JONESBORO, Ark. (7/20/16) – Arkansas State head volleyball coach David Rehr announced Monday that Pulotu Manoa (pronounced PUH-low-TOO MAH-noah) has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her volleyball career at Arkansas State after playing the last two seasons at Missouri State-West Plains.

Manoa helped lead the Grizzlies to the quarterfinals of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I National Championship Tournament a season ago. She totaled a team-high 542 kills to rank sixth in the nation, while her 3.74 kills per set mark was 13th. The outside hitter posted a .273 hitting percentage to rank third on the squad and first among her position group. She also posted 341 digs, 75 blocks, 23 assists, and 14 service aces as a sophomore as she earned First-Team All-Region 16 honors.

“It's unusual for us to sign someone this late, but we couldn't pass up the chance to add an excellent player like Pulotu to our team,” Rehr said. “We had a spot open and I feel like she will be a great addition to our squad, on and off the court. She's a better person than she is a player, and she's a great player, so I know she will fit in immediately despite being a late addition.”

A native of Concord, Calif., Manoa posted 361 kills for a 2.69 per set average as a freshman in the 2014 campaign as Missouri State-West Plains reached the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Division I National Championship Tournament. Defensively, she registered 74 digs and 69 blocks for the Grizzlies. She prepped at Concord High School and tallied a team-best 301 kills as she led the Minutemen to 2013 North Coast Section Division II Tournament as a senior.

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