MONROE, La. - The ULM indoor and beach volleyball teams continue to grow under head coach
Russ Friedland as three newcomers signed with the Warhawks this month. Friedland made two new spring additions to his indoor team in Madeline Hogan and Chloe Carenza, and a fall newcomer to the beach squad in Florida-native Destanie Aydt.
Madeline Hogan | 5-11 | Outside Hitter | Frisco, Texas | Liberty High School
After helping guide Liberty High School to an undefeated district record, Hogan was named Most Valuable Player as a freshman. As a varsity starter her sophomore, junior, and senior year – Hogan and the Redhawks reached the first round of playoffs and advanced to the regional quarterfinals as a senior. Hogan garnered First Team All-District and First Team Academic All-State honors as a senior for her success on the court. Hogan recorded 260 kills in 681 attacks her senior year, and added 26 blocks and 285 digs. Hogan will join the Warhawks in the spring of 2019.
Friedland on Hogan: "I've watched Madeline compete for the past few years, even before I arrived here in Monroe. I love what she adds above and beyond the volleyball, with her passion and competitive nature. She's going to help with our overall ball control and add some fire on the court. I'm excited to get her here at the semester break and get to work with her through the spring in preparation for the 2019 season."
Chloe Carenza | 5-4 | Defensive Specialist | Ontario, Canada | Indiana State University
Carenza played three years on the varsity squad at Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School, a recipient of the service award and the accounting subject achievement award, Carenza is a star in the classroom and on the court. A member of the Halton Hurricanes club team, Carenza finished her club career as a west national all-star (U15), a national champion (U17), and a national finalist (U18). During her time at Indiana State, Carenza appeared in 147 sets, recording 179 digs, and 20 service aces.
Friedland on Carenza: "I am psyched to add Chloe to our roster this spring. She's coming from a high-level mid-major conference and we will look to her experience to help with our serve-receive and defensive game. The way Chloe handled the whole transfer process was a great indicator of the kind of leadership and mentality she has both on and off the court which will add greatly to what we've already got in the gym. I'm excited to get to work with her right away this spring and see what she can add to our program."
Destanie Aydt | 5-9 | Beach | Wesley Chapel, Florida | Wiregress Ranch High School
Born in Birmingham, Alabama Aydt will join the Warhawks beach team in the fall of 2019. Aydt helped guide the bulls to a 20-6 record and a conference championship her junior year, then went on to garner a bid to the junior nationals as a senior. While playing with the Tampa United, Aydt became a two-time junior national qualifier and earned a 2016 Nationals All-Star Award.
Rishell on Aydt: "Destanie is a strong player that is very versatile. She has the quickness to be a strong defender, but she also has the height and jump to be a terminal blocker. Her jump also helps her become a key component of our offense, with a cut shot that is hard to defend. She also has a strong personality on the court and brings a lot of energy to the sand which makes her fun to watch. She comes from a great club in St Pete where she has increased her skill in a short time. She is very coachable and we are very lucky that she has chosen ULM as her future home."
November 13, 2018
MONROE, La. – Head indoor and beach volleyball coach
Russ Friedland announced the addition of six signees on Wednesday. Three of Friedland's newcomers will play indoor volleyball, while the other three will be beach volleyball players. All will be immediately eligible for competition starting in the fall of 2019.
"We are really excited about this class for both programs," said Friedland. "On the indoor side, these three will make a big impact on the foundation that we started to build in 2018. I know they are eager to get here and get started and that's always fun to hear from incoming players. We've got a few more that we will announce soon that will continue to add to the quality of this class, on and off the court. It's a dynamic group and we are excited to get them to Monroe!"
Shaska Davis | 5-9 | Outside Hitter | Houston, Texas | Westside HS
Davis has earned numerous top-player awards over her volleyball career, including Offensive Player of the Year honors, Spring Branch Tournament MVP, and 6A First-Team All-District recognition. She recently led her high school team to bi-district playoffs and an impressive 28-5 overall record.
Darby Fisher | 5-11 | Setter | Mills River, North Carolina | West Henderson HS
Fisher helped lead the West Henderson volleyball team to the 2018 WMAC Conference Championship and was recognized as a WMAC All-Conference player. In 2017, Fisher was selected as the WNC Volleyball Co-Player of the Year and helped her AAU Girls National 17 team to runner-up status in the club's league.
Hailey Hughes | 6-0 | Middle Blocker | Minden, Nevada | Douglas HS
A member of the All-State academic team, Hughes comes to ULM after being selected First-Team All-Conference for two years and earning honorable mention recognition by the Las Vegas Review Journal's Best of Nevada Preps.
Julia Blazek | 5-7 | Beach | Lafayette, Louisiana | Teurlings Catholic HS
Selected to the JVA Class of 2019 Beach Watch List, Blazek is amidst her senior year at Teurlings Catholic already having accumulated two high school indoor state champion honors. In 2018, Blazek earned six first-place finishes. Blazek is also a member of the USA A2 High Performance Beach team.
Brooke Hoven | 5-8 | Beach | Hoover, Alabama | Hoover HS
Hoven has built an impressive resume as a beach volleyball player, which includes 14 national championship bids over the course of five years (2014-18). Hoven earned first place bronze in the USA Volleyball National Championships and earned a Top 4 finish at the NVL Global Challenge National Championship in 2016.
Abbie Elder | 5-10 | Beach | Haslet, Texas | V.R. Eaton HS
"On the sand, [associate head coach] Sara [Rishell] did a great job with this class," Friedland said. "The addition of Abbie, Julia & Brooke will elevate our program greatly. We are looking to make a push with our beach program going forward and this class is an exciting one to continue with our vision for the SandyHawks."
