DAYTON - University of Dayton volleyball head coach Tim Horsmon has announced the signing of five student-athletes to play volleyball at UD. Karissa Kaminski (Howards Grove, Wis./Howards Grove), Kaitlyn McNeel (Richmond, Va./Godwin), Mia Otten (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville), Liana Sarkissian (Cos Cob, Conn./Greenwich) and Emily Young (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart) will be joining the team for the fall 2022 season.
"This class is going to be a great complimentary piece to our returners and we believe they will fill in some gaps that we needed to address moving forward to create a highly competitive team for the next few years," Horsmon reflected. "We love the character of these individuals and think they will continue our tradition and legacy of highly competitive teams while representing UD at a very high level. They are a great fit to our Dayton Flyer family."
Karissa Kaminski, a 5-8 libero/setter from Howards Grove, Wisconsin, earned four varsity letters at Howards Grove High School under head coach Brett Damrow. She helped lead her team to three Wisconsin state championship crowns including a 17 kill, 17 dig performance in the 2021 championship match. The three-time First Team All-State honoree finished her career with the Tigers ranked second all-time with 1,428 kills, fourth with 239 aces and sixth with 1,086 digs and was named to the 2021 AVCA Second Team All-American and Second Team Best and Brightest rosters. Kaminski plays club ball with Fox Cities Elite and also was a member of Dayton associate head coach Alyssa D'Errico's Team USA Girls Select A1 squad that won gold at the High Performance Championship.
"Karissa is incredibly competitive and, I think, will be one of the best passer/defenders in the country before her career is over," said Horsmon. "She has a really high volleyball IQ and a desire to be great. We also believe Karissa is a natural leader and our fans are going to love her intensity while she plays."
Kaitlyn McNeel is a 6-3 outside hitter from Richmond, Virginia, and is finishing up her prep career at Godwin High School in Henrico, Va., under head coach Chris Wakefield. The spring 2021 USA Today Virginia Player of the Year owns Godwin's career kills record with 1,169 kills and counting. McNeel was named the Region 5C Player of the Year following the completion of the Eagles' fall 2021 regular season and has twice earned mention on Virginia All-State Teams. A member of this fall's AVCA All-America Watch List, she plays club ball with Richmond Volleyball Club, most recently with Drew Lovering's 18 Nationals squad.
"Kaitlyn has the potential to be one of the strongest outside hitters in the league in the next two years," Horsmon commented. "She is 6-3, very athletic, and can pass, block, and attack. We believe she could be a six rotation player in our system. As Kaitlyn gets stronger and continues to be healthy, I think she will be a dominant force as a Flyer."
Hailing from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Mia Otten is a 6-3 right side hitter and just wrapped her fourth season at Bartlesville High School under the tutelage of head coach Jennifer Ward. A member of the 2021 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American team and AVCA First Team Best and Brightest, she was named the 2021 Frontier Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year following her senior season. Otten is a three-time team captain for the Bruins and was selected to play on the OCA All-State Big East team. She holds the Bartlesville High records for kills in a match (36) and career total blocks (221). Otten played club ball with Ultimate Performance Volleyball Club and also competed for USA HP in 2019 under head coach Kristen Tupac.
"Mia really impressed us with her ability to score, and she hits a really heavy ball. We love that she's a lefty and should allow us to speed up our offense on the right side of the court," said Horsmon. "We believe that as Mia gets stronger you will see her have a real impact for us in the front row as a physical attacker and blocker."
Liana Sarkissian is a 6-4 middle blocker/right side hitter from Cos Cob, Connecticut and currently attends Greenwich High School. She played her prep career under head coach Steve Lapham with the Cardinals in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference. Sarkissian helped lead Greenwich to the 2021 FCIAC Championship and was named the FCIAC MVP and to the All-Conference First Team. The 2021 AVCA Second Team All-American and member of the AVCA First Team Best and Brightest roster most recently played club ball with Evergreen Volleyball Academy under head coaches Dina Ding and Sheena Shen. With EVA, Sarkissian helped her U15 squad to a first-place finish at the New England AAU Regional Championship and her U17 team to a first-place finish at the Open Division AAU Super Regional.
"Liana has a really big upside and will only get better as she gets into our program, gets stronger and plays at the speed of the college game," Horsmon stated. "Liana is long, moves well, and has a great arm. We believe she could be a really impactful player in our program within the next couple of years."
Emily Young, a 5-6 libero from Louisville, Kentucky, just completed her senior season at Sacred Heart Academy under the direction of head coach Brett Versen. Young, the first player at Sacred Heart to be named the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association Defensive Player of the Year, helped lead the Valkyries to an appearance in the 2021 Kentucky State Semifinals and was named to the KHSAA State All-Tournament Team. The senior team captain was honored by the AVCA on its First Team Best and Brightest squad and its Third Team All-American roster following final season at Sacred Heart. Young plays club ball with Mid-America Volleyball Association under head coach Dan Palmer.
"Emily had a fantastic senior year and was just voted the best defensive player in Kentucky, which speaks volumes considering the players that come out of that state in that position," Horsmon remarked. "Emily will compete for time immediately, and we're excited about how solid she is as a passer and her defensive toughness."
