TicketsUniversity of Cincinnati volleyball Head Coach Molly Alvey is pleased to announce the newest signees to join the Bearcats in 2019.
UC will welcome Kenzie Conner (Centerville, Ohio), Karoline Fauske (Førde, Norway), Kerstin Ficker (Cincinnati, Ohio), Maria Tobergte (Hebron, Ky.) and Madison Waters (Mckinney, Texas). Newcomers Sheilah Purcell (Dayton, Ohio) and Dimitra Tziarli (Thessaloniki, Greece) enrolled in January and spent the entire spring semester training with the team.
"We are energized about bringing in this new group of student-athletes," said Alvey. "Coach White and Coach Carroll do a tremendous job recruiting across the country and across the globe identifying a diverse group of athletes to continue to elevate the performance of our program. This year's class showcases quite a few of our local talent which is very exciting. We want to continue to build the success of the program, and this class will be a big part of the momentum this fall."
// KENZIE CONNER
Centerville, Ohio – Centerville High School
Club Team: Elevation Volleyball Club
Transfer from Cleveland State
Libero/Defensive Specialist
Height: 5-6
Parents: Chris Conner and Natalie Travis
Siblings: Miranda, Reagan and Kendall
• Sister Miranda played at Weber University and mother played in college as a setter
• Senior Year: Team went 22-3, and included as 15-0 start that beat her father's record at Centerville for longest undefeated streak; named MVP, first team all-conference, player of the year, athlete of the year and Senior Star Award;
• Club Team: won National Division in 2016 and qualified for Open and competed for the national titled every other year
Planned major: criminology/criminal justice
// KAROLINE FAUSKE
Førde, Norway - Hafstad Vidaregåande Skule
Club Team: Førde Volleyballklubb
Outside Hitter/Right Side
Height: 5-9
Parents: Terje Fauske and Line Ringnes
Siblings: Martin and Anette
• Førde Elite Team: Norwegian champions 2017-18 and 2018-19; Won the Mizuno League in 2017-18 and finished runner-up in 2018-19; took silver the NEVZA club championship in 2017-18; participated in the CEV European League in 2018-19; named best outside hitter of the Mizuno League
• Represented Norway on the U17, U19 and Senior teams
Planned major: engineering
// KERSTIN FICKER
Cincinnati, Ohio – Anderson High School
Club Team: Tri-State Elite
Defensive Specialist/Libero
Height: 5-3
Parents: David and Angela Ficker
Siblings: Lauren, Anna
• Sister Anna played volleyball for four years at ODU; uncle played soccer at Xavier
• Senior Year: Set high school record in digs in a season with 406 and the career digs record with 1,126; first team all-conference, second team all-city, second team all-district; played in senior all-star game
• Was team defensive player of the year as a junior and second team all-conference
Planned major: biomedical sciences with a minor in Spanish
// SHEILAH PURCELL
Dayton, Ohio – Centerville High School
Club Team: Cincy Classics
Defensive Specialist/Libero
Height: 5-5
• Senior Year: Named best defensive player; first team all-district and first team all-conference; was team captain; district senior all-star invitee
• Missed junior year due to injury; started high school career by being named second team all-conference and district honorable mention as a freshman
• Enrolled at UC in January and played with the team for the 2019 spring season
• Club team: Cincy Classics; voted on the all-tournament team at the President's Day Classic in 2018
Major: exploratory
// MARIA TOBERGTE
Hebron, Kentucky – St. Henry District High School
Club Team: Tri-State Elite
Outside Hitter
Height: 6-0
Parents: Dan and Wendy Tobergte
Siblings: Billy, Louie, Brian, Luke, Kevin and Mary
• Her mother and aunt both played volleyball at Miami (OH)
• Senior year: Region player of the year, region all-tournament team, region MVP, state MVP, district all-tournament team, first team all-state, division player of the year; totaled 1,387 kills and 1,244 digs in her career; team finished 32-10 and were district and region champions
• Also was first team all-state, division player of the year and region player of the year as a junior
• Club Team: Tri-State Elite; team was 2017-18 Mideast Power League Division Champions, 2016 and 2017 JVA Buckeye Battle Champions and 2016 JVA Worlds Champions
Planned major: fashion design/merchandising
// DIMITRA TZIARLI
Thessaloniki, Greece – Hellenic College of Thessaloniki
• Club Team: Aias P.S. and D.A.S. Oraiokastrou
Transfer from Louisiana Tech
Middle blocker
Height: 6-1
Parents: Konstantinos Tziarlis and Crysa Karatzia
Siblings: Stefan
• Enrolled at UC in January and played with the team for the 2019 spring season
• Represented Greece on the U16 through U19 teams; won the Balkan Championship with U16 and U17; won the European Championship with U17; qualified twice for the European Championship as part of the U18 team
• Started playing volleyball at the age of 14 and qualified for the national team the year after
Planned major: psychology
// MADISON WATERS
Mckinney, Texas – Lovejoy High School
Club Team: Skyline Juniors
Outside Hitter
Height: 6-0
Parents: Jason and Jennifer Waters
Siblings: Morgan
• Her father and uncle both played football at East Central University; her uncle, Nick Blackburn, was a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins 2007-2012
• Senior Year: All-state, Prep Volleyball All-American, all-star, area hitter of the year, district MVP, team MVP, area all-tournament team; team finished second in state and won the district championship, going 47-7
• Was named the team's offensive player of the year as a junior; was also named first team all-district and team was state runner-up and district champions
• Club team: Skyline Juniors; was team MVP with the most kills in 2018; Tour of Texas Champions in 2018 and runner-up in 2019; American Volleyball Challenge Qualifier and Pacific Northwest Qualifier third place in 2019
Planned major: business
UC will welcome Kenzie Conner (Centerville, Ohio), Karoline Fauske (Førde, Norway), Kerstin Ficker (Cincinnati, Ohio), Maria Tobergte (Hebron, Ky.) and Madison Waters (Mckinney, Texas). Newcomers Sheilah Purcell (Dayton, Ohio) and Dimitra Tziarli (Thessaloniki, Greece) enrolled in January and spent the entire spring semester training with the team.
