RUSTON, La. – As Louisiana Tech's volleyball team enters its second season under head coach Amber McCray, the team wanted to feature its 20 student-athletes. The second position group profiled will be the team's five defensive specialists – senior Alyssa Zucco, junior Natalie Honore and freshmen Meghan Dunnigan, Samantha Hicks and Ainsley Yanz.
 
In 2019, seven Lady Techsters recorded 100 digs or more, including a team-leading 376 digs from 2019 senior Morgan Currie. Madeline Davis also eclipsed the century mark with 108 digs during her senior season. Overall, the Lady Techsters will have to replace over 34% of their digs from a season ago.
 
"Our floor defense and serve receive are two of the aspects of our team that we are most excited about this season," McCray said. "There is not a practice that has gone by where this year's crop of defensive specialists has not been vying for the hardest working position of the day, and it is already clear that mindset has elevated the skill level of the entire group.
 
"We only have two returners out of five, Alyssa Zucco and Natalie Honore, but they have both done a fantastic job of leading by example and setting the tone for our three newcomers now training beside them."
 
Alyssa Zucco | Libero/Defensive Specialist | Senior | Reno, Nev.
Zucco played in 85 sets as a junior, ranking fourth on the team in 2019 with 170 digs. The Reno, Nevada native's 170 digs falls just nine short of junior Jordyn Carswell for the most individual digs returning for the 2020-21 squad. Zucco took over as the primary libero in the final five matches this past season, notching 91 digs over that time. The senior recorded a season-high 25 digs against Charlotte on Nov. 8, which was one of her seven matches where she recorded 10 digs or more. Off the court, Zucco earned a spot on the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Natalie Honore | Libero/Defensive Specialist | Junior | Houston, Texas
Honore saw action in 66 sets across 24 sets as a sophomore, totaling 84 digs. Like Zucco, Honore also shined against Charlotte, recording a career-best 16 digs against the 49ers in 2019. During Tech's 3-0 start to the season a year ago, Honore totaled 21 digs through the weekend sweep to open the season. Off the court, Honore earned a spot on the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Meghan Dunnigan | Defensive Specialist/Libero | Freshman | Leesburg, Va.
Dunnigan graduated from Tuscarora High School in 2020, starting all four years in high school. The Leesburg, Virginia native earned First Team All-District and Second Team All-Region honors as a junior and senior. Dunnigan helped lead her team to a state championship as a sophomore.

Samantha Hicks | Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist | Freshman | McKinney, Texas
Hicks graduated from McKinney High School in 2020, earning Second Team All-District honors as a junior and senior. Hicks is a member of the USA Deaf Volleyball Team and will be competing in the 2021 Deaf Olympics held in Brazil. Hicks also shined off the court, being named an Academic All-State honoree as a senior.
 
Ainsley Yanz | Libero/Defensive Specialist | Freshman | Matthews, N.C.
Yanz graduated from Weddington High School in 2020, earning All-Conference honors during her time with the Warriors. Yanz battled injuries as an upperclassman, but she still managed to post 3.7 digs per set during her final two years of high school. The Matthews, North Carolina native also played club volleyball for Carolina Union Volleyball Premier.
 
Coach McCray on Zucco:
"Seeing significant time both as a libero and a defensive specialist all of her first three years here at Tech, Alyssa Zucco anchors our defensive group with the most collegiate-level experience. She is someone who trains hard in every aspect of the game, from the court to the weight room, and it pays off in the plays she has proven she can make for our team both on serve receive and defense."
 
Coach McCray on Honore:
"Natalie provided a much-needed spark for us a year ago, coming in to make a number of big-time plays in critical moments to close out matches that I'm not sure we would've won without her. She competes with so much heart and grit while also providing invaluable leadership with a voice that consistently earns the respect of her teammates and coaches."

Coach McCray on Dunnigan:
"Meghan has the potential to be one of our quickest players on the court in terms of how much ground she is able to cover in a short amount of time. This is largely aided by the fact that her ability to read attackers and anticipate the play in general is one of the best in our gym. We are excited to see that continue to develop within a group that is making all of our attackers work extra hard to find kills in practice."

Coach McCray on Hicks:
"Sammie is a utility player that has the ability to contribute to our team in a variety of ways. With her background as an outside hitter, she provides even more depth at that position as well as a legitimate attacking option out of the backrow. She's also a kid who is fun to watch because she just plays the game with so much joy."
 
Coach McCray on Yanz:
"Ainsley comes to us with one of the most polished platforms we have seen from a newcomer. She also has a familiarity with the way we train our serve receive, definitely easing her transition to our program and philosophies. It will be exciting to watch her continue to develop as she gets more and more comfortable with expanding her range on defense as well."
 
Keep up with the Lady Techsters throughout the 2020-21 season by following @LATechVB on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.