June 1, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
University of Maryland head volleyball coach Janice Kruger announced the signing of four student-athletes who will join the Terrapin program for the 2006-07 season. Hayley Hanson, Ashley Hogan, Christina Paul and Katie Usher have committed to play for the Terps this fall.
The newcomers will join the squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and shared the ACC conference title last season. The 2006 team has also named its captains for 2006. Senior setter Teryn Papp and junior Beth Gillming were selected as team captains.
A look at the four new Terps:
Hayley Hanson, a four-year letter winner from Huntington Beach, Calif., joins the Terps from Ocean View High School. During her junior and senior seasons as a setter, Hanson was team captain and earned the Golden West League MVP Award. She also earned the MVP Award and the Pride and Determination Award from her high school. Hanson was a finalist in the 2005 Open Junior Olympic Nationals for TCA 17-1 and was ranked ninth nationally.
"Hayley's exhibited strong leadership qualities - she knows how to organize an offense, can contribute defensively, and has solid all-around skills," stated Kruger. "She's highly motivated and is dedicated to learning the game."
Ashley Hogan, a native of Northern Cambria, Penn., led Northern Cambria High School as an outside hitter to the all-state title (2005) as well as both the district title and conference title (2004 and 2005). She was named to the first team all-state (2004 and 2005), and was a three-year member of the Gold Medal East Coast Championship team (2005), a spring club tournament for junior olympics. Ashley's father, Mike Hogan, played volleyball at Penn State.
"Ashley was able to work with us in the spring, which puts her in a great position for the season," said Kruger. "She's demonstrated a great understanding of our system and has a great attitude."
Christina Paul was team captain and the MVP of the volleyball team at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Md. In her senior year, Paul was named to the all-county first team, The Gazette first team, Washington Examiner first team and a Washington Post All-Met honorable mention. She also lettered four years in softball and competed at the Maryland Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field State Championships. Paul had solid achievements academically as well as a scholar athlete and a member of the Science Honors Society.
"Christina was a strong player in high school and is an outstanding student-athlete," remarked Kruger. "She has potential to be an effective utility player."
Katie Usher, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker, hails from Vienna, Va. and garnered first-team all-district and an all-region honorable mention as a junior at Marshall High School. In 2005, Usher was tabbed as a "Top Ten Rising Star" by the Northern Virginia Journal and one of "Five Volleyball Players to Watch" by the The Examiner. She was named a Prep Volleyball.com Senior Ace in her senior campaign and was chosen as the MVP of her high school. She will compete in the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic National Championship with the Maryland Juniors this summer.
"Katie has great size and has potential for playing time in the middle this season," stated Kruger. "She's a very determined athlete and has made great improvements offensively."
