June 9, 2008

Lipscomb coach Brandon Rosenthal has announced the addition of Elly Kaiser, a defensive specialist who has decided to transfer from Illinois State University.

"We recruited her out of high school," said Rosenthal. "We were surprised she was looking to transfer. She is somebody who is really going to come in and make a difference on the defense. She will ultimately make us better in practice as well.

"It will be fun to see her because she is transferring from a different program. Illinois State is a very, very good program. She is coming from a big school to a smaller school and bringing that experience with her."

Kaiser, a 5-foot-5 sophomore, played last season for Illinois State. She is from Champaign, Ill., where she was a two-year starter for Centennial High School. She played in eight games for Illinois State.

"She is very fast," Rosenthal said. "She is going to bring the work ethic we are looking for."

Kaiser served as captain of her high school team as a senior and a junior with the team advancing to the regional finals in both seasons, earning the championship her junior year.

She averaged 2.6 digs per game her senior season and was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year. She also excelled in the classroom earning designation as a Big 12 Scholar-Athlete her senior year.

Kaiser played club volleyball for Primetime VBC. She was also a star in both basketball and track and field. As her team's top long jumper she helped earn back-to-back team conference championships in 2004 and 2005.

She is the daughter of Connie and Brian Kaiser.