BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana volleyball head coach Steve Aird announced the addition of four high school athletes on Monday (December 18th) afternoon, reaffirming the program's commitment to bringing talented, physical and hard-working prep players to Bloomington.
The Hoosiers covered four position areas in this year's recruiting class, bringing in an outside hitter, a middle blocker, a right-side hitter and a defensive specialist. Two athletes hail from Indiana with prep players from Pennsylvania and Georgia rounding out the 2024 class.
Already boosted by the return next year of veterans Camryn Haworth, Morgan Geddes and Candela Alonso-Corcelles, IU will bolster a strong and talented roster with depth and athleticism across the board.
"We are excited to continue to build the program and we put a premium on players that love the game, value their education, compete like crazy and are grateful for the opportunity," Aird said."This class understands what we are looking for and how much work we have in front of us.I think Hoosier Nation will appreciate their passion, effort and ultimately their contributions."
Reese Hazelton (6-2, OH, Philipsburg, Pa.), Ella Boersema (6-2, MB, Churubusco, Ind.), Avery Daum (6-2, RS, Peachtree Corners, Ga.) and Emma Segal (5-6, DS, Brookston, Ind.) make up IU's biggest class on signing day since the 2021 class that featured the All-Big Ten setter Haworth.
Reese Hazelton | 6-2 | Outside Hitter | Philipsburg, Pa.
(Philipsburg-Osceola High School/Happy Volley Academy)
A true six-rotation outside hitter, Hazelton brings a physical presence to the recruiting class with a heavy arm on the pin. The Pennsylvania native will graduate early and enroll in January at IU to join the team for the spring 2024 semester.
Hazelton broke her school's all-time kills and digs record as a junior and tallied the most kills in a single season in school history with 674 (6.9 kills per set) during her junior campaign in 2022. She rebroke the single-season record her senior year with 692 in 2023.
She finished her outstanding high school career with 2,483 kills. She also has career totals of 1,433 digs, 245 aces and a hitting percentage of well over .350. Hazelton ranked second in the state of Pennsylania in kills in 2023 and finished top-25 in the nation.
She helped lead Philipsburg-Osceola to a 27-3-2 regular season record, a conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the District VI tournament.
Hazelton took over in the state tournament, helping lead the Mounties to the PIAA 2A State Championship, the program's first in school history. She totaled 46 kills and 23 digs in the state title game, cementing herself as one of the best players in the state's history.
She played her club volleyball at Happy Volley Academy and becomes the fifth player from the state of Pennsylvania to join the Indiana volleyball program.
Intended Major:
• Business and Sports Marketing
Family Members:
• Kelly (Mom), Justin (Dad); Siblings: Hank
High School Stats:
• Aces: 245
• Digs: 1,433
• Kills: 2,483
• Blocks: 165
Honors:
• 4x First Team All-State
• 4x State Final 4
• 4x Progressland Player of the Year
• 2023 PIAA 2A State Champion
• 2023 Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference MVP
• 2023 Pennsylvania Kills Runner-Up
• 2022 Pennsylvania Kills Leader
• 3x Mountain League MVP
• School Record Holder in Kills and Digs
Why IU:
"I chose IUbecause of the phenomenal coaches and staff. The team's gritty mindset and their drive to get better every day made me want to be a part of this team."
Aird on Reese:
"Reese is a true, six-rotation outside hitter with a live arm and a great work ethic.She has been trained very well at her club program and is excited about the opportunity to compete in our program.She will arrive in Bloomington in January and have a great runway to her freshman year.She has been blessed with arm talent, but her ability to pass and defend will give us another great option at the pin.She has the ability to thrive in the Big Ten and we are excited to help her develop."
One Thing Most Looking Forward to about Indiana:
"I'm most looking forward to the Big Ten play."
Ella Boersema | 6-2 | Middle Blocker | Churubusco, Ind.
(Churubusco High School/Team Pineapple Volleyball Club)
One of the state's biggest talents and one of the nation's most efficient hitters, Boersema joins the Hoosiers as a physical presence at the middle blocker position.
A native of Churubusco, Ind., Boersema joins a program in IU that has a strong history in developing productive middle blockers at the Big Ten level.
Boersema finished her career with 1,164 kills, 176 blocks and 231 assists. She was a career .452 hitter which included leading the state with a .519 hitting percentage her senior season. That .519 clip also ranked 11th nationally among high school hitters.
She led Churubusco High School to a 30-6 record during her senior year and a spot in the regional final round of the IHSAA State Tournament after beating Fremont to win the sectional title. She played club volleyball for Team Pineapple, one of the fastest growing clubs in Northern Indiana.
Intended Major:
• Elementary Education
Family Members:
• Brandy (Mom), Joe (Dad); Siblings: Hannah, Cora, Samantha and Isla
High School Stats:
• Kills: 1164
• Aces: 231
• Blocks: 176
• Digs: 333
• Hitting Percentage: 0.450
Honors:
• 4x All-Conference
• 2023 IHSVCA 2A All-State Team
• 2022 and 2023 Sectional Champions
• 1,000 career kills
• Multiple School Records
• 11th in nation in hitting percentage
• 1st in Indiana in hitting percentage
• 6th in Indiana in aces
Why IU:
"I chose IU because the moment I looked around the gym and the campus, I knew I could see myself there. The coaching staff are loving and amazing people. The people around me at home are very important so the distance from home helped me make the decision."
