The Eagles' Notebook

American Volleyball Coaches Association Blog: Volleyball Participation up to Second: "by David Portney As I was out on vacation enjoying the Fourth of July holiday, AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer left an interesting art..."

The 2010/2011 school year brought many milestones on the women's side. After three years of hard work by a dedicated coaching staff, the women's volleyball program made great strides. Thank you to all the players of the 2010 team: Amber Alwin, Megan Brasfield, Sydney Campbell, Chellore Carteciano, Sammi Cook, Nadejda Ivanova, Amy Jankowski, Jossilyn Jones, Melissa Joyce, DeeDee Khoury, Hilary Kluczynski, Rebecca Lourwood, Amber Murphy and Kim Smith.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Chicago, IL – Head Coach Lauren Joyce Hensel has announced the 10 players that will join the Lady Eagles for the 2011 season and help the team contend for a conference playoff slot for the second year in a row. The incoming class includes:

Paige Benson (Elyria, OH/Elyria High School) – 5'6” - Defensive Specialist
Paige will bring a strong work ethic and positive outlook to the program. Coming off a strong high school season, Paige knows what it takes to win. She has solid fundamentals and a strong float serve, which will be important in scoring points throughout the season.

Molly Bradley (Commerce Township, MI/Davenport University) – 6'1” - Middle Hitter
Molly is a talented transfer student who brings a year of experience into the program. An Honorable Mention All Conference player at Walled Lake Northern High School and Michigan Elite Volleyball Club product, Molly will make an immediate difference as her height and ability to see the open court are strong traits. As she learns and immerses herself in our offensive system, she will flourish and become a strong middle blocker in the CCAC.

Elizabeth Cate (Yorbda Linda, CA/El Dorado High School) – 6' – Right Side/Middle Hitter
Elizabeth is a dynamic recruit for the program. She comes from a Top 50 high school program and can play all six rotations while hitting anywhere in the front row. She is already well versed in our blocking style and quick transition game, and we are hoping to see great things from her. In addition, playing in California gives her leg up on her Midwestern counterparts as there is a greater focus on making shots and seeing the court.

Haneefah Davis (Chicago, IL/Simeon Career Academy) – 5' – Defensive Specialist
Haneefah is a walk-on for the program, who came to us late in the recruiting process. At her open tryout, she impressed us with her speed, quickness, and ability to read the ball. With some dedication towards improving her technique, we believe she will contribute to the program defensively.

Kory Honel (Bourbonnaise, IL/Lipscomb University) -5'9” - Outside Hitter
Kory transferred to us this past spring from a Lipscomb University in order to spend more time in the program before the 2011 season. She has the experience of going to the first round of the NCAA tournament and wants to take RMU to new heights. A product of Ultimate Volleyball Club in Frankfort, IL and Bradley-Bourbonnaise High School, Kory brings power to the outside position. She has amazing court vision and can see an opponents block very well. She can be one of the top outsides in the CCAC as she continues to perfect her passing and defensive skills.

Kristin Kopicki (Sterling Heights, MI/Lake Superior State) – 6' - Setter
Kristin comes to us from an upcoming NCAA Division II program. Besides a great set of hands, she brings height into the program with her 6' frame. Already a strong defensive player, Kristin is dedicated to increasing her vertical and speed, which will help her compete for playing time. With some work towards becoming a stronger attacker, Kristin should become an all around threat during her time with RMU.

Lea Matheson (Los Alamitos, CA/Los Alamitos) – 5'3” - Defensive Specialist
Lea comes to us from the west coast hot bed for volleyball – California. A dual sport athlete, Lea balanced volleyball, softball, and club volleyball at Los Alamitos High School. She is familiar with our passing style and should have no trouble acclimating to our challenging practices and strong defensive focus. In addition, she has a high level of court awareness and reading ability that should bring us up to par with some of the best defensive teams in conference.

Alexis Rapp (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield Central) 5'5” - Defensive Specialist
Alexis comes to us from Avalanche Volleyball Club and Plainfield Central High School. One of our first signees for the program, Alexis will add some stability to our serve receive and serving game. After earning the libero position during her club season, she has risen to new heights as a back row player. She already has great technique, and we believe as her speed increases so will her game.

Erika Swain (Harvey, IL/South Suburban Community College) – 5'8” - Outside Hitter/Middle Hitter
Erika comes to us as a junior transfer who has played middle and outside during her career. We expect to see her contribute to the outside position, but her ability to play in the middle will increase her contribution to the program in her final two seasons of college ball. We believe she will become a more consistent hitter as her transition speed improves and her defensive skills develop.

Alyssa Stechow (LaGrange, OH/Keystone High) – 5'11” - Middle Hitter/Right Side
Alyssa comes to us from Southwest Volleyball Club in Ohio, and we are thrilled to have her. She has an incredible ability to read the hitter and put up a solid block from both the middle and the right side. She also has a long reach which allows her to hit a variety of sets with ease. We look forward to seeing her develop her lateral and transition speed, which will help her become a stronger blocker and attacker. As a freshman, she should contribute in both the middle and right side throughout the season.