OKLAHOMA CITY - Despite entering the recruiting process later than he would have liked to for the 2019 season, Mid-America Christian University volleyball head coach Kevin Fitzgibbon made a splash in his 2019 recruiting class.

Fitzgibbon landed seven new faces for the Evangels, headlined by Hanna Focker who comes in after a standout career at St. Johns River State College in Florida. Focker is one of two transfers - along with Mikayla Crayton - and five freshmen, who will join the eight returning players on the MACU roster for 2019.

"I am excited about our 2019 class," Fitzgibbon said. "Despite coming in late in the process, I feel blessed that we were able to find some quality recruits, and we expect all of them to contribute to our on-court success in the coming seasons."

Focker comes to MACU after an outstanding sophomore campaign at SJRSC. She averaged 3.59 kills per set, and she belted a total of 373 kills for the Vikings - both of which ranked in the top-10 of the Florida State College Activies Association in 2018. She also served up 60 aces for the Vikings and she earned All-State and All Sun-Lakes Conference honors. She also earned a place on the NJCAA All-District Tournament Team. She hit the ball at a .247 clip for the season, and she ranked in the top-10 in the FSCAA in 15 different categories, leading the state in Service Aces and Aces per Set.

She finished the season on a high note as well, despite her team's loss in the district tournament. Focker had a season high 23 kills against Lake-Sumter State College, and she also had 15 digs and a pair of aces. It was her sixth straight double-double and her 12th of the season. When added to her 276 kills from her freshman season, the 6-1 junior from Sudlohn, Germany comes into the 2019 season with a chance to reach some career milestones, including 1,000 career kills.

Craton is a 5-8 junior from Seminole, Oklahoma, and she comes to MACU from Randall University - where she was teammates with current MACU defensive specialist Maegan Plunk in 2017. Craton had 113 kills as a freshman in 2017 - a season in which Randall posted a 26-12 record and grabbed a third place finish at the NCCAA Division II National Championships.

Maddie Callicoat - a 5-11 right side hitter from Jenks, Oklahoma - comes to MACU after a senior season which saw her belt 109 kills, and she also had 16 blocks - including 15 solo blocks - in her first full season of varsity competition for Jenks. 

Allison Porter joins the Evangels after prepping at Lawton, Oklahoma's Eisenhower high school. While at Eisenhower, Porter - an outside hitter and middle blocker - amassed 199 kills in three seasons while hitting .235. She also had 64 service aces on 318 attempts - an ace percentage of 20.1% - and 212 blocks including 126 solos. 

Faith Foutch is a 5-3 defensive specialist from Tulsa, Oklahoma (East Central HS), Rebecca Lindley is a 5-7 right side hitter from Noble, Oklahoma (Epic Charter Schools), and Emilee Green is a 5-6 defensive specialist from Moore, Oklahoma (Southmoore HS), and the trio rounds out the recruiting class for the Evangels.

MACU will open their season at the SAC/RRAC Crossover at Oklahoma City University on August 23-24. MACU will play four matches in the two-day event - opening with a match against Wiley (Texas) at Noon on Friday.