University of Connecticut Athletics
Connecticut Volleyball Recruiting Class Receives PrepVolleyball.com Honor
6/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
June 16, 2009
STORRS, Conn. - The University of Connecticut Volleyball program will welcome five newcomers to the 2009 roster, including sophomore Samantha Arriaran (Norco, Calif.) a transfer from the University of Oklahoma. When PrepVolleyball.com announced its annual recruiting rankings, the Huskies were one of four BIG EAST schools to be acknowledged.
In addition to Connecticut pulling in an honorable mention, Cincinnati was the lone conference institution to make the top 30 in PrepVolleyball.com class-by-class rankings. Marquette as well as Notre Dame and Rutgers were among the 15 schools to garner a high honorable mention rating.
Head coach Holly Strauss-O'Brien and the rest of the UConn coaching staff welcomes incoming freshmen Keeley Abram (Hermosa Beach, Calif.), Cayla Broadwater (Williamsport, Md.) Kelsey Maving (Tonawanda, N.Y.) and Mattison Quayle (Los Angeles, Calif.) to the program for the upcoming 2009 season.
Arriaran competed in 23 matches for the Sooners and dished off a career-high 62 assists against Kansas. The setter totaled 160 assists in her freshman season while posting back-to-back three kill efforts at Kansas and against Texas Tech.
Abram, a setter and defensive specialist, was a three-year letterwinner at Marymount and helped the team to three-consecutive Sunshine League Championship titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008. She was earned All-Sunshine League First-Team honors following her senior season and is joined by former high school teammate Quayle as a Husky this season.
While playing at Marymount, Quayle was also a member of the 17's USA Junior Olympic squad before earning second place in the Olympic qualifier the following year. She also played club and served as team captain in 2007, guiding the Sunshine Club Team to a 16-1 season.
A four-time all-conference first team honoree, Broadwater also garnered all-county first team honors for three seasons as a middle hitter at Williamsport. She was an all-area second team selection her sophomore season and a first team selection as a junior and senior. Broadwater led the team to three-straight conference titles and helped the team capture the Maryland State Volleyball Championship title as a freshman.
Maving was a six-time letterwinner on the Sweet Home squad that earned two Section IV New York State Public School Championships. Twice named to the All-Western New York first team, she was the Sweet Home's MVP in 2005 and 2007. She won three gold medals at the Empire State Games and was selected to the all-tournament team at the 2006 USA Volleyball Invitational. The class valedictorian earned Academic All-Erie County Interscholastic Conference honors for five straight years and was acknowledged as the NYS Public High School Association Scholar Athlete seven times.
The five additions are set to join the Connecticut volleyball team that reached its third-consecutive BIG EAST Tournament in 2008. Seven letterwinners and five starters return to the 21-11 Huskies from a season ago.
