Volleyball Update

[Dane Pound]

Friends, Family, and Alumni of UAlbany Volleyball:

 

Hello! As spring comes to a close, I figured that I would fill you in on how things are going here in Great Dane Land. We spent most of the spring working on individual skills. A lot of movement training and ball control skills, day-in and day-out. For Shelby Goldman, Hillary White, and Kristin Fiorillo, most of spring was spent rehabbing after off-season surgeries. All three of them are rehabbing great and are all ahead of schedule. This is an exciting time for the program here. Younger players have a great opportunity to show us whether they are ready to take their games to the next level and the older players on whether they can be successful leaders following the tremendous class that just graduated. It’s going to be a challenge without Ashley Green, Ashley Hunter, Ashlee Reed, and Eileen Rodriguez. They’ve meant so much to the program, but I know that we’ve got some players that are looking to step up.

 

This past weekend former volleyball great, Susan Spierre, graduated Magna Cum Laude in Atmospheric Sciences, and Green (business administration w/ honors), Reed (human biology & psychology w/ honors), and Rodriguez (communications) also graduated. Susan will be attending graduate school as will Green (at UCONN) this fall. Eileen will be taking the LSAT’s this summer in preparation for Law School. Ashlee Reed will be traveling with Blair Buchanan this summer to play in Holland (the honor roll student is still trying to figure out what she’s going to do in the fall). Ashley Hunter will be graduating in the fall with a degree in accounting. This past spring Ashlee Reed won the Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete Award which is selected by athletic director’s at SUNY’s Division I institutions, and also received the ECAC Medal which is presented to the top UAlbany student-athlete that has shown excellence in the classroom and as a competitive athlete. We are certainly very proud of what these young women accomplished in the classroom and on the court!

 

I am also excited to say that we have received National Letter of Intents from two fantastic student-athletes for the upcoming fall. Sam Jacobson is a 6’1 setter from Glen Ellen, IL and plays for Sports Performance volleyball club – arguably the top club program in the country. Sam has improved as much as any setter in the country and has a very good career ahead of her. The Great Danes also recently received a commitment from Kate Eckhardt, a 6’0 outside hitter/libero from Ottawa, Ontario. Kate has played for the National Capitals – one of the top club programs in Canada and will be representing her country this fall in the Beach World Championships. Kate has a very high volleyball I.Q. She has a passion for playing and is a great competitor with tremendous all-around skills. Jacobson and Eckhardt join Whitney Johnson, a 6’2 outside/middle who signed an NLI in the fall, and Natasha Marquis, a 6’1 right-side attacker who transferred from Butte Junior College in January.

 

I have attached a copy of our schedule. Hopefully we will see many of you at our home matches or on the road if we are in your area. Also attached is a graduation photo of Reed, Green, and Spierre looking good in their robes, and a picture of the seniors following the senior banquet at the Great Danes Awards.

 

As always, if you’d like to be taken off of this list, or know of someone that would like to be added, let me know. Best wishes & GO DANES