Northwestern University Athletics
Class of 2021 Ranked 22nd-Best in Nation by PrepVolleyball.com
5/30/2017 3:15:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern volleyball's recruiting class was named the 22nd-best in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com.
The Class of 2021 — the first cohort conducted in full by the coaching staff led by Shane Davis — is headlined by Nia Robinson (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral), Indiana's Gatorade Player of the Year and the 56th-ranked recruit in the nation.
"We have been very excited about this entire class for a long time," said Davis. "This class is full of potential and this ranking shows that the group is among some of the best in the nation. We're ready for this class to elevate our whole program."
In all, the group is comprised of seven new 'Cats, five of which are from Illinois or bordering states Indiana and Wisconsin. In addition to Robinson, the class is formed by Lexi Pitsas (Munster, Ind./Munster), Britt Bommer (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa), Ivey Whalen (Eagle, Wis./Catholic Memorial), Danyelle Williams (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young), Alana Walker (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young), and Amy Wang (Palo Alto, Calif./Henry Gunn).
"Northwestern's Class of 2021 rivals any nationwide in athleticism and competiveness and can be a difference-maker for the program," PrepVolleyball.com wrote in its release.
The caliber of the recruiting class compared to the length of time Davis and his staff have been in Evanston is impressive. Among all teams ranked 22nd or higher, only one other head coach has spent only one season at the helm.
The Wildcats are one of 11 Big Ten teams ranked with a top-30 recruiting class — the most of any conference (next closest is the Pac-12 with six).
The recruiting class is as deep as it is talented. Danyelle Williams and Alana Walker, teammates at the elite 1st Alliance club team and at Whitney Young, were both named PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces. Ivey Whalen, also ranked among the Top-250 recruits in the nation, helped lead Catholic Memorial to three state championships during her tenure. Britt Bommer was a PrepVolleyball.com All-American and the Daily Breeze Co-Player of the Year in 2016. Lexi Pitsas helped lead Munster to a 121-26 record during her prep career and Amy Wang, a talented libero with experience in the USA High Performance program, will be an asset to the program.
This recruiting class is the highest-ranked for Northwestern since the 18th-ranked Class of 2018, comprised of Taylor Tashima, Symone Abbott, Gabrielle Hazen, and Katie Kniep.
The Class of 2021 — the first cohort conducted in full by the coaching staff led by Shane Davis — is headlined by Nia Robinson (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral), Indiana's Gatorade Player of the Year and the 56th-ranked recruit in the nation.
"We have been very excited about this entire class for a long time," said Davis. "This class is full of potential and this ranking shows that the group is among some of the best in the nation. We're ready for this class to elevate our whole program."
In all, the group is comprised of seven new 'Cats, five of which are from Illinois or bordering states Indiana and Wisconsin. In addition to Robinson, the class is formed by Lexi Pitsas (Munster, Ind./Munster), Britt Bommer (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa), Ivey Whalen (Eagle, Wis./Catholic Memorial), Danyelle Williams (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young), Alana Walker (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young), and Amy Wang (Palo Alto, Calif./Henry Gunn).
"Northwestern's Class of 2021 rivals any nationwide in athleticism and competiveness and can be a difference-maker for the program," PrepVolleyball.com wrote in its release.
The caliber of the recruiting class compared to the length of time Davis and his staff have been in Evanston is impressive. Among all teams ranked 22nd or higher, only one other head coach has spent only one season at the helm.
The Wildcats are one of 11 Big Ten teams ranked with a top-30 recruiting class — the most of any conference (next closest is the Pac-12 with six).
The recruiting class is as deep as it is talented. Danyelle Williams and Alana Walker, teammates at the elite 1st Alliance club team and at Whitney Young, were both named PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces. Ivey Whalen, also ranked among the Top-250 recruits in the nation, helped lead Catholic Memorial to three state championships during her tenure. Britt Bommer was a PrepVolleyball.com All-American and the Daily Breeze Co-Player of the Year in 2016. Lexi Pitsas helped lead Munster to a 121-26 record during her prep career and Amy Wang, a talented libero with experience in the USA High Performance program, will be an asset to the program.
This recruiting class is the highest-ranked for Northwestern since the 18th-ranked Class of 2018, comprised of Taylor Tashima, Symone Abbott, Gabrielle Hazen, and Katie Kniep.
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