Red Wolves - IU East

RICHMOND, Ind. - This recruiting file reads unlike any other in the Red Wolves' NAIA volleyball history.

Anne Wissel, who graduated from Richmond High School in 1994 and played her only season of college volleyball the same year, has signed a letter of intent to resume her playing career at Indiana University East.

Red Wolves coach Charlie Brown announced the signing June 7.

"Londa (Brown, IU East's assistant coach) made the comment, and I agree, 'That Anne is probably one in a million. If anyone could pull this off physically and mentally, it would be her,'" said IU East coach Charlie Brown.

Wissel, 36, has stepped down as head coach of the Richmond High School volleyball program, where she coached the past three years. She will continue to work in the mornings while completing an IU degree that will aid in her pursuit of a career as an occupational therapy assistant.

She toyed with the idea of joining the IU East volleyball program over the past two years and made the leap for the 2012-13 school year.

"I told myself, 'You need to do this, get in there and compete with them, and I knew I had to make that choice soon because my oldest daughter is about to start her playing career," said Wissel, who also is the mother of three.

"It's one of those things where people let me know they have confidence in me."

Wissel was one of the top players in Indiana during her high school career at Richmond in the early 1990s.

She helped the 1994 Ball State University volleyball team to a 25-6 record and the second round of the NCAA Division I tournament.

Wissel has not played college volleyball since 1994. NAIA rules allow athletes to compete in four seasons over 10 full academic terms. The academic terms need not be consecutive.

"Anne made a huge life decision to finish what she started many years ago," Brown said. "To make a comeback and get her degree and finish out her eligibility is headline material. We respect her decision and plan to be a part of her success story here at IU East and with IU East volleyball.

"My guess is that we are the only NAIA school in the country with a team dynamic such as what ours will be in 2012! We will embrace the opportunity."

Wissel joins Mallory Livingston of Union City, Ohio, Allison Gutierrez of Decatur, Natasha VanGilder of Crown Point and Lindsay Shirilla of Twinsburg, Ohio, in IU East's 2012 recruiting class.

IU East is an NAIA program. IU East advanced to the NAIA national tournament in each of the past three seasons and is one of just seven programs in the NAIA to win 30 or more matches in each of the past three seasons.