Michigan State Volleyball Announces Nationally-Ranked 2027 Signing Class

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State volleyball head coach Kristen Kelsay announced the signing of five incoming student-athletes - Cora Bicknese, Ellery DeBoer, Lauren Forelli, Mallory Wandel and Mallory Woiteshek - to the Spartans' 2027 roster on National Signing Day. MSU welcomes one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, earning recognition from Prep Dig as the No. 9 recruiting class overall and No. 3 in the Big Ten.

"We're so excited to announce our 2027 class, our first full recruiting class as a staff," said Kelsay. "This class took a chance on Michigan State and said yes before we even played a single match. I'm so grateful for their trust in our program. These Spartan student athletes will play an integral role in the growth and future success of Michigan State Volleyball."

"One of the first tasks after being hired was to hit the ground running for the class of 2027. I am so appreciative of our recruiting coordinator, Dan O'Keefe, and the work he did from day one," continued Kelsay. "I am proud to call each one of these five student-athletes a Spartan. Their combination of talent, character and commitment to our values will elevate our program from their first day on campus."

Bicknese, a 5-7 defensive specialist and libero from Chatfield, Minnesota, played club volleyball at Vital Volleyball Club and was a five-year player at Chatfield High School. She is ranked as the No. 5 recruit in the state of Minnesota.

"I've had the privilege of knowing Cora for quite some time because of my time in Minnesota," said Kelsay. "I have always been impressed with Cora's tenacity, competitive drive and the light that she brings to the court. I am thrilled for Cora to officially be a part of the Spartan family and know her joy will be seen by Spartan fans across the country."

Bicknese helped Vital VBC qualify for USA Volleyball Nationals in both the 16 and 18 divisions and was named to the all-tournament team at both the USA Show Me Qualifier and USAV Nationals in 2024. At Chatfield while playing outside hitter, Bicknese was named all-conference in each of her five seasons and was a three-time all-area player from 2024-26 while also earning All-Star Tribune honors in 2025 and 2026 from the Minnesota Star-Tribune. She helped Chatfield to a pair of state tournament appearances, including a runner-up finish in 2025 where she was named to the all-tournament team, and was a two-time team captain. Bicknese is just the second player in Minnesota history to surpass 2,000 digs and 1,000 kills during her high school career.

Academically, Bicknese is ranked second in her class at Chatfield and is a two-time Academic All-State selection.

DeBoer, a native of Willmar, Minnesota, is a 5-11 setter and ranked No. 2 in the state of Minnesota by PrepDig. She played at MN Select Volleyball Club and Willmar Senior High School.

"Ellery is also an athlete who I've had the privilege of knowing for quite some time through the USA Volleyball pipeline," said Kelsay. "Her ability to run an offense and locate with tempo makes her one of the elite setters in this class. I'm so proud of her growth, both as a volleyball player and as a leader, and I'm excited to see the impact she makes in our gym on her first day on campus."

DeBoer was named to the All-Tournament team in the 17 Open division with MN Select at the 2026 AAU National Tournament and earned both USA Volleyball and PrepVolleyball All-America honors during her club career. She is a five-time USA Volleyball National Development Team member. In five seasons of prep volleyball at Willmar, DeBoer was a three-time Minnesota Class AAA all-state selection (2024-26) and five-time All-Central Lakes and All-Area First Team honoree. DeBoer was also named a finalist for Ms. Baden Volleyball in 2026, which is awarded to the top senior in the state of Minnesota. She surpassed 3,700 assists and 1,000 digs during her career at Willmar.

At Willmar, DeBoer is a four-year A Honor Roll member and two-year member of the National Honor Society.

Forelli, a 6-2 outside hitter, hails from Peoria, Arizona and played volleyball at Revolution Volleyball Academy and Liberty High School. She is ranked No. 14 overall in the class of 2027 by Prep Volleyball.

"Lauren is an elite volleyball player who excels in all phases of the game," said Kelsay. "She is an athlete who will not only strengthen our offense, but also bring experience competing with and against the best athletes in the country. In the recruiting process, it was clear very early on that Lauren's values align with our program values."

Forelli is a two-time Under Armour Next High School Camp invitee and was named a 16U First Team All-American by PrepVolleyball in 2025. She is also a six-time USA Volleyball National Team Development Program invitee. At Liberty High School, Forelli was twice named the Arizona 6A Desert Valley Region Player of the Year and is a three-time 6A Desert Valley First Team All-Region selection. She helped lead Peoria to the 6A Desert Valley regional title in 2025 and was named Liberty's offensive most valuable player in 2023 and 2024.

In the classroom, Forelli is a three-time Arizona 4A-6A All-Academic First Team selection and holds a 4.0 GPA.

Wandel, a 6-1 outside hitter, is one of two incoming freshmen from the state of Michigan, hailing from Rockford and Rockford High School. She played club volleyball at Rise Academy Volleyball Club in Grand Rapids.

"It's really powerful for us to have two athletes from the state of Michigan our first recruiting class," said Kelsay. "I want the best players in Michigan to want to stay home. Mallory is an athlete who has roots to Michigan State and was raised a Spartan. Mallory's incredible work ethic stood out to me early in the recruiting process. Her mindset will immediately raise the competition level in our gym, and I can't wait for the firepower she will add to our arsenal of attackers."

At Rockford, Wandel was an AVCA Second Team All-American selection and two-time First Team All-State honoree in four seasons of varsity volleyball. She was also a three-time All-Region and All-Ottawa-Kent Conference player. Wandel helped Rockford to a Division 1 state runner-up finish in 2024 and state semifinal appearance in 2025 while also leading the Rams to district titles in each of her four seasons. She is a finalist for Michigan Miss Volleyball this season.
In the classroom, Wandel is an Academic All-State selection at Rockford.

Mallory Woiteshek joins Wandel as one of two in-state 2027 signees. Ranked as the No. 5 player overall from the state of Michigan, Woiteshek is a 6-4 pin hitter from Grand Haven who played at Far Out Volleyball Club and Grand Haven High School.

"Mallory is a player who uses her physicality to impact all phases of the game," said Kelsay. "Her athleticism and ambition have helped her lead and contribute to multiple sports at Grand Haven. Her infectious joy and work ethic make her a great fit for our program. Her ceiling as a player is limitless."

Woiteshek is a three-time all-state selection at Grand Haven and helped lead the Buccaneers to four-consecutive district titles from 2023-26. She also earned all-region honors and all-district honors during the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons and was named to the AVCA Phenom List in each of those three seasons. Woiteshek earned Area Player of the Year honors in both 2024 and 2025 and helped Grand Haven advance to the state quarterfinals during her freshman season. An accomplished three-sport athlete, Woiteshek also played soccer and basketball at Grand Haven and was an all-state selection in basketball. She surpassed 2,000 career kills this season, becoming Grand Haven's all-time leader in kills, and is a finalist for Michigan Miss Volleyball alongside Wandel.

Woiteshek is a four-time Academic All-State selection at Grand Haven.

Michigan State University Athletics

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