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VA Elite Alumni


VA Elite Alumni return for the Annual VA Elite Cup in December

VA Elite Alumni in NCAA Top 25 Poll

Last week the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) posted their pre-season polls for the upcoming 2010 season!  The VA Elite alumni have a solid footing in the both the NCAA and NAIA.

From the 2007 Class, All-American Middle Blocker Caitlyn Jansen at Christopher Newport University, will look to lead the Pirates in 2010.  They are currently ranked #15 in the NCAA Division III poll and look forward to improving upon their Elite 8 Appearance from one year ago. 

The 2008 Class decorated the pre-season polls with four appearances in the NCAA and NAIA.  Megan Shifflet, a junior defensive Specialist from Penn State University, leads the 2008 class with Penn State landing the #1 spot in the NCAA Division I poll.  Amanda Friday, a junior libero at the University of Tennessee, follows Megan with Tennessee ranked #19.  Kelsey Maloney, a junior middle blocker attending the University of Wisconsin, lands in the poll at #47 - Wisconsin was voted in as Others recieving votes.  Rounding out the 2008 class, Margeurite Hanna, a junior outside hitter at Azusa Pacific University in California, arrives in the NAIA poll at #9. 

VA Elite's 2009 Class landed three players in the Top 25 of the NCAA Division III poll.  Meredith Erwin, a defensive specialist/libero for Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, enters the poll at #12.  Two other alumni, Christie Fellows, setter, and Bailey Jensen, middle blocker, will join Caitlyn Jansen at Christopher Newport University.

Welcoming in the Freshman to their first college season, the VA Elite 2010 class lands two players in the respective polls.  Juliane Hanna, an outside hitter at the University of New Mexico, enters the poll at #40 as New Mexico was amongst others receiving votes.  Lindsay Stephens, an outside hitter, will also join other VA Elite alumni at Christopher Newport University.

And finally, for the first time in VA Elite history, four current VA Elite players have verbally committed to schools ranked in the polls.  For the 2011 class, middle blocker Simone Antwi will attend the #13 ranked Univeristy of Florida and outside hitter Susie Murach will attend the #32 ranked Wingate University.  For the 2012 class, outside hitter Breanna Atkinson will attend the #31 ranked Duke University and middle blocker Alex Heyn will attend the #28 ranked Ohio State University.

Congratuatlions goes out to all VA Elite Alumni on their pre-season rankings!!  We will keep you posted as their results this upcoming fall and look forward to watching their season progress.

 

Stay Connected with Virginia Elite Alumni!

After three incredibly successful seasons, almost all former Virginia Elite athletes are playing volleyball at the college level. Over the years, our athletes have shared a commitment to teamwork, a love of the game, and a sense of belonging and camaraderie unseen by most volleyball clubs. However, as our athletes move on to college,  they may feel removed from the Virginia Elite community.

Well, not anymore! Virginia Elite is proud to announce the Virginia Elite Alumni Association.
 
The goal of the Alumni Association is to keep our former players and teams connected even after they begin their college careers. During the seasons they played for Virginia Elite, our athletes created memories and shared experiences that will last a lifetime: sweating it out at practices, long weekend tournaments and qualifiers, international trips studying volleyball abroad, college volleyball camps with their Virginia Elite teammates, and annual paintball outings and BBQs.
 
Not only will the Alumni Association strengthen the Virginia Elite community, but it will also continue to build the sense of belonging for our graduated players. It will also serve as a bridge between our up-and-coming high school players and those who have moved on to play at the college level.
 
Many current Virginia Elite players have questions about the transition from club volleyball to volleyball at the college level – and about college in general. By connecting our alumni and current players, we hope to provide a direct resource for our current high school players looking forward to playing at the college level as well as mentoring opportunities for our alumni.
 
The Virginia Elite Alumni Association is not just for players – it’s parents and siblings too. Many families have kept up the same travel schedule as the players over the years. They too have developed a unique bond and sense of camaraderie with players and families throughout the club. With everyone’s busy lives, we all know writing multiple email updates about our players college volleyball experiences can be extremely time consuming. As such, the Virginia Elite Alumni Association provides alumni, players, parents, and families a single location to post and share alumni updates. And, we know without a doubt, certain parents will always return for the Annual Virginia Elite Paintball Challenge when they see that date posted on the website. Who says parents can’t have fun too?
 
How you can help build the Alumni Association?  In the coming months, this section of the website will be developed with a dedicated focus on Virginia Elite Alumni. Current planned sections include alumni Q&A sessions, blogs, alumni “In The News” updates, and possible alumni events. Of course, we cannot develop our alumni content without your help and feedback. If you’re an alumni interested in writing a blog, a current player with questions, or a parent with free time (if such a thing exists), please e-mail us at alumni@vaelite.com All suggestions are welcome – we look forward to hearing from you!!
 
Ben Glon
Director – Virginia Elite Alumni Association