"We are energized about bringing in this new group of student-athletes," said Alvey. "Coach White and Coach Carroll do a tremendous job recruiting across the country and across the globe identifying a diverse group of athletes to continue to elevate the performance of our program. This year's class showcases quite a few of our local talent which is very exciting. We want to continue to build the success of the program, and this class will be a big part of the momentum this fall."
// KENZIE CONNER
Centerville, Ohio – Centerville High School
Club Team: Elevation Volleyball Club
Transfer from Cleveland State
Libero/Defensive Specialist
Height: 5-6
Parents: Chris Conner and Natalie Travis
Siblings: Miranda, Reagan and Kendall
• Sister Miranda played at Weber University and mother played in college as a setter
• Senior Year: Team went 22-3, and included as 15-0 start that beat her father's record at Centerville for longest undefeated streak; named MVP, first team all-conference, player of the year, athlete of the year and Senior Star Award;
• Club Team: won National Division in 2016 and qualified for Open and competed for the national titled every other year
Planned major: criminology/criminal justice
// KAROLINE FAUSKE
Førde, Norway - Hafstad Vidaregåande Skule
Club Team: Førde Volleyballklubb
Outside Hitter/Right Side
Height: 5-9
Parents: Terje Fauske and Line Ringnes
Siblings: Martin and Anette
• Førde Elite Team: Norwegian champions 2017-18 and 2018-19; Won the Mizuno League in 2017-18 and finished runner-up in 2018-19; took silver the NEVZA club championship in 2017-18; participated in the CEV European League in 2018-19; named best outside hitter of the Mizuno League
• Represented Norway on the U17, U19 and Senior teams
Planned major: engineering
// KERSTIN FICKER
Cincinnati, Ohio – Anderson High School
Club Team: Tri-State Elite
Defensive Specialist/Libero
Height: 5-3
Parents: David and Angela Ficker
Siblings: Lauren, Anna
• Sister Anna played volleyball for four years at ODU; uncle played soccer at Xavier
• Senior Year: Set high school record in digs in a season with 406 and the career digs record with 1,126; first team all-conference, second team all-city, second team all-district; played in senior all-star game
• Was team defensive player of the year as a junior and second team all-conference
Planned major: biomedical sciences with a minor in Spanish
// SHEILAH PURCELL
Dayton, Ohio – Centerville High School
Club Team: Cincy Classics
Defensive Specialist/Libero
Height: 5-5
• Senior Year: Named best defensive player; first team all-district and first team all-conference; was team captain; district senior all-star invitee
• Missed junior year due to injury; started high school career by being named second team all-conference and district honorable mention as a freshman
• Enrolled at UC in January and played with the team for the 2019 spring season
• Club team: Cincy Classics; voted on the all-tournament team at the President's Day Classic in 2018
Major: exploratory
// MARIA TOBERGTE
Hebron, Kentucky – St. Henry District High School
Club Team: Tri-State Elite
Outside Hitter
Height: 6-0
Parents: Dan and Wendy Tobergte
Siblings: Billy, Louie, Brian, Luke, Kevin and Mary
• Her mother and aunt both played volleyball at Miami (OH)
• Senior year: Region player of the year, region all-tournament team, region MVP, state MVP, district all-tournament team, first team all-state, division player of the year; totaled 1,387 kills and 1,244 digs in her career; team finished 32-10 and were district and region champions
• Also was first team all-state, division player of the year and region player of the year as a junior
• Club Team: Tri-State Elite; team was 2017-18 Mideast Power League Division Champions, 2016 and 2017 JVA Buckeye Battle Champions and 2016 JVA Worlds Champions
Planned major: fashion design/merchandising
// DIMITRA TZIARLI
Thessaloniki, Greece – Hellenic College of Thessaloniki
• Club Team: Aias P.S. and D.A.S. Oraiokastrou
Transfer from Louisiana Tech
Middle blocker
Height: 6-1
Parents: Konstantinos Tziarlis and Crysa Karatzia
Siblings: Stefan
• Enrolled at UC in January and played with the team for the 2019 spring season
• Represented Greece on the U16 through U19 teams; won the Balkan Championship with U16 and U17; won the European Championship with U17; qualified twice for the European Championship as part of the U18 team
• Started playing volleyball at the age of 14 and qualified for the national team the year after
Planned major: psychology
// MADISON WATERS
Mckinney, Texas – Lovejoy High School
Club Team: Skyline Juniors
Outside Hitter
Height: 6-0
Parents: Jason and Jennifer Waters
Siblings: Morgan
• Her father and uncle both played football at East Central University; her uncle, Nick Blackburn, was a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins 2007-2012
• Senior Year: All-state, Prep Volleyball All-American, all-star, area hitter of the year, district MVP, team MVP, area all-tournament team; team finished second in state and won the district championship, going 47-7
• Was named the team's offensive player of the year as a junior; was also named first team all-district and team was state runner-up and district champions
• Club team: Skyline Juniors; was team MVP with the most kills in 2018; Tour of Texas Champions in 2018 and runner-up in 2019; American Volleyball Challenge Qualifier and Pacific Northwest Qualifier third place in 2019
Planned major: business