NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Iona College volleyball head coach
Esai Velez-Perez has announced three new signees for the 2020 season. Hope Matschner, Kiarra Roth and Jennifer Soto are set to become the newest members of Gael Nation.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome these three fantastic student-athletes to Gael Nation," said Velez-Perez. "Hope, Kiarra and Jennifer embody what it means to part of a team, both on and off the court. My staff and I are excited to see the impact they will make, and Iona fans can expect great things from this trio over the coming years."
HOPE MATSCHNER
Hope Matschner hails from Winter Springs, FL where she was a four-year varsity player at Winter Springs High school. She was awarded Best Offensive Player Award in her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. Matschner was named Most Valuable Player her senior year in addition to First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-State. She amassed over 1,000 career kills and digs in her high school career. As a leader, Matschner was team captain as a junior and senior and was a one-time Seminole County Beach Volleyball Player of the Year.
Matschner played club volleyball for LVA Elite. She was an AAU All-State member in 2017 and USAV Supernova award winner in 2019. Matschner was also a team captain for LVA Elite in 2018 and 2019.
In the classroom she maintains a 3.95 GPA and has been a member of the National Honors Society each of the past two years. Matschner is also in the Renewable Energy Honors Society.
KIARRA ROTH
Kiarra Roth is a four-year varsity starter at Connetquot High School and Long Island Volleyball Academy. She is a two-time state champion in 2017 and 2019. Her team was the runner up in the 2016 season. Roth is a three-time Suffolk County champion and Long Island champion in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
In 2016, Roth was named All-Division and followed it with a 2017 All-League selection. Come 2018, she was named All-Long Island. Roth has been part of the All-County Tournament Team and in 2019 she was named All-County and the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Roth also has All-Suffolk County distinction on her resume.
Off the court, Roth has been part of the Connetquot High School Principals Honor Roll since 2016. She has also been part of the Athletics Helping Athletes program for three years where she goes to elementary schools to speak with your children about growing up and life choices.
JENNIFER SOTO
Coming to New Rochelle from Phoenix, AZ, Jennifer Soto played for the AZ Storm Elite Club and Desert Vista High School. As a senior in 2019, Soto served as varsity captain and was a Central Region First Team, Tempe All-City First Team selection while voted school's Most Valuable Player by her teammates.
Soto first served as a captain as a junior and was also Central Region Second Team and an honorable mention to Tempe All-City. She was part of the House of Payne All-Tournament Team where her team placed second.
Soto's success began as a freshman when her team placed fifth in the state. She ranked top-five for her single-season total in blocks, kills, assists and digs as a rookie.
In the classroom, Soto had a 3.9 GPA. She has earned certificates for Academic Excellence and Sports and Academic Achievements. She is also a National Society of High School Scholars member.
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