Jun. 18– Concordia University volleyball coach Brady Starkey has announced that Whitney Meierotto will transfer and Meghan Ellis will walk on with the Golden Bears for the 2007 season.

Meierotto will join the Bears for her junior season after playing her first two seasons at the University of Minnesota Duluth. While with the Bulldogs, Meierotto produced 244 kills with 233 of them coming last season as a sophomore. During her breakout sophomore season, she averaged 2.26 kills per game and 2.84 digs per game. She helped lead the Bulldogs to a 31-4 record and an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight Tournament. She also earned NCC all-academic honors in 2006-07. Prior to her two seasons at UMD, Meierotto was a four sport letterwinner and all-conference performer at Washburn (Wis.) High School, with four letters in volleyball and basketball, two in track and one in softball.

"Whitney is an explosive player with big game experience. She will definitely help our young team this fall," Starkey commented.

Ellis joins the Bears after completing her prep career at Wayzata High School. The Plymouth, Minn. native placed in the top-25 in the state with 274 kills and 83 blocks. She finished second on the Trojans in kills, blocks and service aces while leading them to a school record 22 wins, a Classic Lake Conference championship, section 5AAA Championship en route to a sixth place finish at the MSHSL State Volleyball Tournament. She was named all-conference honorable mention and a MN Select Player of the Month.

"Meghan is a great leader. With an incoming class this big, we will need someone with the strong character that Meghan possesses," said Starkey.

Meierotto and Ellis join five other newcomers for the 2007 season: Emily Palkert, Krista Erickson, Blair Murphy, Rachel Knutsen and Kasey Woodcock. The seven players join a Concordia volleyball team that went 36-3 overall, 18-0 in the NSIC (both school records) to win the Northern Sun regular season and tournament titles en route to competing in their foruth-straight regional championship and are currently ranked #3 in the most recent AVCA poll.