to a 21-3 record and a runner-up finish at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Tournament. Keanini, twice named to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser All-Hawaii first teams, earned the first of two HHSAA All-Tournament Team honors after helping lift Punahou School to a 26-9 overall record and a third-place state showing in 2007. An all-tournament selection at the 2007 USA Volleyball U-17 Junior Olympic Games, Keanini was also named to the All-Hawaii second team in 2006 as Punahou School finished second at the HHSAA tournament.
Slotted No. 34 on prepvolleyball.com’s Senior Aces chart, McConnell recorded 25 kills Nov. 18 to assist Mountain View HS (29-10) to a 25-21, 12-25, 25-20, 25-21 victory against Los Gatos HS and, with the win, a berth into the CIF Central Coast Section Division II championships match. With McConnell in the lineup, Mountain View HS also qualified for the 2006 CCS championships and advanced to the second round in 2007.

Four-year letterwinner Pon, ranked No. 44 on the Senior Aces list, helped Davis HS to a 96-38 overall record, a 38-7 conference mark and three-straight Delta Valley League championships (2006-08) during her tenure. A 2008-09 AVCA Under Armour All-America second team selection, Pon was named Delta Valley League Most Valuable Player this past campaign after earning all-league honors during her final three years.

Cal Poly (16-11, 11-5), which finished in third place in the Big West standings following a four-set defeat at UC Irvine Saturday evening, completes the 2008 regular season with a two-match series at No. 6 Hawai’i Nov. 26 (10 p.m. PST) and Nov. 28 (9 p.m.).