Northwestern University Athletics

Volleyball Court

Davis Welcomes Two to Class of 2024

11/13/2019 1:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

EVANSTON, IL – Wednesday afternoon Northwestern Volleyball Head Coach, Shane Davis, announced the addition of two Wildcats to the Class of 2024.
 
"We are thrilled to add two members to our Northwestern Volleyball family," said Davis. "Every recruiting class is an opportunity to get better, and we got better today. I am eager to see the athleticism, volleyball skill, and hard work that Alexa and Natalie will exhibit day-in and day-out in our gym. We are excited about this class and can't wait for them to join our program."
 
The Wildcats welcome setter Alexa Rousseau, a finalist for the 2019 Michigan Miss Volleyball Award and a 2019 Third Team Under Armour All-American. Rousseau was also a finalist for the MaxPreps Junior Player of the Year and competed with USA Volleyball's High Performance program. 
 
The 'Cats will also welcome Natalie Chizzo, an Illinois native and PrepDig "Top 4" recruit in Illinois. Natalie was also selected to the 2018 AVCA Phenom List and named a Senior Ace by PrepVolleyball.
 
The 'Cats are set to graduate five off of the current 2019 roster, including outside hitter Allie Lindroth, libero's Emily Ehman and Sarah Johnson, middle blocker Olivia Viscuso and setter Payton Chang.
 
Full bios for the incoming Wildcats can be found below…
 
Alexa Rousseau
6'3" // S //  Bloomfield Hills High School // Bloomfield Hills, MI
 
High School: 2019 Michigan Miss Volleyball Finalist… #35 PrepVolleyball Senior Ace… 2019 Third Team Under Armour All American ... 2018 Max Preps Junior Player of the Year Finalist...  2016 MaxPreps Underclassmen All-American … Competed with USA Volleyball's High Performance Program…... 2x varsity captain… All-State Team… 2019 USAV All-American… PrepVolleyball Frosh 59…2019-20 MaxPreps/AVCA - Player Of The Week … Plays for Legacy Volleyball …
 
Personal: Parents are Steven and Mary Ellen… National Honor Society Member… Member of the Global Leaders Inclusion group…. Father, Steven, played basketball for Ferris State University… Chose Northwestern over Stanford, UCLA, Michigan, Florida and USC… Played at the same club as current Wildcats Desiree Becker, Tatyana Hardwick, and Abryanna Cannon… Anticipated major is undecided
 
"Alexa will make an immediate impact in our gym. Alexa's athleticism, skill, and leadership at the setter position has led to her being recognized as one of the top players in the country" says Davis. "Alexa is someone who can make plays with her physical abilities and is benefited greatly by her understanding of the game.  She has all the tools that will allow us to put her in a position to create an impact and allow her to be very successfulShe knows what it takes to win and will help us continue to build a winning culture at Northwestern"
 
Natalie Chizzo
6'3 // OH // Oak Park-River Forest // Oak Park, IL
 
High School: Senior Ace by PrepVolleyball… 2018 AVCA Phenom List .. MEQ Prep Volleyball Watch List… Team Captain… 2x Sectionals Champion… Plays for Adversity Volleyball Club
 
Personal: Parents are Andrew and Sara Chizzo… Cousin, Paula Weisoff, played volleyball for USC and was an Olympian/Olympic Team Coach… Father, Andrew, was a decathlete for the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee… Honor Roll…Deans List…  Anticipated major is Kinesiology or Biology
 
"I was impressed with Natalie from the very first time I saw her" says Davis. "She has a tremendous arm and her volleyball skill has only continued to improve. We are so excited to add Natalie to our returning group of physical attackers. She's a great athlete that is fast, explosive, jumps well, and has a nose for the ball as a blocker. She will make an immediate impact in our gym on a daily basis. We're excited to keep this #homegrown talent close to home!"
 
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