GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Shelby Gray has signed a national letter of intent to attend Tusculum College and play women's lacrosse for the Pioneers announced TC head coach Jenna Handshoe.

Gray, a 5-11 defenseman from Belews Creek, N.C., plays her prep lacrosse at East Forsyth High School in Kernersville, N.C.

"Shelby is a natural born leader and I think she will be the leader on our defensive end of the field," said Handshoe. She is an all-round athlete and is a very intelligent player on the field."

Gray has recorded 75 ground balls in her three seasons at East Forsyth, including 24 so far this year. She has posted a faceoff percentage of .579 while leading her team to a 10-0 record and a No. 75 national ranking and are currently ranked eighth in the State of North Carolina.

She has participated in the Blaze at the Beach Tournament, where her team took runner-up honors.

Gray also lettered in volleyball all four years at East Forsyth, where she earned All-Conference honors and was named her team's most valuable player.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference. Tusculum, the oldest college in the State of Tennessee, sponsors 16 intercollegiate sports, including women's lacrosse, which will be competing in its first season during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Tusculum, the 28th oldest college in the nation, is a liberal arts institution committed to providing a liberal arts education in a Judeo-Christian and civic arts environment, with pathways for career preparation, personal development and civic engagement. Approximately twenty-one hundred students are enrolled on the main campus in Greeneville and three off-site locations in East Tennessee. The academic programs for both traditional-aged students and working adults served through the Graduate and Professional Studies program are delivered using focused calendars whereby students enroll in one course at a time.

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