Contact: Tim Ertle
Follow Ursuline Athletics on Twitter / Follow Ursuline Athletics on Facebook
PEPPER PIKE, Ohio – Ursuline College head volleyball coach Donna Day announced six new additions to her program on Tuesday (May 21) afternoon.
The incoming group features four athletes who are graduating from high school in the coming weeks in addition to a pair of successful junior college players. The 2012 UC club was without a senior but still placed four student-athletes on the Great Midwest Athletic Conference postseason teams.
"I am really looking forward to working with this recruiting class," Day said. "They bring a winning attitude, extensive court experience and high-level skills. This group, combined with our current players, will really help our team move to the next level. I am excited to see what they can accomplish."
Emily Adkinson – Shelby High School – Shelby, Ohio
Adkinson earned four varsity letters while playing for the Whippets. As a freshman in 2009, she earned the team's 'Most Improved Award' and followed that up by earning honorable mention Northern Ohio League honors as a sophomore.
In 2011, Adkinson played her way onto the Northern Ohio League first team and added All-District 6 third team accolades. During her senior season, she led her team to a 16-9 record.
She spent six years playing club volleyball and her Blackswamp squad, which also featured Ursuline recruits Sammi Marcum and Makayla Windau, won the OVR title in both 2012 and 2013.
Adkinson appeared on the Principal's Honor Roll all four years of high school while maintaining a 4.3 grade point average. The scholar-athlete, who also received a superior rating at the state choir contest, intends to study nursing at Ursuline College.
Coach Day on Adkinson: "Emily is going to help us add depth in middle. She has the ability to terminate the ball offensively and can control the net as a blocker. I am looking for big things from Emily."
Mehganne Daley – Olmsted Falls High School – Olmsted Township, Ohio
Daley was a high school teammate of current Arrow Jaclyn Brandt at Olmsted Falls High School. While playing for head coach Dawn Moses, they were part of the 2010 team that won the Southwestern Conference title.
A three-time letter winner, Daley achieved all-conference honorable mention status as a setter after handing out 245 assists in 24 matches as a senior. She was the recipient of the 'Coach's Award' and the 'Courage, Guts, Desire Award.'
The honor roll student and peer ambassador intends to study nursing at Ursuline College.
Coach Day on Daley: "Meghanne comes from a winning program at Olmsted Falls and truly understands what it means to be a fierce competitor. She will be a great addition to our squad because of her passion for the game and her desire for constant improvement."
Abigail Fabo – Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School – Oakland Community College - Willoughby, Ohio
While a student at Villa Angela-St. Joseph (VASJ) High School, Fabo earned 11 varsity letters in three sports (basketball, softball and volleyball). She was named the 'Most Valuable Player' of each team as a senior before enrolling at Oakland Community College in Southfield, Michigan.
She spent last season playing for the Raiders after earning a spot on a team that reached the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Championship match in 2011.
Last fall, the Raiders went 22-10 and Fabo played in 84 sets over the course of 27 matches. She finished fourth on the team with 172 kills (2.05 per set) while hitting at a .332 clip. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter also recorded 40 blocks.
Fabo, an honors student who has gone on a mission trip to El Salvador, intends to major in physical therapy.
Coach Day on Fabo: "Abbie has a high volleyball IQ and will be able to contribute on both sides of the ball. I anticipate her being a six rotation player for us who can dominate as both an attacker and a defender. Abbie will make an immediate impact on this team."
Molly Hilfinger – Anthony Wayne High School – Owens Community College - Whitehouse, Ohio
Hilfinger will join the Ursuline program after two seasons at Owens Community College in Rossford, Ohio, where she set school records for most assists in a match (64), season (1,516) and career (2,344). Her 1,516 helpers in 2012 ranked her third in the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association (NJCAA) rankings at the conclusion of the season.
During her two years at Owens, the Express amassed a 92-16 (.852) record and won the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference and Region XII district titles in both 2011 and 2012. Owens placed fourth at the 2012 NJCAA Division II National Volleyball Tournament, the same year Hilfinger earned first team All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference honors.
She attended Anthony Wayne High School and was a standout in both basketball and volleyball. Head volleyball coach Bill Henneman tutored her as she set the school record for most assists in a season in 2010 and she left Anthony Wayne at the top of the career assist list.
Hilfinger was a two-time team captain and was named the 'Most Valuable Player' of both the 2009 and 2010 Anthony Wayne teams. She was also an all-league and all-district selection in 2010 as a result of helping her team to the sectional title. As a sophomore, Hilfinger earned honorable mention status from the Northern Lakes League and then achieved second team status as a junior.
She intends to study nursing at Ursuline College.
Coach Day on Hilfinger: "Molly brings a great deal of experience and leadership to our team. I am looking for Molly to run our offense at a very high level. She has quick feet, soft hands and great vision."
Samantha Marcum – Buckeye Central High School – Tiro, Ohio
Marcum was a four-year starter at Buckeye Central High School. She earned second team All-North Central Conference (NCC) honors in each of her first three seasons before playing her way onto the conference's first team as a senior in 2012.
During her four years, the Bucks went 89-11 (.890) and won four consecutive NOC titles. Buckeye Central was ranked as high as sixth in the state poll in 2010 and advanced all the way to the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Final Four in 2012.
In addition to the first team all-conference honor as a senior, the captain was voted to the Division IV, District 6 first team and was selected to the OHSAA Division IV first team after leading her team in kills.
Marcum, who achieved academic all-conference status for her efforts in the classroom, intends to major in nursing at Ursuline College.
Coach Day on Marcum: "Sammi is a dynamic and powerful athlete who can do everything on the volleyball court. She brings high-level ball control, court awareness and decision making."
Makayla Windau – Margaretta High School – Castalia, Ohio
Windau earned four varsity letters during her time at Margaretta High School. She was a second team All-Sandusky Bay Conference selection as a junior in 2011 before earning first team honors as a senior.
Her continued development was demonstrated by the fact she earned second team all-district honors as a junior before playing her way onto the Division III, District 6 first team as a senior.
Windau, who also earned four varsity letters in softball while a Polar Bear, was named the volleyball team's 'Most Improved Player' in 2011 and the 'Most Valuable Player' the following year.
Away from athletics, she was a yearbook editor for two years and was heavily involved with Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D). Windau also served as a mentor through peer leadership programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
She intends to study psychology at Ursuline College.
Coach Day on Windau: "Makayla adds offensive firepower to the left side of the court and is a relentless defender in the back court. She is able to change the momentum of the game with her play-making ability.
