TicketsHead Coach Molly Alvey has announced the signing of seven student-athletes who will join University of Cincinnati volleyball this fall.
Hannah Bolinger (Cincinnati, Ohio), Armania Heckenmueller (Cincinnati, Ohio), Maria Mallon (Grosse Pointe, Michigan), Sarah Pruner (Lexington, Kentucky), Nevena Santrac (Belgrade, Serbia), Georgia Tselepi (Athens, Greece) and Shannon Williams (Broadview Heights, Ohio) will all look to make an immediate impact and add to the upward momentum of the program.
"Our staff, players and I are excited to add this large class to our program," said Alvey. "We have representation from our home state, our region and internationally. These seven players and their unique personalities and volleyball abilities all have one thing in common: they love our university and cannot be happier to be Bearcats. The pride and work ethic this new group will add, combined with our talented returners, will continue to uphold the vision of our athletic department in being the class of the league."
// HANNAH BOLINGER
Cincinnati, Ohio – St. Ursula Academy
Parents: Marc and Stephanie
Siblings: Sophia, Ella, Penelope
• Uncle Mike Goedde placed baseball at UC
• 2017: First Team All-League, First Team All-District, Third Team All-State; Ohio All-Star Match participant; 14-11 team record
• 2016: league honorable mention; 16-8 team record, first place in league standings
• 2015: 16-10, district champions
• Club team: Tri-State Elite
• Planned major: medical sciences
// ARMANIA HECKENMUELLER
Cincinnati, Ohio – Mount Notre Dame
Parent: Elizabeth Heckenmueller
Siblings: Noah and Jeremiah Denson
• 2017: 830 assists, 12.03 assists/game, 28 blocks, 152 digs; First Team All-City, First Team All-District, Second Team All-Ohio, Ohio All-Star Match participant; 22-5 team record, district champions, regional runner-up
• 2016: district champs, regional champs, state runner-ups
• 2015 & 2014: state champions
• Club team: Elevation Volleyball Cincinnati; third place at president's cup, first place at summer fest
• Undecided major but wants to study either pre-vet with minor in zoology or criminal justice focusing on forensics
// MARIA MALLON
Grosse Pointe, Michigan – Anchor Bay
Parents: Frank and Lisa
Siblings: Michael
• mother played basketball for four years at Wayne State
• 2017: broke school records for kills in a season (1,030), career kills (3,110), aces in a season (159), career aces (442) and most single-season and career points; AVCA All-America Honorable Mention; first team all-state, Miss Michigan Volleyball Runner-Up, Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention, all-region, First Team All-County and All-Conference; team record of 35-8-1, district champs, regional champs (first in school history)
• 2016: led the team with 705 kills and 115 aces; first team all-state, all-region, all-county and all-conference; team named academic all-state
• 2015: second team all-state, conference MVP; team recorded a school-record 41 wins, finishing 41-6-3
• Club team: Legacy Volleyball Club; two-time AAU All-American; team finished as high as second runner-up in the national tournament
// SARAH PRUNER
Lexington, Kentucky – Lafayette
Parents: Jim and Missy
Siblings: Lucy
• 2017: starting libero; named First Team All-City
• 2016: named Second Team All-City
• 2015 & 2014: varsity starter as a sophomore and freshman
• Club Team: Lexington United Volleyball; ranked ninth in the nation in Prep Volleyball's 2018 preseason rankings and seventh in the April rankings; made the JVA Watch List in 2017; finished eighth in the country in 2016
