NORFOLK, Va. – Interim head coach Brandon Duvall recently added to his 2013 recruiting class with four incoming freshmen, adding size to his upcoming team with four players all standing 5-foot-10 or better, including two at least six feet tall.

Victoria (Tori) Tulensru out of Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Va., and Monique Gatling from Churchland High School in Norfolk both will join the NSU program from the local area. Duvall will also bring in a pair of Maryland players in Dominique Parker and Sydney Dailey.

Tulensru stands 5-10, while Dailey is listed at 5-11. Gatling and Parker go 6-0 and 6-1, respectively. Parker, Dailey and Gatling each can play middle blocker or at the opposite hitter position, while Tulensru is capable of playing both opposite and setter.

"We definitely wanted to add size to our team and have a bigger presence at the net, and we feel like we have accomplished that with these recruits," said Duvall. "Over the years we've focused more on ball control rather than having players with a lot of size and height. In order to be competitive outside the conference, though, we need to bring in players with this type of size."

Parker, out of Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring, Md., was a key component in Sherwood's 19-0 overall record, No. 3 state ranking (according to MaxPreps.com) and state championship in 2012. Sherwood also won state championships in 2010 and '11 and finished undefeated in both years while ranking first in the state and 40th nationally in 2011. After helping Sherwood to 57 consecutive wins over three seasons, Parker was chosen to compete in the Senior All-Star Game.

"Dominique has a strong arm and plays big at the net," Duvall stated. "She has gained a lot of great experience over the years, especially at playing multiple positions. She can play on the outside, but she is also comfortable out of the middle. That will allow us to mix up our offense a little more."

Tulensru played right side at Great Bridge and was a first-team All-Southeastern District, All-Eastern Region and All-Tidewater honoree by the Virginian Pilot in 2012. She totaled 193 kills, 250 digs and 83 service aces and recently helped the East squad defeat the West team in the Virginia High School Coaches Association all-star game. In 2011, she was first-team all-district and second-team All-Tidewater as a junior. Tulensru played on the varsity basketball team and was a member of the honor roll throughout her high school career. She also competed for the local Coastal Virginia Volleyball Club.

"Tori is talented in so many areas of the game," said Duvall. "She is a left hander with good ball control who could also set for us. She has pretty much done it all as far as volleyball goes, and on top of that she is such a great leader. It's good for our program to bring in a local player with that level of talent."

Dailey hails from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Silver Spring, Md. She helped her squad up its consecutive win streak in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) to 115 while also winning its sixth straight conference title in 2011 during her junior year. As a senior in 2012, she earned second-team All-Gazette honors for Montgomery County and Washington Post All-Met honorable mention in addition to first-team all-WCAC. She also was a member of the Metro American Volleyball Club that went to the U-16 national tournament during her sophomore year and finished first at the Capitol Hill Classic Tournament her junior season.

"Sydney is so competitive and just such an athlete, and that's because she comes from an athletic background," Duvall said about Dailey, whose father, Darnell Dailey, was drafted by the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals in 1982. "Even though she is a little undersized, she was able to play the middle this whole year. She was always the most competitive kid on court when we watched her team play. Like Dominique, Sydney will also allow us to mix up our offense."

Gatling earned first-team All-Eastern District honors as a senior in 2012 after leading Churchland to the Eastern Region quarterfinals. She was first-team all-district as a junior in 2011 and second-team all-district in 2010. She was a three-year captain and a two-time Team MVP. Like Tulensru, Gatling also competed for the local Coastal Virginia Volleyball Club during her senior year.

"Monique is one of the hardest workers I have ever met," said Duvall. "She has decent size and is a very technical blocker, so that position is where her future lies with us. She has a steep learning curve because she does not have a long background in the sport. She improved so rapidly during her one season in club that we know she'll be able to do the same when she gets into our program."

Both Dailey and Gatling will join the program as preferred walk-ons.

NSU finished 14-20 overall last year and 9-3 in the MEAC Northern Division, both standing as the program's most wins since moving to Division I. The Spartans return 10 letterwinners from the 2012 team that finished a serve away from advancing to the MEAC tournament title match.