MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama volleyball head coach Jesse Ortiz announced the signings of Lydie Varnadore (Fort Payne, Ala.) and Ava Thomas (Oxford, Ala.) who will join the program for the 2027 season.

Lydie Varnadore
5-8 | Outside Hitter / Defensive Specialist
Fort Payne, Ala. | Fort Payne High School | A5 Chattanooga

Ortiz on Varnadore: "Lydie is an amazing athlete and a fierce competitor and I love her work ethic and drive! She leads by example and I'm excited to see her in our gym."

- Lettered five seasons in at Fort Payne High School in Fort Payne, Ala., as she was a member of the varsity team since eighth grade
- Was an AHSAA 5A Honorable Mention all-state selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association
- Over the course of her five-year prep career, she competed in 599 sets and recorded 1,942 kills, 1,579 digs, 94 total blocks, 308 aces and 912 assists
- Led the Lady Wildcats with 433 kills (3.80 kills per set) and 381 digs (3.30 digs per set)
- Selected as the Times Journal Player of the Year for the second straight season as a senior as she held FPHS reach the Class 5A North Super Regional
- Named to the 2025 AVCA Phenom Watch List and the 2026 AVCA High School All-American Watch List
- Selected to compete for the North Team at the 2026 AHSAA North-South All-Star game where her North squad won in five sets
- Helped Fort Payne capture the area title and make an appearance in the 2025 Sweet 16 as she was named the Times Journal Player of the Year
- Finished with 622 kills (4.50 kps), 420 digs (3.00 dps), 97 aces and 28 assists, and led all classifications in the state in kills
- Posted 476 kills as a sophomore where she averaged 4.1 kills per set, while also recording 374 digs for a 3.20 digs per set average
- Also lettered in track where she competed in multiple events, including the heptathlon where she was a Top 3 finisher at the state meet
- Played club ball for A5 Chattanooga

Ava Thomas
5-11 | Outside Hitter
Oxford, Ala. | Oxford High School | Champions Sports Academy

Ortiz on Thomas: "Ava is one of Alabama's best and she is a high-effort competitor! She comes from an athletic family and I look forward to her competing in our gym amongst the other Jags."

- Lettered six seasons at Oxford High School in Oxford, Ala.
- Led the Yellow Jackets to four area championships and a pair of county championships each of her last two seasons
- Recorded over 2,000 kills as she finished her prep career with 2,193, becoming the first player in program history to do so for the Yellow Jackets
- Also lettered four seasons in basketball at Oxford where she averaged 9.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a member of the varsity squad
- Played club ball for Champions Sports Academy for eight years where she helped the program where she was a six-rotation player
- Helped club team record multiple regional runner up finishes and a Power Regional Championship as a 10th grader

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