Kent State Welcomes Additions for 2020 Volleyball Season
7/30/2020 12:19:00โฏPM | Women's Volleyball
KENT, Ohio โย Head coachย Don Gromalaย has announced the addition of five student-athletes to the Kent State volleyball program for the upcoming season. Makana Kowalski (San Diego, California), Maluhia Ma'a (Waimanalo, Hawai'i), Amelia Perdue (Kent, Ohio), and Bryn Roberts (Fishers, Indiana)ย are set to begin their college careers this fall, while transferย Lana Strejcek (Cornelius, North Carolina) joins the Golden Flashes as a transfer from Charlotte.
"We added a lot of high-level all-around volleyball skill and solid ball control with this class," said Gromala. "Every one of these players can play different positions, and with our transfer acquisition we gained more of a physical net presence as well. We couldn't be happier with this group as a whole, as they are extremely determined to continue to make a name for Kent State Volleyball."
The group of newcomers includes student-athletes from five different states, spanning from coast-to-coast as well as Hawai'i. Ma'a is the first Kent State volleyball player from the Aloha State. Both Ma'a and Kowalski have a parent who played at the University of Hawai'i.
Makana Kowalskiย โขย 5-9ย โขย Setterย โขย San Diego, Californiaย
Kowalski was a two-time All-Coastal League performer at La Jolla Country Day. Last fall, she earned all-tournament team honors while leading the Torreys to the La Jolla Coastal Classic title. Kowalski finished her prep career with 1,344 assists, 917 digs, 590 kills and 204 aces.
"Makana is an incredible teammate and leader. She's played pretty much every position in recent years, but we know she will excel as a setter in our system. She is extremely athletic and dynamic and can get her hands on almost any first contact on our side of the net. Makana can distribute the ball to any hitter along the net, which is rare to find in someone that hasn't focused on setting explicitly in their juniors career."
Maluhia Ma'aย โขย 6-0ย โขย Outside Hitterย โขย Waimanalo, Hawai'iย
Ma'a was a key contributor for Kamehameha High School during her freshman and sophomore seasons, helping the Warriors claim the program's 21st state title in 2017. An honorable mention all-state performer that season, she provided a spark with eight kills and three digs over the final two sets and combined for a block on match point to clinch the 3-0 championship victory. Ma'a helped her club team finish 10th and 19th at the USAV Girls' Junior National Championships in 2018 and 2019.
"Malu definitely has her own style of play and is extremely consistent in not only her execution but also her focused demeanor. Her passing technique is super simple and at an extremely high level, but most people will probably notice her attacking and how fast her arm is and how it comes out of nowhere."
Amelia Perdueย โขย 5-6ย โขย Setter/Defensive Specialistย โขย Kent, Ohioย
A four-time all-conference performer at nearby Tallmadge High School, Perdue led the Blue Devils to the district championship match each season. She was selected to represent District 3 at the OHSVCA Division II State All-Star Game last fall after posting averages of 4.80 assists, 4.05 digs and 2.10 kills per set. Perdue has helped her club team achieve top-25 finishes in the Open Division at AAU Nationals in five consecutive years, including a third-place showing with Academy Volleyball Cleveland in 2016.
"Amelia can do it all โ pass, dig, set and hit โ with her biggest strength in regard to all of that being her volleyball IQ. She has a great knack for the game and can anticipate and make decisions that make the game look easy to her. We'll look to Amelia to mainly contribute out of the back row, but with her versatility can have her set or even attack from back there."
Bryn Robertsย โขย 5-8ย โขย Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialistย โขย Fishers, Indianaย
Roberts totaled 646 digs, 269 kills and 68 service aces as a four-year letterwinner at Fishers High School. She was named to the IHSVCA "Player to Watch" list prior to her senior season and went on to lead the Tigers to the state tournament sectional round. Playing for Munciana Volleyball, Roberts helped her club team to three consecutive top-five finishes at AAU Nationals. In May, she was selected as a member of the Next Generation Philanthropist Class of 2020 by the Riley Children's Foundation.
"Bryn is such a determined person, and after having her on campus at one of our camps it was evident we wanted someone with her attitude and ability as part of our program. She is super-fast and fluid as a defender, and her intensity and energy will be infectious to not only her teammates but all of our fans as well."
Lana Strejcekย โขย 6-0ย โขย Middle Blockerย โขย Cornelius, North Carolina
Strejcek, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, brings NCAA Division I experience to the middle after appearing in 27 matches and 88 sets for Charlotte last year. She led a 49ers front line that was 39th in the country in blocking with an average of 1.07 blocks per set and her 94 total blocks ranked second on the team. Offensively, Strejcek posted 109 kills (1.24 per set) and a .259 hitting percentage. Prior to Charlotte, she was named the South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year during her lone season at Coker College. She led the Cobras in hitting percentage (.280) and total blocks (80) while ranking second in kills (248).
"Lana was a solid contributor for her previous school as a middle and right side, but we'll look to her to add a bigger blocking presence from the middle for us. She really improved throughout her season last fall where she ended up with 27 blocks over her last three matches, which is pretty impressive. She has strong vision as a blocker and works hard in transition so opponents will always have to be aware of where she is at."ย ย
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