November 28, 2005

Overland Park Native Smith Signs With PSU Volleyball

    PITTSBURG -- Pittsburg State University volleyball coach Ibraheem Suberu announced today that Courtney Smith, a senior at Shawnee Mission North High School, has signed a national letter of intent during the early signing period to join the Gorillas for the 2006 season.
    Smith (5-6), a four-year varsity starter, will look to fill the Gorillas void at the libero position with the graduation of outgoing PSU senior Pam Radell. The Overland Park, Kan, native was a three-year All-Sunflower League performer for the Indians (2003-05) and helped SMN to an undefeated Kansas Class 6A state championship season in 2002. She also earned All-Sun Country honors her senior prep year.
    Smith played USA Volleyball club for Team KC and Oz winning the HOA power league in the 15’s and 16’s age group to represent the region at the national
tournament. Her Oz volleyball club 17 & under team took third at the Colorado Crossroads National Qualifier and was one of the top 24 Open teams at the 2005 junior national tournament.
    “Courtney has been one of the few liberos that we’ve been interested in, knowing that we will need to bring in a very strong ball control group with the graduation of Pam Radell,” Suberu said. “She has attended our training programs over the past few summers where we’ve had the opportunity to train together. Courtney has the defensive and passing mentality needed to compete in a tough conference like ours. She is very quick and possesses all the necessary ingredients needed to be a dominant libero throughout her college career.”
    Courtney, who is undecided on a major at this time, is the daughter of Lisa Buschart and Steve Smith.