Photo by: David Dermer
Kent State Recruiting Class Earns PrepVolleyball.com Recognition
5/31/2014 12:22:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The recruiting efforts of Kent State head coach Don Gromala and his staff have not gone unnoticed, as the Golden Flashes were recognized as having one of the top 100 recruiting classes in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com. The Golden Flashes were last included in the site's rankings in 2007.
The five-player freshman class, which includes outside hitter Kelsey Bittinger, defensive specialist/libero Challen Geraghty, middle blocker Amber Gerdeman, setter Brittney Jakscht and middle blocker Heather Younkin, is expected to make an immediate impact on the court for the Flashes during the 2014 season.
Bittinger was ranked by PrepVolleyball.com as one of the nation's top 250 recruits in the class of 2014 and joins the Flashes following a standout prep career at Strongsville High School. An All-Ohio First Team selection this past fall, she led the Mustangs to the most wins in program history (23) and the school's first regional final appearance during her senior campaign. A two-time first team all-district selection and NOC Valley Division Player of the Year, Bittinger eclipsed 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs during her prep career.
Geraghty led her Holy Cross High School squad to a regional runner-up finish this past fall and earned all-district honors each of her final three prep seasons. She comes from an athletic family, as her mother, Terri, played field hockey at Louisville.
Gerdeman shared Putnam County League Player of the Year honors as a junior and was named all-district and all-conference following her each of her final two seasons at Leipsic High School. A multi-sport prep athlete, she also earned four varsity letters for basketball and was an All-Ohio honoree as a senior.
Jakscht is the most decorated of the group and has received several national accolades, highlighted by receiving the Andi Collins Award as the nation's top senior setter from PrepVolleyball.com. Additionally, she was named MaxPreps Medium Schools All-America second team, PrepVolleyball.com High School All-America, WCVA all-state first team and Rock Valley Conference Player of the Year following her senior season in which she totaled 1,188 assists, 172 kills, 210 digs, 116 blocks, 37 aces and a .492 attack percentage. Jakscht was also named to the WVCA all-state tournament team after helping her East Troy High School team cap off an unbeaten 44-0 season by celebrating a state championship. East Troy finished the season No. 4 in the PrepVolleyball.com Century Club National High School rankings and No. 5 in MaxPreps' Xcellent 25 poll.
Younkin was an All-Ohio Second Team selection in the fall to cap a stellar prep career at Clearview High School in which she total more than 1,000 kills and 800 blocks. She was a two-time all-conference, all-county and all-district honoree and helped the Clippers capture four straight conference titles. Younkin is a gifted athlete and could see time on the court for the Flashes at a couple different positions.
One of the Mid-American Conference's rising programs, Kent State returns nine letterwinner from a team that finished the 2013 season with a 12-18 record and tied for third in the MAC East..
The five-player freshman class, which includes outside hitter Kelsey Bittinger, defensive specialist/libero Challen Geraghty, middle blocker Amber Gerdeman, setter Brittney Jakscht and middle blocker Heather Younkin, is expected to make an immediate impact on the court for the Flashes during the 2014 season.
Bittinger was ranked by PrepVolleyball.com as one of the nation's top 250 recruits in the class of 2014 and joins the Flashes following a standout prep career at Strongsville High School. An All-Ohio First Team selection this past fall, she led the Mustangs to the most wins in program history (23) and the school's first regional final appearance during her senior campaign. A two-time first team all-district selection and NOC Valley Division Player of the Year, Bittinger eclipsed 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs during her prep career.
Geraghty led her Holy Cross High School squad to a regional runner-up finish this past fall and earned all-district honors each of her final three prep seasons. She comes from an athletic family, as her mother, Terri, played field hockey at Louisville.
Gerdeman shared Putnam County League Player of the Year honors as a junior and was named all-district and all-conference following her each of her final two seasons at Leipsic High School. A multi-sport prep athlete, she also earned four varsity letters for basketball and was an All-Ohio honoree as a senior.
Jakscht is the most decorated of the group and has received several national accolades, highlighted by receiving the Andi Collins Award as the nation's top senior setter from PrepVolleyball.com. Additionally, she was named MaxPreps Medium Schools All-America second team, PrepVolleyball.com High School All-America, WCVA all-state first team and Rock Valley Conference Player of the Year following her senior season in which she totaled 1,188 assists, 172 kills, 210 digs, 116 blocks, 37 aces and a .492 attack percentage. Jakscht was also named to the WVCA all-state tournament team after helping her East Troy High School team cap off an unbeaten 44-0 season by celebrating a state championship. East Troy finished the season No. 4 in the PrepVolleyball.com Century Club National High School rankings and No. 5 in MaxPreps' Xcellent 25 poll.
Younkin was an All-Ohio Second Team selection in the fall to cap a stellar prep career at Clearview High School in which she total more than 1,000 kills and 800 blocks. She was a two-time all-conference, all-county and all-district honoree and helped the Clippers capture four straight conference titles. Younkin is a gifted athlete and could see time on the court for the Flashes at a couple different positions.
One of the Mid-American Conference's rising programs, Kent State returns nine letterwinner from a team that finished the 2013 season with a 12-18 record and tied for third in the MAC East..
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