Alabama Volleyball Inks Texas Prep Star
4/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ?? University of Alabama head volleyball coach Judy Green rounded out her 2007 recruiting class in remarkable fashion with the signing of Texas prep star Mary Catherine Aune to a letter of intent. Aune, a native of Austin, will join the Tide in the fall of 2007 after an accomplished high school and club career.
“It is an exciting day for us to sign a player of Mary Catherine’s caliber to join our program,” Green said. “First and foremost, she is a solid person who is also a solid student and a talented player. She brings a high level of experience that can help our team immediately in 2007 and in the future years of our program.”
Aune comes to the Capstone after a prep career that made her one of the most decorated players from the state of Texas.
Competing for head coach Al Bennett at Westlake High School in Austin, Aune led her team to a state title in 2004, a runner-up finish in 2005 and a regional finals appearance last season. Westlake was the top-ranked team in the nation at one point in her sophomore campaign and won three area and district titles during Aune’s playing career.
A two-time All-State honoree, Aune was recognized nationally in late February when she became the first player from her high school to be named to the PrepVolleyball.com High School Senior All-American team. A finalist for the Christian Athletie of the Year last fall, Aune was also named as the District MVP and was voted to the All-Star West team as a senior.
Aune set school records in aces in successive seasons and was ranked as one of the top 10 volleyball players in central Texas by the Austin American-Statesman. She led her region in aces and was third in kills as a senior.
Also active on the club scene, Aune participated in several tournaments throughout the nation for the Austin Juniors Volleyball Club, renowned for producing successful collegiate players. Her teams logged eight top-10 finishes, including titles at the Tour of Texas and the Lone Star Regional in 2006.
“Mary Catherine is an explosive athlete that has been trained at an extremely high level for a very log time,” Green said. “She has competed on one of the best club program in Texas, a program that knows how to train volleyball skills. The passion that she plays with is impressive and I think our fans here will be excited to see her compete.”
Aune was also active in community service during her prep career, having participated in numerous projects while logging more than 160 hours of service.
The youngest of five children, Aune hails from a family well-connected to athletics in the state of Texas. Her father, Jon, was a quarterback at the University of Texas, and her brother, Coy, is currently a senior wide receiver with the Longhorns. Marci, her mother, was a cheerleader at Texas and founded the Longhorn Luv dance team.
Aune plans to major in communications at the Capstone.
