HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Juniata women's volleyball program has an established tradition of excellence, as shown by their 15 straight Landmark Conference Championships, 41 straight conference championships overall, 41 straight appearances in the NCAA tournament, and taking the title home for the third time in program history this past fall. The program is also one of only two teams to appear in every AVCA national poll since its inauguration in 1992.
Head Coach Heather Pavlik and Associate Head Coach Casey Dale welcome five incoming student-athletes to the team for the 2023 season.
Shaena Brooks (Willoughby Hills, Ohio / Eastlake North HS)
Position: Outside Hitter
Club Team: RockCity Volleyball Club
Brooks was a three-year letter winner and a four-year scholar-athlete at Eastlake North High School. She was named to the 2022 JVA watch list and earned the Ohio Varsity Senior Slam. Brooks was also an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Beyond Development and will graduate with three certifications from an exercise science and sports rehabilitation program.
"Shaena is an aggressive and athletic attacker with a quiet confidence. She is an introspective person and player who gathers information and uses it well, and once her level of comfort is found, she is fun and aggressive. We are looking forward to developing and improving her overall game to make her a strong six rotation player. We are very excited to have her in our gym and with this team."
Ava Gummer (Granville, Ohio / Newark Catholic HS)
Position: Outside Hitter
Club Team: Mintonette VBC
Gummer was a highly-decorated high school player as she was named to the All-Conference Second Team, Honorable Mention All-District, All-Conference First Team, First Team All-District, Second Team All-Ohio, AVCA All-America Watchlist, and top 20 player in Ohio.
"Ava is a great volleyball player with a really strong arm and well-developed offensive game. She is very competitive but lighthearted and fun, so she is great to have in the middle of the group. Over the last year, she has been working really hard to take her passing and defensive skills to the next level and has improved these areas of her game. We are really looking forward to having her here with us and watching her grow. She will make our training gym more competitive right from the very start."
Samantha Hanson (Noblesville, Ind. / Cathedral HS)
Position: Opposite
Club Team: Munciana 18N Giraffes
Hanson was named academic all-state in her senior year. She has been a member of the very competitive Munciana VBC for 7 years and was a volleyball letter winner at Cathedral High School.
"Sam is a good all-around player who has played every hitting position at some point in her volleyball career and has played with and against great players in her club experience, which will transition well to our gym. She is a very mature player and leader who is wise beyond her years and will add those skills to the group. She hits a heavy ball from the pin but can also hit a quick ball in the middle of the net and is a solid blocker. We are really looking forward to her bringing both her playing and leadership skills to this program."
Maggie Hayes (Islip, N.Y. / Islip HS)
Position: Middle Hitter
Club Team: Sportime VBC
Hayes was a four-year letter winner at Islip High School. She was named Rookie of the Year, All-League, All-Classification two years in a row, and All-County Tournament Team two years in a row.
"Maggie has been blessed with both athleticism and great length. She believes in working hard to get into the air all the time and hitting the ball quickly and has seen great results. She has really been working on becoming a top-notch blocker over this past club season and has seen that work pay off. Maggie is a gregarious and good-natured teammate who will be very competitive but keep a lightness to the training gym. We are looking forward to continuing to develop her all-around game."
Eva Johnson (Kimberly, Wis. / Kimberly HS)
Position: Middle Hitter/ Opposite
Club Team: FC Elite
Johnson was a three-year letter winner, a three-year scholar-athlete, and a two-year starter at Kimberly High School. She was an FVA Champion for two years in a row and was named Second Team FVA-Conference, Best Defensive Player, and Most Improved.
"Eva is a really athletic player with a wonderful arm and quick feet. She can also play multiple positions, which adds so much to our team regarding rounding out the roster and daily training. She is a competitive and positive player who will bring a great lateral quickness element to our training gym. We are very excited to get her into our gym this fall and watch her mesh with this group. She will bring an entirely different style to our middle and opposite hitter positions from day one."
