Griz volleyball adds two more for 2014
1/31/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Jan. 31, 2014
After making the Big Sky Conference tournament for the first time since 2010 in November and winning the program's first postseason match since 1996, Montana volleyball coach Jerry Wagner is getting greedy. Now he wants more.
Problem is he graduated four decorated seniors from his 2013 team, all of whom were mainstays in either the starting lineup or the primary rotation the last four years. Wagner's solution? Recruit an even stronger class than the one that just left.
Now up to six, Wagner's group of newcomers will be his largest ever. It will take four years to know for sure, but it also just might be his best.
Wagner and Griz recruiting coordinator Allison Lawrence signed four incoming freshmen to National Letters of Intent in November: Rachel DeArman, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Brianna Gardner, of Alta Loma, Calif.; Jacelyn Henderson, of Billings, Mont.; and Janell Sparks, of Tacoma, Wash.
This week Wagner announced that Mykaela Hammer, of Oro Valley, Ariz., and Taylor Schile, of Apple Valley, Minn., have both accepted admissions to the university and will join the Grizzly volleyball program in the fall.
"The addition of Mykaela and Taylor certainly gives us a lot of talent throughout this class," Wagner said. "It will be a changing of the guard, so to speak.
"We're excited about the depth this group is going to give us. We had some depth last year, and we saw how much that can help."
Hammer, 6-foot-1 and delightfully named for her position, will join Sparks, who's pretty aptly named herself, as the team's incoming left-side hitters. Hammer was her state's Division II, Section II player of the year as a senior and a second-team all-state selection.
"Mykaela is long and athletic, and a fast-developing, six-rotation outside hitter," Wagner said. "She can play left or right side, so she's versatile, and her court presence is of a player who is very steady and determined and very even-keeled emotionally."
Hammer plays for the Zona Volleyball Club; she and her teammates placed fifth last summer in the 18 National division at the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships in Dallas. As a prep she led Ironwood Ridge High to the Arizona Division II state semifinals the last two years.
"Mykaela has been well-coached at a large high school in a popular area for volleyball, and her club team plays against top national competition," Wagner said. "She's going to bring an exciting element to the team."
Hammer had never been to the state prior to her recruiting visit, but one trip was enough to convince her that it was where she needed to be.
"When I first visited the university, it was the first time I'd ever been to Montana, and I loved everything I saw," said Hammer, who intends to pursue a career in physical therapy. "Everything was a great fit for me, from the size of the school and size of campus to the school spirit that extends to the community.
"I wanted a family feel at whatever program I chose, and I found that at Montana, not only with my future teammates but the coaches as well. I felt very welcomed as soon as I stepped on campus."
That family feel should come naturally for Schile, a defensive specialist whose older sister Kelsey has been a three-year starter at right-side hitter for the Grizzlies and will be one of two seniors, along with Natalie Jones, in the fall.
The 2014 season will give the Schiles, who played together for two years at Eastview High, one final opportunity to be teammates.
"I had the chance to play two years on varsity with Kelsey, and I am really excited to get to do that again," said Schile, who has been to Montana's camp the last four summers. "The coaching staff and team have always been very welcoming, so I'm excited to become a Grizzly next fall.
"Missoula is a great city, and the community is so supportive of the Griz programs. I love the campus and all the options for majors, so it seemed like a great fit for me."
Brittney Brown was the Big Sky Conference Libero of the Year in 2009, and that position was filled ably by Megan Murphey the last three seasons. But Schile, who won a USA Volleyball national club championship in 2011, will bring in a readiness to the back row that neither of her predecessors had.
"Taylor is going to bring in more high-level club experience than probably any player has ever brought to this program," Wagner said. "When she gets to campus, she'll have had 10 years of experience playing for two of the most notable clubs in the nation.
"She's had nothing but experiences at the highest divisions of open club volleyball at every age group, and that's the first time we've had that kind of experience in a first-year player."
Schile spent seven years playing for Northern Lights, with whom she won the 15 Open division at the 2011 USA Volleyball national championships in Atlanta. She now plays for Minnesota 1.
She was a five-year varsity member at Eastview High and finished her career with 1,584 digs. Schile was named all-conference and voted team MVP as a junior and senior.
"Because of her connection to the program, Taylor has been better able to evaluate how we do things than anybody you could ever imagine. She has a different perspective on the program than most recruits," Wagner said. "So it was exciting that she decided to join us."
The addition of Schile will give Montana a young but talented threesome at defensive specialist, one of whom will become the team's full-time libero. Sadie Ahearn, who had 189 digs (2.08/s) last fall, will be a redshirt sophomore in 2014. Brielle Rolle will be a redshirt freshman.
"With those three vying for that position, we're going to be further along at that position than we've ever been, and that's including some players who have had very good careers here," Wagner said.
Montana will have a roster that goes 16 deep in the fall, which will be Wagner's ninth year leading the Grizzlies. But only four of the 16 players will be upperclassmen -- two seniors, two juniors -- and of those four, only Schile and Jones will enter the season with more than 17 career starts.
The Grizzlies will open their 2014 season with a home tournament Aug. 29-30. Tournaments at Wyoming and West Virginia will lead into the Big Sky Conference schedule, which begins in late September at Weber State.
