CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The 2016 Illinois volleyball recruiting class has garnered a top-25 ranking, coming in as the No. 22 recruiting class in the nation as rated by PrepVolleyball.com.
"We are excited about the incoming class," said head coach Kevin Hambly. "It is nice when your program gets recognition for anything but certainly for recruiting as it is the life blood of all programs. However, the ranking become meaningless once they step in the gym. It is about how they perform and I feel like all of these players will play important roles for us over the next four to five years!"
The ranking continues the Illini recruiting success, with the 2016 class including a pair of Top 100 PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces in outside hitters Kaylin Korte (No. 35) and Jacqueline Quade (No. 86), as well as defensive specialists Annika Gereau and Caroline Welsh and defensive specialist/setter Kendal Kavanaugh. Korte and Quade were both also named to Volleyball Magazine's Fab 50 list, featuring the top seniors in the class of 2016.
A native of Morris, Ill., Korte was a three-time MVP for her Morris High School team and holds the school record for attack attempts (2,527), kills (1,217) and blocks (183). She earned a spot on the 2015 Junior Volleyball Association All-National Team and was a USA Volleyball A1 Continental Team member. She is a three-time North Central Illinois All-Conference First-Team honoree and a two-time Joliet Herald All-Area Team selection and was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Under Armour Girls High School Third-Team.
"Kaylin is an extremely dynamic athlete," said Hambly. "She is a little undersized as an outside in the Big Ten, but she makes up for size with her explosiveness off the floor and attacking as well as her passing and defense. She is a similar type of athlete to Laura DeBruler and will push to get on the floor early in her career."
Hailing from Fort Wayne, Ind., Quade earned Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association (ICGSA) First-Team All-State as a senior after leading her Carroll High School team to a state runner-up finish in 2015, finishing her time at CHS as the career and season kills record holder. An ICGSA Second-Team All-State honoree as a junior, Quade earned First-Team All-Northeast Indiana and Northeast Hoosier Conference First-Team All-Conference honors in 2013 and 2014 and also joined Korte on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Under Armour Girls High School Third-Team.
"Jacq is a smooth high flying athlete, whose ability to move and jump first caught my eye when she was a freshman," continued Hambly. "She has turned herself into a great all-around player and will look to compete for a starting spot immediately her freshman year."
A local of Marietta, Ga., Welch earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Under Armour Girls High School Second-Team accolades and was named the Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association AAA State Player of the Year and the 2-AAA Area Player of the Year as a senior. She earned GVCA AAA All-State Team honors as a junior and a senior and was selected to the AA All-State Team as a freshman and sophomore. Welsh, who set the Westminster School record in season digs and career digs, was named to the AVCA Phenom List four-straight years and to the AVCA All-American Watch List as a senior and has earned multiple honors from PrepVolleyball.com, including Soph 79 Highest Honorable Mention, Frosh 59, two-time Defensive Dandy List, Special Mention All-American and Top 250 Senior Ace.
"Caroline is a rangy defensive player, that has really developed into a nice passer," Hambly said. "She has been involved in USA Volleyball and has a tremendous about of experience in the libero position. She has a great energy and court demeanor that is infectious."
A three-time MVP for the Winneconne High School team in Oshkosh, Wisc., Gereau was selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Under Armour Girls High School Third-Team All-America as a senior. The 2015 Eastern Central Conference Player of the Year, Gereau was a four-time ECC All-Conference Team honoree, including back-to-back First-Team accolades as a junior and senior and also earned Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association All-State Honorable-Mention accolades in her final season.
"Annika is a baller," added Hambly. "She has played a wide variety of sports and is a very good athlete. She is tough and extremely competitive. She has hit like a lot of our defensive players in club and was very successful. She has a great feel for the game."
Kavanaugh, the final member of the 2016 class, hails from Woodridge, Ill., where she led her Benet Academy high school team to regional and sectional championships, advancing to the IHSA Elite 8 as a senior and finishing the year ranked 28th in the nation and second in the state of Illinois. She was also selected for the Chicago Senior All-Star Showcase after totaling 165 digs and 15 service aces as a senior. A teammate of fellow signee Kaylin Korte at 1st Alliance, Kavanauch led her team in serving percentage during the 2015-16 season and also helped guide her 2014-15 1st Alliance squad to a 10th place finish at the AAU Open National Championships.
"Kendal adds another setting and defensive option for us going into next year," said Hambly. "She has a very high volleyball IQ and has been around the game since she was born. We are looking forward to seeing what role she will fill for us as we get into the season."
In addition to the quintet, the Illini will be joined next season by N.C. State transfer Blayke Hranicka. A 6-foot-0 middle blocker from Denver, Colo., Hranicka garnered All-ACC Freshman Team honors after a fantastic rookie season with the Wolfpack, starting all 32 matches and appearing in all 119 of the team's sets. She led the team with 409.5 points scored, the most by any freshman in the program history and finished fourth on the squad in kills with 299.
"Blayke is a great competitor and has a great motor," commented Hambly. "She is extremely explosive and has a great arm. Blayke did a nice job attacking in the ACC and could be considered a slide specialist. She will add much needed depth to the middle position and will compete the minute she steps on the court with our other middles and whatever opponent we face. I cannot wait to see how we can use her best."
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