Aird on Ella:
"We feel that Ella will be able to contribute from day one.She is a very physical, disciplined, mature young athlete that is more than ready to play at the Big Ten level.She is developing into an elite blocker and can score in a variety of ways.She is tough as nails and will work hard daily to develop her game.Her size and athleticism translate well to the demands at this level and she is an elite teammate.She will be asked to do a lot for the program out of the gate and I have all the confidence in her ability to do so."
One Thing Most Looking Forward to about Indiana:
"I am looking forward to meeting everyone and getting closer as friends."
Avery Daum | 6-2 | Right Side | Peachtree Corners, Ga.
(Wesleyan School/A5 Volleyball Club)
The No. 68 overall recruit according to Prep Volleyball, Daum has the ability to be a tough defensive presence on the right side for the Hoosiers. She will add depth to IU's collection of hitters in 2024.
A native of Georgia, Daum and her A5 Volleyball Club won the 16's Open National Championship in 2022. At the same tournament, Ramsey Gary and Ava Vickers won the 18's Open National Championship.
While standing at 6-2, Daum has played mostly back row defense for her high school team this season, amassing 604 digs including 33 in a three-set match in September. For her prep career, she has totals of 618 kills, 974 digs and 172 aces. She was asked to wear the libero jersey for the majority of 2023 and averaged 5.2 digs per set.
She will be the third Georgia native to play for the Hoosiers and the first since 2011. Daum will provide strong depth to IU's already talented collection of pin hitters.
Intended Major:
• Business
Family Members:
• Audrey (Mom), Ian (Dad); Siblings: Hollyn
High School Stats:
• Kills: 618
• Aces: 172
• Digs: 974
Honors:
• Prep Volleyball Top 150 Class of 2024
• 2023 AVCA 3rd Team All-American
• 2023 Gwinnett County Super Six
• 2023 All Region 1st Team
• 2022 AAU Nationals Champion 16 Open
• 2022 USAV Nationals 16 Open Runner Up
• 2022 All Region 1st Team
• 2022 All County 1st Team
• 2021 USAV National Championship15 Open All Tournament Team
• 2021 USAV National Championship 15 Open Runner Up
• 2021 Gwinnett County Scholar Athlete Award
• 2020 All Region 1st Team
• 2020 All County 1st Team
Why IU:
"Theopportunity to play in the Big 10 conference with outstanding coaches and resources is one of the main reasons I was drawn to IU. Indiana's strongacademic program was also a huge factor in my decision."
Aird on Avery:
"Avery is a long, athletic pin hitter with a good feel for net play.I think she can become a good blocker at this level and will continue to work on getting stronger and more terminal as an attacker.She has a good skill base and lots of experience at the prep level to build off.She is a bright young lady and will have the potential to contribute to the program in a variety of ways."
One Thing Most Looking Forward to about Indiana:
"I am looking forward to training and competing at the Big Tenlevel."
Emma Segal | 5-6 | Defensive Specialist | Brookston, Ind.
(Frontier High School/Boiler Juniors)
Despite going for over 1,900 kills in her prep career at Frontier High School in Northern Indiana, Segal will transition back to her natural defensive specialist role when she arrives in Bloomington. She has worn the libero jersey for her club program and enjoyed great success as a defensive player.
Standing at 5-6, Segal will provide back row depth for the Hoosiers. She represents the tough, motivated and dedicated type of player in which Aird desires for his program. One of two native Hoosiers in the class, Segal will help make up a group of seven homegrown players next year.
In a high school career where she was tasked as a six-rotation outside hitter, Segal finished second in the IHSAA in kills with 677 including 6.77 per set. She finished the season hitting .342 across 101 sets played.
Intended Major:
• Business/Marketing
Family Members:
Becky Segal (Mom), Tim Segal (Dad); Siblings: Timmy and Kendall
High School Stats:
•Kills: 1908 (school record)
• Digs: 918
• Aces: 282 (school record)
• Blocks: 43
Honors:
• 2023 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American
• 2023 IHSVCA 1A All-State
• 2023 IHSVCA 1A/2A North All-Star
• 2020 AAU 14 Open National Champion
• MaxPreps Indiana Athlete of the Week Nominee - Week 5 2023
•VolleyballMag.comHS Dream Team for Sept 21, 2023 (1 of 8 in the country)
• Indy Star Player of the Week Nominee - 2023
• WLFI Athlete of the Week - 2023 Week 7
• IHSVCA 1A All-State 2nd Team - 2021, 2022
• IHSVCA All-District 1st Team - 2021
• All Midwest Conference 1st Team - 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• All White County Player of the Year - 2020, 2021, 2023
• All White County 1st Team - 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• J&C Small School All-Area 1st Team - 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• School record in kills and digs
Why IU:
"I chose IU because of the immediate feeling of family and the strong culture I got when I walked into Wilkinson for the first time. Also, the coaches and players made me realize very quickly that this was home."
One Thing Most Looking Forward to about Indiana:
"I'm most looking forward to playing with my amazing teammates and playing for this phenomenal coaching staff in the best league in the country!"
Aird on Emma:
"Emma had an outstanding high school career in which she was asked to do a lot of everything.At the club level, she has been a very good defensive specialist.She is steady in serve receive and has a tremendous engine to make defensive plays and compete.She can flat out play the game and we are excited to see where she can contribute early in her career.The ability to handle the ball and serve at a high level."
