Jan. 7, 2004

MEMPHIS , Tenn. - The University of Memphis volleyball team received its final signee for the 2004-05 season with the signing of Shelby Burton, it was announced Wednesday.

Burton, a 6-0 middle hitter at Holmes High School in San Antonio, Texas, will join Ashley Liford to make up the Tigers 2004 signees.

"Shelby is young in the sport of volleyball," Head Coach Carrie Yerty said. "She has tremendous athletic potential and ability and will look to challenge for a middle hitting position right away as a freshman. She is an excellent blocker and hits the 31 very well."

Burton, the daughter of Leslie and Howard Burton, was a three-year-letterwinner for Roseanne Martinez at Holmes High School, also lettering as a center on the basketball team and as a jumper and sprinter on the track and field squad.

A club teammate of Liford, Burton played club volleyball with the Alamo 18 Kaepa club coached by Howard Wallace and earned all district honors.

"Shelby's club team comes from one of the best club programs in Texas," Yerty said. "We're very fortunate to be able to sign athletes with Shelby's ability."

A member of the Spanish and English honor societies, Burton is a member of the National Honor Society and plans on majoring in biology at Memphis.

The Tigers finished the 2003 season with a 30-6 record, making their first-ever appearance in the Conference USA tournament finals after defeating host Tulane in the quarterfinals, and downing Houston in the semifinals.

The Tigers will lose two starters due to graduation in senior middle Shella Neba (Aurora, Colo./St. Mary's) and senior outside Brittany Barnett (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands).

Burton chose Memphis over scholarship offers from San Jose State and New Mexico.