CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Head coach Kevin Hambly and the Illinois volleyball program has announced the signing of five student-athletes to national letters of intent on Wednesday (Nov. 9) as Megan Cooney (Topeka, Kan.), Kylie Kuyava-Deberg (Hudson, Iowa), Emily Hollowell (Little Elm, Texas), Tyanna Omazic (Lenexa, Kan.) and Marijke Van Dyke (Munster, Ind.) are set to join the Illini for the 2017 season.
Megan Cooney // Topeka, Kansas // Shawnee Heights HS // KC Power // Outside/Opposite Hitter // 6-4
Notes: America Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Under Armour Girls High School All-America Second-Team as a senior … PrepVolleyball.com Senior Ace No. 35 and was also named to website’s Top 85 Juniors list … MaxPreps Sophomore All-American … Helped lead her Shawnee Heights High School to three-straight Kansas State High School Activities Associations (KSHAA) Sub-State championships as well as the 2016 5A state championship … Two-time Kansas Volleyball Coaches Association First-Team All-State honoree … Two-time Kansas State First-Team All-Tournament Team … Three-time Topeka Capital Journal First-Team All-City … Three-time Capital Journal First-Team All-Centennial League … Topeka Capital Journal Newcomer of the Year for both the city and Centennial League as a freshman … Shawnee Heights High School all four years of high school … National Honor Society as a junior and a senior.
Kylie Kuyava-Deberg // Hudson, Iowa // Hudson HS // Club Iowa Juniors // Outside Hitter // 6-4
Notes: Ranked at No. 15 on PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces list … Earned Iowa Girls’ Athletic Coaches Association (IGCA) First-Team All-State as a senior and Second-Team All-State as a junior … Invited to the IGCA Senior Volleyball Classic all-star game … Two-time North Iowa Cedar League (NICL) First-Team All-Conference and All-District as a senior and junior … Two-time MVP for her Hudson High School Team as a senior and a junior … Named to the PrepVolleyball.com Top 50 Juniors list … NICL Second-Team All-Conference as a sophomore … NICL Honorable Mention All-Conference and Newcomer of the Year as a freshman … Has registered 1,000+ kills during her time at Hudson High School.
Tyanna Omazic // Lenexa, Kansas // Olathe Northwest HS // Performance Volleyball Association Club // Middle Blocker // 6-2
Notes: America Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Under Armour Girls High School All-America Third-Team as a senior … No. 51 on PrepVolleyball.com Top 100 Senior Aces list and was included in the website’s Top 50 Juniors list … Helped lead her Olathe Northwest High School team to the Kansas 6A volleyball title as a senior … Three-time Kansas Volleyball Association All-Tournament Team honoree … Two-time KVA First-Team All-State … While at ONHS, led the Ravens to four-straight Kansas State High School Activities Associations (KSHAA) Sub-State championships … Kansas City Sports Commission Evelyn Gates Award Nominee as a senior … Two-time First-Team All-Sunflower League … All-Sunflower League Honorable Mention as a freshman … Set middle blocker and hitting percentage records while at ONHS.
Marijke Van Dyke // Munster, Indiana // Munster HS // Sports Performance // Outside Hitter // 6-2
Notes: Ranked at No. 66 on PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces list and was included on the website’s Top 50 juniors list … Helped lead her Sports Performance club team to the 2016 AAU 18 Open National Championship as well as the 2016 AAU 18 Open International Championship … Two-time MaxPreps Player of the Match as a senior … Earned Northwest Crossroads Conference First-Team All-Conference honors as a sophomore and Second-Team accolades as a junior … Helped lead her Munster High School team to IHSAA Sectional Championships in both 2014 and 2016 … Named to the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association (ICGSA) Academic All-State Team … Three-time MHS Scholar-Athlete and Letterwinner … Two-time MHS Ironman Award … 2016 MHS Scholarship Award selection … Helped lead her Sports Performance club team to the 2014 Asics Junior National Championship and the 2014 Mideast Qualifier Championship (American Division) … Earned a spot on the 2014 USA Volleyball High Performance Continental Team … Was named a Windy City Power League All-Star as a freshman.
Emily Hollowell // Little Elm, Texas // Little Elm HS // Dallas Arsenal Volleyball // Outside/Opposite Hitter // 6-3
Notes: Played for the Texas Advantage Volleyball club team as a junior, helping her team to the 2016 USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championship in the 17s Open Division … Also won a national championship in the 14s Open Division with the Dallas Skyline in 2013 … Helped lead her LoneStar Volleyball club team to a 13th place finish at the 2015 nationals and was a Texas qualifier in sand volleyball doubles … Member of the Little Elm High School Team as a freshman and sophomore … Plays for the Dallas Arsenal Volleyball Club as a senior.
For more Fighting Illini volleyball news, stay tuned to FightingIllini.com and follow the team on Twitter @IlliniVBall or like Fighting Illini Volleyball on Facebook.
News courtesy of Illinois Athletics.
Leave a Reply