COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs head volleyball coach Tara Hittle announced the 2024 signing class.  Joining the Mountain Lions next fall are Alysse Marcoso, Karolynn Phillips, Emily Pruitt, Addie Stephens, Payton Tompkins and Danielle Varela.
 
"I'm excited about our incoming 2024 class," said Hittle. "Each student-athlete has the potential to make a meaningful impact on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. The addition of this class will help us continue to raise the level of UCCS volleyball as we pursue high standards of excellence. Go Mountain Lions!"
 
A 5-foot-2 defensive specialist from Aurora, Colo., Alysse Marcoso will graduate this spring from Eaglecrest High School.  A three-year member of the Raptors varsity program, Marcoso has played in 162 sets and accounted for 677 digs (4.2 digs per set), 704 serve receptions and 65 aces.  She was part of a EHS team that qualified for the regionals in 2021 and 2022.  Marcoso is a four-time Honor Academic letterwinner and has earned the Athletic Award four times while collecting a Centennial All-League First Team honor.
 
A native of Lanesville, Ind., Karolynn Phillips competed in 323 career sets for the Eagles of Lanesville High School.  The 6-foot-0 middle blocker has put down 653 kills on 1,467 attacks for a .318 career hitting mark.  Defensively at the net, she has blocked 458 attacks (295 solo blocks) and has added seven aces and 55 digs.  Phillips garnered All-Sectional honors in 2021 and 2023 and was named the 2023 Conference Player of the Year.  She helped the Eagles earn three straight sectional championships the past three years, and the 2022 conference championship title.
 
Hailing from Peoria, Ariz., Emily Pruitt played her prep ball at Sunrise Mountain High School.  The 6-foot-1 outside hitter collected more than 1,000 career kills and added more than 600 digs, 100 aces and 100 blocks.  The four-year varsity starter garnered All-Region First Team accolades and helped the Mustangs qualify for the state playoffs all four years.  Pruitt and her club volleyball team qualified for nationals every year, and her 16s club team won the USA national championship.
 
Addie Stephens makes her way to the Mountain Lions program from Highlands Ranch, Colo. where she was a two-year captain for the Golden Eagles at Mountain Vista High School.  A 5-foot-9 defensive specialist that started three years and earned three varsity letters at MVHS, Stephens was part of a program that won two regional championships and qualified for state twice, including a third-place finish in 2021.  She has been named academic all-state twice and to the honor roll three times.
 
Payton Tompkins will join the Mountain Lions program from Dallas, Texas where she plays for the Wildcats of Lake Highlands High School.  The 5-foot-11 outside hitter closes her prep career with more than 1,500 digs and 1,000 kills.  This past season, she tallied 361 kills, hit the ball at a .231 rate, and added 365 digs and 42 aces.  A four-year letterwinner, Tompkins was named All-District First Team and All-City all four years.  Voted the 2020 Team Defensive MVP, the 2022 Team Offensive MVP and the 2023 Team MVP, Tompkins helped the Wildcats to the 2020 and 2021 District Championships, the 2023 Area Championships, and four-straight Bi-District Championships.  At the club level, Tompkins competed for the Dallas Skyline Volleyball Club where she has made three national appearances and was selected to the 2021 and 2023 National All-Tournament Team.
 
Danielle Varela will join Phillips, Pruitt and Tompkins on the front lines for the Mountain Lions next season.  The 5-foot-9 middle blocker registered 706 kills in 183 career sets while blocking 157 attacks (104 solo blocks.  A soon-to-be graduate of Montwood High School in El Paso, Texas, Varela was recently named the District 1-6A Hitter of the Year.
 
The Mountain Lions closed out the 2023 season owning an 8-18 overall record and a 6-8 mark in league matches.

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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.