Volleyball Welcomes Five Newcomers for 2018
4/26/2018 2:13:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
KENT, Ohio — Head coach Don Gromala announced the addition of five student-athletes to the Kent State volleyball program. Jacqlyn Caspers (Swaledale, Iowa), Kathryn Ellison (Novi, Michigan), Erin Gardner (Avon, Ohio) and Danie Tyson (South Holland, Illinois) all played for their high school teams during the 2017 season, while Alex Haffner (Lee's Summit, Missouri) joins the Golden Flashes as a transfer from Kansas State, where she utilized her redshirt season in the fall.
"Our 2018 class is one of our biggest classes in recent years, and we feel that this group provides us with a very solid core to build around," said Gromala. "They are all accustomed to being successful on the court with Kat winning three straight Class A state titles in Michigan and three others made major contributions for high school programs that have enjoyed breakout seasons. Adding Alex, who has also experienced an intense training environment with a successful Big 12 program, this spring was huge. Each of them will bring a high level of determination and competitiveness to practices and matches."
Jacqlyn Caspers • 6-4 • Middle Hitter • Swaledale, Iowa
Standing 6'4, Caspers will be the tallest Golden Flash since Liz Reikow patrolled the middle during her All-MAC senior season in 2014. A two-time all-conference honoree, she averaged better than 3.5 kills per set over her final two seasons at West Fork High School. Caspers was a three-year varsity letterwinner in volleyball while also earning two letters for basketball.
"Jacqlyn was a lucky late acquisition for us this past fall. We immediately knew that she had a lot of strong qualities that were the right fit for our program. Jacqlyn has a great arm and is very smooth for a student-athlete of her size. She will add some needed length to our roster at the middle position and will provide a strong blocking presence at the net while becoming an offensive weapon as she adjusts to the speed of our game."
Kathryn Ellison • 6-0 • Outside Hitter • Novi, Michigan
A proven winner, Ellison helped Novi High School capture three consecutive Class A state championships. The Wildcats also finished in the Top-10 of the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 rankings in each season. Ellison earned all-state and all-region honors for her final two prep seasons and was named Academic All-State as a senior. She helped Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy 17 Mizuno to a third-place finish in the Open Division at the 2017 AAU Girls' Junior National Championships in June.
"Kathryn is a bit of an 'X-factor' for us since she started playing volleyball as a middle but in recent years has been a six-rotation pin player who could eventually play right side or even middle. Anyone who watches Kathryn compete will immediately be drawn to her energetic style of play and intensity. She has a strong basic skillset, with a really high ceiling as an attacker and blocker due to her athleticism. She has the ability to attack quick tempo sets at any position along the net and will contribute out of the back row as well."
Erin Gardner • 5-5 • Defensive Specialist • Avon, Ohio
An AVCA Under Armour All-American nominee, Gardner enrolled at Kent State in January and participated in the spring season after graduating early from Avon High School. She tallied a school-record 1,545 digs during her four-year career as the team's libero, leading the Eagles to a 79-10 record, back-to-back Southwestern Conference (SWC) championships and three straight district finals appearances. Gardner totaled 299 digs (4.5 per set) as a senior while earning Lorain County Division I Player of the Year, SWC of the Year and District 3 First Team honors. Last April, she was named to the All-Tournament Team after helping Cleveland Volleyball Club 18 Black place third in the American Division at the 2017 USAV Girls' Junior National Championships.
"We've known Erin for a while since we were lucky to first discover her while working a local high school camp a few years back. She caught our eye because she was such a hard worker and determined to be best she could be. Over time it became evident that she had everything we look for in our back row specialists. She has an incredible work ethic, is extremely focused and thrives in big moments. She also has a knack for getting touches defensively and has solid serve receive technique."
Alex Haffner • 5-10 • Setter • Lee's Summit, Missouri
After redshirting her freshman season at Kansas State in the fall, Haffner comes to Kent State with four years of eligibility. While not appearing in an official contest for the Wildcats, she gained valuable college experience while playing in an exhibition against No. 9 Creighton in August and during the spring season a year ago as an early enrollee. Prior to Kansas State, Haffner was a four-year starter for Lee's Summit North High School where she was a two-time all-state, three-time all-region, four-time all-district and four-time all-conference selection. As a senior, she was selected as a finalist for the Evelyn Gates Award, which honors the top high school volleyball student-athlete in the Kansas City area, and ranked fifth in the state of Missouri for total assists and eighth in assists per set. Haffner was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll during both of her semesters at Kansas State.
"We were fortunate to have another opportunity to recruit Alex after having her be one of our top recruits out of high school. She is a very dynamic setter that can do everything well, in addition to distributing the ball very smartly. She has a knack for making those around her better she and will impact our program immediately as she gains a better understanding of our systems."
Danie Tyson • 6-0 • Middle Hitter • South Holland, Illinois
Named to the 2017 Under Armour Watch List, Tyson earned all-state and all-area accolades this past season. She led Chicago Christian High School to a 27-10 record and 2A supersectional while totaling 242 kills, 69 blocks and 139 digs. Tyson was named to the All-Tournament Team three times during the season.
"Getting Danie to be a Golden Flash was an exciting moment for our program. She was part of a club team that had multiple Division I recruits and was the glue of the team. She plays very steadily and can definitely bring provide 'Wow!' moments when she blocks or attacks. She works really hard to be available as an attacker and we love her ability to score in front of the setter, as well as behind the setter off of one foot. Danie will be a welcomed addition to our strong core of front row players that can play any position in the front row."
