The Thunder volleyball staff have completed their 2025 recruiting class and have signed four total newcomers that include one junior college transfer and three high school seniors. The newest Thunder volleyball student-athletes are:

TRANSFERS

Ellie Suber - 5'10, Sophomore, Setter - Hutchinson Community College

Suber played in 37 matches for the Blue Dragons. Appeared in 118 of the 142 sets played. In her lone season at Hutch, Suber had 41 service aces, collected eight total blocks (eight assists), totaled 40 kills (0.38 per set) while hitting at a 0.194 percentage, finished with 213 digs (1.81 per set), and was second on the team with 453 assists (3.84 assists per set). Prepped at Eudora High School in Eudora, Kansas.

FRESHMAN

Cheyenne Crow - 5'8, Freshman, Defensive Specialist - Flint Hills Christian School (KS)

Led the Warriors to three wins as a senior. As a junior, Crow was named to the Second Team All-KASC (Kansas Approved Schools Championship) and reached over 1,000 digs at the end of her junior season. As a senior, she was on the First Team All-KASC. Also lettered in basketball and track at Flint Hills Christian.

Katie Drake - 5'11, Freshman, Middle Hitter - Hastings High School (NE)

As a senior, Drake appeared in all 83 sets for the Tigers. Had 19 service aces (0.23 per set). Led the Tigers in total blocks with 40 (29 assists, 11 solo). Second on the team in kills with 113 kills (1.36 per set) while leading the Tigers with a 0.109 hitting percentage. Finished with 65 digs (0.78 per set) and four assists (0.05 per set). Drake was named to the Eastern Midlands Conference (EMC) All-Conference team and the EMC Academic All-Conference team. She was also selected as a Centennial Classic All-Star and participated in the Centennial Classic All-Star game. 

Anja VonSpreckelsen - 5'6, Freshman, Setter - Junction City High School (KS)

As a senior, VonSpreckelsen appeared in 61 of the 62 sets played. Had 15 services aces (0.25 per set). Collected two total blocks (two assists). Totaled 16 kills (0.26 per set). Finished with 101 digs (1.66 per set) and led the Bluejays in assists with 155 (2.54 per set).

Head coach Lauren Sanders had this to say about her most recent recruiting class, "We are excited to add these four student-athletes to our roster! All four are committed student-athletes who will bring experience, great energy and love for the Lord! The key to this class is the depth that we are adding at several key positions. We knew we needed to continue to push our roster and bring in high level athletes to continue our run at the national tournament. 

In the setting position, we will bring in Ellie Suber and Anja VonSpreckelsen. Suber played high level high school and club volleyball in the Kansas City area and a season at Hutchinson Community College. We expect her to make an immediate impact on the court and will strengthen our game both offensively and defensively. VonSpreckelsen comes to MCC after taking a gap year. She brings great energy and will add depth. Katie Drake will deepen our middle hitter positions as well. Drake is a legacy student, as both of her parents are alumni of MCC and participated in athletics. She is athletic, very hardworking and has a solid foundation to build on! Cheyenne Crow will be a utility player who has experience in the front and back row, so we will have options with where she will fit the best. Crow brings an incredible work ethic and desire to learn and we are excited to see how she develops. 

Each of these student-athletes will bring a lot to the court athletically, but they also all bring a strong desire to serve the Lord and use volleyball as that tool. We have a roster of 16 talented student-athletes and we are looking to continue building and pushing toward our goal of a National Championship."

The Thunder will kick off their season with a double-header at their invitational on Friday, August 29th against Dallas Christian and Cottey.

Check out the volleyball schedule here: 2025 Volleyball Schedule

Tickets for the 2025 season will be posted to the SidelineTix website and app later this summer. To purchase tickets, fans can visit www.mccthunder.com and click the "Get Tickets" tab.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Volleyball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on X and Instagram.