Jessica Yanz Class: Sophomore Hometown: Bolingbrook, Ill. High School: Naperville Central Height: 6-0 Position: S

Pronounced: Jessica • YANZ

Lion Career
2006 (Freshman): Saw action in 17 matches and 29 games both as a 6-2 and 5-1 setter ... dished out 119 total assists for an average of 4.10 assists per game ... provided a career-high 23 assists versus Michigan (10/20) ... recorded first career double-double with 17 assists and a career-high 11 digs at LSU (8/26) ... averaged 1.48 digs per game ... picked up at least one dig in 10 contests ... tallied first collegiate block against West Virginia (9/2) ... had at least one ace in seven matches ... posted a personal-best two service aces versus Miami (Ohio) (9/16).

High School
Four-year volleyball letterwinner at Naperville Central (Ill.) High School ... led the Redhawks to the 2005 Class AA State Championship with a 39-4 record ... 2006 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year ... named a "Fab 50" selection by Volleyball Magazine in 2006 ... two-time DuPage Valley Conference all-league selection in 2004 and 2005 ... four-time DuPage Valley Conference academic all-league selection ... Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year for volleyball in 2005 ... two-time Naperville Sun all-area selection in 2004 and 2005 ... Chicago Tribune First Team All-State in 2005 ... two-time Daily Herald all-area selection in 2004 and 2005 ... 2005 School Sports magazine Girls Player of the Year ... 2005 Champaign Gazette First Team All-State ... finished high school career with a school-record 2,705 assists, including a school-record 902 during her senior campaign ... member of the Sports Performance Volleyball Club for five years (2001-2006) ... named "Best Setter" at the 2004 and 2006 National Junior Classic ... three-time AAU All-American honoree ... 2004 AAU Most Valuable Player ... participated in an international tournament in Russia against teams from Moscow, Kazakhstan and Russia, earning a gold medal ... led Sports Performance to a first place finish at the 2006 National Junior Classic ... member of the 2005 Sports Performance team that won the Junior Olympic National Open Championship ... member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society.

Personal
Born Jessica Noelle Yanz on Dec. 4, 1987 in Hinsdale, Ill. ... parents are Charles and Joan Yanz ... has one brother, Matt (17), who also plays volleyball ... majoring in accounting ... names favorite books as "My Sister's Keeper," favorite movies as "Ratatouille," favorite television shows as "CSI" and "Grey's Anatomy," favorite food as sushi, favorite place to visit as downtown Chicago, favorite actor as Vince Vaughn, favorite professional sports team as the Chicago White Sox and favorite musical group as the Fall Out Boy ... nickname is Jess.

Quoting Russ Rose
"Jessica has had a good spring and summer and has been working very hard to get herself into the mix. She has a good amount of experience playing volleyball from the setting position and I've been pleased with what she has been doing this summer. She is connecting well with the middles, and as her confidence improves, so will her ability to help and lead the team. Jess is tough and has a better understanding of the college game and what she needs to do to help us."

Yanz' Expectations
"I would like to see our team unify both on and off the court in order to meet the expectations that we set for ourselves this year."