Missouri State University

Jan. 26, 2012

SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State will welcome Saint Louis transfer Andrea Beaty (pronounced BAY-tee) to its volleyball program for the 2012 season, head coach Melissa Stokes announced Thursday (Jan. 26). The 5-foot-11 native of Pacific, Mo., has two years of eligibility remaining and can play immediately.

“During the recruiting process, Andrea is a player we always had on our radar screen,” Stokes said of Beaty. “She is a great athlete with a high volleyball IQ. She has played several positions and will bring a high level of experience to our program to make an immediate impact.”

A two-year starter at middle blocker and outside hitter for Saint Louis, Beaty was the 2010 Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year and a first-team all-league selection as a sophomore in 2011.

Beaty led the Billikens with 357 kills in 2011, averaging 3.40 per set to go with 0.72 blocks and 3.58 points. She posted a career-best 25 kills against Rhode Island and hit .410 against perennial A-10 power Dayton.

As a freshman, Beaty was an honorable mention all-conference pick, ranking ninth in the league in kills (2.80/set) and blocks (0.88/set), and 10th with 3.34 points per set. A two-time A-10 Rookie of the Week, Beaty posted 10 kills and 10 blocks against Middle Tennessee and nine kills and six blocks against Missouri State on Sept. 10, 2010, in Hammons Student Center.

Through two seasons, Beaty has played in 227 sets, piling up 699 kills (3.08/set), 183 blocks (0.81/set) and 3.58 points per set while posting a .227 hitting efficiency.

As a prep at Washington High in Washington, Mo., Beaty received numerous national honors, including the 2010 Sports Imports/Volleyball Magazine Girls Fab 50 list, 2009 PrepVolleyball.com High School All-America Honorable Mention, 2010 PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces 150, 2009-10 Under Armour Girls’ High School All-America Watch List, and PrepVolleyball.com’s top 250 recruits for the 2010 season.

She was a first-team all-state pick in 2009 after earning second-team honors in 2007 and 2008, and earned Academic All-State honors four times.

The 2011 Bears finished 22-9 overall and made their seventh NCAA Tournament since 2003.