Women's Volleyball Signs Three Players to National Letters of Intent
STORRS, Conn. (December 5, 2007) -
The University of Connecticut women’s volleyball team will
add three talented individuals from the PrepVolleyball.com Senior
Aces Top 250 selection to the 2008 roster, as Allison Nickel, Jordan
Kirk and Annie Luhrsen have signed National Letters of Intent to
play at Connecticut next season, head coach Holly Strauss announced
Wednesday. “We are excited to officially
welcome Annie, Jordan, Allie and their families into the UConn volleyball
program,” said Strauss. ”In conjunction with being great volleyball players,
three young women encompass the strong character we look for in our
student-athletes. We feel very fortunate that these three players have chosen
to attend the University of Connecticut and we look forward to the impact that
they will have on our program.”
Allie Nickel, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker, is a native
of Pittsford, N.Y. A four-time Monroe County First Team selection and a two-time
gold medalist in the Empire State Games, Nickel earned Penfield All-Tournament
team honors for three straight years, including Most Valuable Player honors in
2005. Nickel was named to the All-Tournament team in 2007 at the Section V
Championships, while serving as her team’s captain.
Nickel, along with her athletic accomplishments, has
excelled in the classroom as well. As an honor student, she is a four-time
scholar athlete and a member of both the National Honor Society as well as the
German National Honor Society, while being a four-year varsity volleyball
starter and letter winner for Fairport High School.
“Allie is full of energy and hard work,” said Strauss.
“Over the past year and a half, she has grown as a volleyball player and is now
ready for the next level of competition. Her height, combined with her work
ethic and athleticism, will add tremendous depth and competition in the middle
position.”
Jordan Kirk is a 6-foot-2 outside hitter from Plano,
Texas, who was a three-year varsity letter winner at Plano West High School. A
First Team All-Collin County selection in 2007 for the High School Sports
Magazine. In 2007, Kirk led her team to a fifth place finish in the Junior
Olympic Girls’ 17 & under Championship while earning a spot on the Texas Girls
Coaches Association (TGCA) All-State Team.
In 2005-06, Kirk was selected to the LoneStarVolleyball.com
All Texas Team, while in 2006-07 she earned recognition as an Honorable Mention.
She was also named to the Junior Olympic Girls Championship 16 & Under
All-Tournament Team in 2006. Along with her achievements on the court, Kirk is a
member of Plano West’s National Honor Society and earned a spot on the 2007-08
TGCA Volleyball Academic All-Star Team. Just recently, Kirk was named to the
2007 All-Area Second Team, earned her team’s most valuable player honors and was
selected for First Team All-District honors.
“Jordan is a versatile player with high-end potential,”
said Strauss. “She has a natural feel for blocking and plays hard and high.
Jordan has a great mind for the game and will raise the level of play in our
gym.”
Annie Luhrsen is a 6-foot-0 setter from Wheaton,
Ill. Luhrsen, a three-time unanimous All-Conference selection in the DuPage
Valley Conference, holds the Wheaton-Warrenville South High School record for
assists in a single-season while ranking second among the all-time career assist
leaders. Along with being named to the Chicago Sun Times Pre-Season Top
50 list in 2007, Luhrsen was a Chicago Tribune First Team All-State
selection. She was also a two-time First Team All-State selection for the
Champaign News Gazette and was a two-time First Team All-Area selection for
the Chicago Sun Times.
As a honor roll student at Wheaton-Warrenville, Luhrsen
also earned Academic All-Conference honors in the DuPage Valley Conference in
2005, 2006 and 2007.
“Annie is joining our program from Sports Performance, one
of the top clubs in the country,” said Strauss. “She has had some technically
sound training as a setter and encompasses tremendous instincts for the game.
Annie’s competitive nature, work ethic, determination and knowledge for the game
will make a strong and an immediate impact in our program.”
Strauss and her coaching staff believe that this is one of
the program’s strongest recruiting classes, as all three young women come from
strong volleyball training and highly reputable volleyball club teams.
“We truly believe that our program found the perfect fit
with Allie, Jordan and Annie.” said Strauss. “They are true UConn Huskies.”
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