• Planned major: nutrition
// NEVENA SANTRAC
Belgrade, Serbia – Economic School Nada Dimic
Parents: Dejan and Dragana
Siblings: Tatjana
• Played for Ok As Batajnica and Ok Kralj; Won silver at the National Pioneer Championship with Ok As Batajnica; won gold at Regional Senior Leage with Ok Kralj
• Was a member of team Belgrade U18 in 2015
// GEORGIA TSELEPI
Athens, Greece – Moraitis School
Parents: Savvas Tselepis and Kontantina Triantafylou
Siblings: Katerina
• team finished second in Greece her freshman year and first place in Greece the following year
• also played for Artemis; two-time MVP in Greek championship and two-time best spiker in Greek championship; played in the Balkan Championship in Ankara in 2014, Balkan Tournament in Spain in 2015, Balkan Championship in Montenegro in 2015, European Championship in Serbia in 2015, European Championship in Croatia in 2016, Friendly Games in Bulgaria in 2016 and the European Championship in Holland in 2017
// SHANNON WILLIAMS
Broadview Heights, Ohio – Brecksville-Broadview Heights
Parents: Brian and Sonja
Siblings: Brian and Bryndan
• 2017: Cleveland Sports Commission Female High School Athlete of the Year; conference Player of the Year; district Player of the Year; First Team All-Ohio; Ohio All-Star Match participant; Gilmour Invitational Tournament All-Tournament Team; Mentor Power Tournament All-Tournament Team; team MVP; team finished 21-6
• 2016: First Team All-Ohio; Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year; district Player of the Year; conference Player of the Year; Renee Roche Invitational Tournament MVP; team MVP; team went 28-1 and won the conference championship, district championship, regional championship and state championship
• 2015: first team all-district; first team all-conference; Renee Roche Invitational Tournament MVP; team MVP; team finished 23-4 and won the district championship and were regional runner-up
• Club team: Academy Volleyball Cleveland (AVC)
• Planned major: marketing
// 2018 SEASON
• UC has a competitive schedule ahead as the Bearcats will face seven teams that reached the NCAA postseason in 2017 and four teams that were ranked in the top 50 nationally
• The season will begin with a a tournament in nearby Oxford, Ohio, August 24-25 when UC will face UC Santa Barbara, Saint Louis and Miami
• To see the full schedule, click here
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all of the latest information on Cincinnati volleyball, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up to the minute updates, follow Cincinnati Volleyball (@GoBearcatsVB) and Coach Alvey (@CoachAlveyUC) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Facebook (GoBearcatsVB) and Instagram (GoBearcatsVB).
Hannah Bolinger (Cincinnati, Ohio), Armania Heckenmueller (Cincinnati, Ohio), Maria Mallon (Grosse Pointe, Michigan), Sarah Pruner (Lexington, Kentucky), Nevena Santrac (Belgrade, Serbia), Georgia Tselepi (Athens, Greece) and Shannon Williams (Broadview Heights, Ohio) will all look to make an immediate impact and add to the upward momentum of the program.
"Our staff, players and I are excited to add this large class to our program," said Alvey. "We have representation from our home state, our region and internationally. These seven players and their unique personalities and volleyball abilities all have one thing in common: they love our university and cannot be happier to be Bearcats. The pride and work ethic this new group will add, combined with our talented returners, will continue to uphold the vision of our athletic department in being the class of the league."
