Gandara Signs Two to 2020 Class
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head volleyball coach Jose “Keno” Gandara announced the signing of two offensive powerhouses on Thursday.
Outside hitter Noelle Piatas and middle blocker/right side Lauren Tarnoff are the two newest members of the Miami volleyball program, officially joining the Miami family after signing their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.
“We are excited to add players of Noelle’s and Lauren’s caliber to our roster,” Gandara said. “They are both experienced volleyball players, who have played at the highest level in volleyball.”
“The thing that stands out to me about this class is the pedigree – Lauren and Noelle come from two of the most volleyball-rich areas of the country and have competed at some of the highest levels,” associate head coach Kasey Crider said. “They both come from nationally ranked clubs and high schools. They’re both extremely accustomed to winning, and we expect that characteristic to have the greatest impact of all.”
Noelle Piatas | Outside Hitter | 6’2 | Plano, Texas | Plano West
Piatas brings four years of varsity level competition and has registered a staggering 326 kills, while hitting .360 in her senior campaign. Piatas helped lead Plano West to back-to-back State Championships, including a team title in 2018. Earlier this month, the senior earned 2019 Under Armour Girl’s High School All-American honorable mention. She was also named to the AVCA All-Region 6A Team and Senior Aces, an honor that recognizes the top 100 volleyball recruits in the country.
As a junior, Piatas was a state champion and was named to the All-Tournament team, All-State First Team and All-District First Team. The accolades came early as well, earning All-State Honorable Mention and All-District First Team Honors in both her freshman and sophomore seasons. She also was dubbed the All-District Newcomer of the Year in 2016.
“Noelle follows a trend of high level kids that have been committed to our program for a long time,” Crider said. “We’ve had the opportunity to get to know her for years now, so she’s ahead of the curve in terms of understanding expectations. Physically, she has excellent size and a blessed arm. She’s a traditional OH1 and we expect her to kill tons of balls for us over the course of her career.”
Lauren Tarnoff | MB/ Right Side | 6’3 |Huntington Beach, Calif. | Mater Dei
A four-year letter winner, Tarnoff hails from one of California’s elite high schools, having reached the CIF Finals all four seasons in high school. Tarnoff is a three-time CIF academic All-American and was named to the Trinity League’s Honorable Mention list twice. In 2018, Tarnoff helped lead Mater Dei to a spectacular season winning the Trinity League, CIF-SS, State and was a National Champion.
This season, Tarnoff has helped Mater Dei claim another Trinity League Title and were runners up in CIF-SS. In her final high school season, Tarnoff has recorded 176 kills, 89 blocks and is hitting .371.
“Due to an injury, Lauren’s recruiting process happened a little later, which I think mattered in the sense that she was a little more grown up and open to the idea of moving across the country when we connected with her,” Crider said. “She has one of the rarest abilities in our game – the ability to kill the ball off of one foot behind the setter – and that alone will be a huge difference maker. She also has advanced vision as an attacker and has a pretty good knack for putting her hands in good spots as a blocker.”
