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Nov. 19, 2002

Lady Lions volleyball team announces early signee

Missouri Southern head volleyball coach Debbie Traywick announced today the addition of a new player for the 2003 season.

Katie Patterson, of Lee's Summit, Mo., has signed a national letter-of-intent to join the Lady Lion volleyball program next fall.

A 5-8 outside hitter, Patterson is a two-time first-team all-district performer and was a first-team all-conference pick this year for Lee's Summit North High School. This season, she hit .380 with 351 kills and helped the Broncos to a berth in the Class 4 district title match.

Patterson ranks second on her high school's single-season lists for kills, digs and aces. In 2002, she set school records for kills in a three-game match (25) and in a two-game match (19). Last year, she set a record for aces in a district match (11).

Also a former conference discus champion in track & field, she is the younger sister of Anna Patterson, a three-year starter at one of Southern's MIAA rivals, Central Missouri State.

In 2002, coach Traywick completed her 15th year at the helm of the Lady Lions, as the team finished 12-16 overall and 6-10 in the MIAA. Traywick notched her 300th career win early in the 2002 season, and has a 311-273 record for her career.