// HANNAH BOLINGER
Cincinnati, Ohio – St. Ursula Academy
Parents: Marc and Stephanie
Siblings: Sophia, Ella, Penelope
• Uncle Mike Goedde placed baseball at UC
• 2017: First Team All-League, First Team All-District, Third Team All-State; Ohio All-Star Match participant; 14-11 team record
• 2016: league honorable mention; 16-8 team record, first place in league standings
• 2015: 16-10, district champions
• Club team: Tri-State Elite
• Planned major: medical sciences
// ARMANIA HECKENMUELLER
Cincinnati, Ohio – Mount Notre Dame
Parent: Elizabeth Heckenmueller
Siblings: Noah and Jeremiah Denson
• 2017: 830 assists, 12.03 assists/game, 28 blocks, 152 digs; First Team All-City, First Team All-District, Second Team All-Ohio, Ohio All-Star Match participant; 22-5 team record, district champions, regional runner-up
• 2016: district champs, regional champs, state runner-ups
• 2015 & 2014: state champions
• Club team: Elevation Volleyball Cincinnati; third place at president's cup, first place at summer fest
• Undecided major but wants to study either pre-vet with minor in zoology or criminal justice focusing on forensics
// MARIA MALLON
Grosse Pointe, Michigan – Anchor Bay
Parents: Frank and Lisa
Siblings: Michael
• mother played basketball for four years at Wayne State
• 2017: broke school records for kills in a season (1,030), career kills (3,110), aces in a season (159), career aces (442) and most single-season and career points; AVCA All-America Honorable Mention; first team all-state, Miss Michigan Volleyball Runner-Up, Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention, all-region, First Team All-County and All-Conference; team record of 35-8-1, district champs, regional champs (first in school history)
• 2016: led the team with 705 kills and 115 aces; first team all-state, all-region, all-county and all-conference; team named academic all-state
• 2015: second team all-state, conference MVP; team recorded a school-record 41 wins, finishing 41-6-3
• Club team: Legacy Volleyball Club; two-time AAU All-American; team finished as high as second runner-up in the national tournament
// SARAH PRUNER
Lexington, Kentucky – Lafayette
Parents: Jim and Missy
Siblings: Lucy
• 2017: starting libero; named First Team All-City
• 2016: named Second Team All-City
• 2015 & 2014: varsity starter as a sophomore and freshman
• Club Team: Lexington United Volleyball; ranked ninth in the nation in Prep Volleyball's 2018 preseason rankings and seventh in the April rankings; made the JVA Watch List in 2017; finished eighth in the country in 2016
• Planned major: nutrition
// NEVENA SANTRAC
Belgrade, Serbia – Economic School Nada Dimic
Parents: Dejan and Dragana
Siblings: Tatjana
• Played for Ok As Batajnica and Ok Kralj; Won silver at the National Pioneer Championship with Ok As Batajnica; won gold at Regional Senior Leage with Ok Kralj
• Was a member of team Belgrade U18 in 2015
// GEORGIA TSELEPI
Athens, Greece – Moraitis School
Parents: Savvas Tselepis and Kontantina Triantafylou
Siblings: Katerina
• team finished second in Greece her freshman year and first place in Greece the following year
• also played for Artemis; two-time MVP in Greek championship and two-time best spiker in Greek championship; played in the Balkan Championship in Ankara in 2014, Balkan Tournament in Spain in 2015, Balkan Championship in Montenegro in 2015, European Championship in Serbia in 2015, European Championship in Croatia in 2016, Friendly Games in Bulgaria in 2016 and the European Championship in Holland in 2017
// SHANNON WILLIAMS
Broadview Heights, Ohio – Brecksville-Broadview Heights
Parents: Brian and Sonja
Siblings: Brian and Bryndan
• 2017: Cleveland Sports Commission Female High School Athlete of the Year; conference Player of the Year; district Player of the Year; First Team All-Ohio; Ohio All-Star Match participant; Gilmour Invitational Tournament All-Tournament Team; Mentor Power Tournament All-Tournament Team; team MVP; team finished 21-6
• 2016: First Team All-Ohio; Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year; district Player of the Year; conference Player of the Year; Renee Roche Invitational Tournament MVP; team MVP; team went 28-1 and won the conference championship, district championship, regional championship and state championship
• 2015: first team all-district; first team all-conference; Renee Roche Invitational Tournament MVP; team MVP; team finished 23-4 and won the district championship and were regional runner-up
• Club team: Academy Volleyball Cleveland (AVC)
• Planned major: marketing
// 2018 SEASON
• UC has a competitive schedule ahead as the Bearcats will face seven teams that reached the NCAA postseason in 2017 and four teams that were ranked in the top 50 nationally
• The season will begin with a a tournament in nearby Oxford, Ohio, August 24-25 when UC will face UC Santa Barbara, Saint Louis and Miami
• To see the full schedule, click here
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all of the latest information on Cincinnati volleyball, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up to the minute updates, follow Cincinnati Volleyball (@GoBearcatsVB) and Coach Alvey (@CoachAlveyUC) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Facebook (GoBearcatsVB) and Instagram (GoBearcatsVB).