The Toledo women's volleyball program signed six new Rockets this signing period.
Rockets Ink Six Signees for 2019-2020
11/21/2018 3:19:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Toledo, Ohio—The Toledo women's volleyball program announced its 2019-20 recruiting class on Wednesday, with six recruits signing national letters of intent to join the Rockets.
Jada Bouyer, Abby Erickson, Ryann Jaqua, Rachel Pierce, Abby Ray, and Olivia Vance all comprise the first recruiting class under head coach Jason Oliver.
"Just like every first-year coach in the country, there is a big push to get as much talent in the program as possible," Oliver said. "Recruiting really is the life blood of any program. We signed a great class that will help with our overall athleticism and add to our culture from day one. Our assistant coaches Bethany Lokken and Evan Antal really worked hard and, in my opinion, we are adding six great Rockets to our family."
The following is a brief look at each of the signees:
Jada Bouyer | OH | Liberty Township, Ohio – Lakota East High School
Jada Bouyer comes to UT from Lakota East High School, where she was a three-time letterwinner for the Thunderhawks. During her career, she averaged 1.3 kills per set and 0.7 blocks per set as a three-year varsity student-athlete. She averaged a career-high 1.1 blocks/set her senior season, helping her team to a 14-8 record and OHSAA sectional final appearance. Bouyer earned her team's Sportsmanship Award and Most Improved Player Award during her career at Lakota East.
Oliver on Bouyer: "Jada has really high end potential. She is young for her graduating class, so I am really excited about her development in our program. She is a quick, explosive athlete that will help from day one with our overall explosive play on offense and defense."Â
Abby Erickson | MB | Powell, Ohio – Olentangy Liberty High School
Abby Erickson recently wrapped up her high school career at Olentangy Liberty High School. She earned two varsity letters there, tallying 2.3 kills per set and hitting .390. Erickson averaged a career-high 2.4 kills per set as a junior in 2017 and hit .399, and she helped her team to a combined record of 50-3 during her two seasons on the varsity squad, including an OHSAA state semifinal appearance this season. Erickson earned all-conference and all-district honors during her career.
Oliver on Erickson: "Coming from a great high school and having a great year, Abby brings a winning attitude to UT. She can block and hit with the best in the country when she puts her mind to it, and her net play is tremendous. Her development in our program will be massive and I am really excited about her future as a Rocket."
Ryann Jaqua | OH| Kalamazoo, Mich. – Portage Central High School
A four-year varisty letterwinner in volleyball, Ryann Jaqua comes to UT after a stellar career at Portage Central High School. She was a four-time all-division and all-region player, totaling 2,072 kills, 1,206 digs, and 93 blocks during her career. Jaqua was a three-time all-state honoree and was a Michigan Miss Volleyball candidate as a senior. As a sophomore, she helped Portage Central to a 28-5 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the MHSAA Class A state tournament.
Oliver on Jaqua: "Ryann is just a baller. She has such a great background of volleyball, and I know that she will help us in the front row and the back row from day one. Ryann comes from a family of athletes and coaches and has all the intangibles to be a huge producer on our team. I will expect her to really push everyone around her and make a ton of plays for us all over the floor."
Rachel Pierce | OH | Rockbridge, Ohio – Logan High School
Rachel Pierce joins the Rockets after lettering all four years during her time at Logan High School. As a senior, she hit .306 and averaged 3.5 kills per set and 3.5 digs per set and helped Logan to a 17-7 record and an OHSAA Division I tournament berth. She was named the OHSAA Division I Offensive Player of the Year and the District 13 Offensive Player of the Year. Pierce will be District 13's representative to the state volleyball all-star match. She was terrific as a junior as well, averaging 4.8 kills per set and hitting .401.
Oliver on Pierce: "Rachel has been a player that I have liked for a long time. When I got the job here, we went over our committed recruits and I was so excited to see that Rachel made the decision to be a Rocket. She is so skilled in every aspect of the game that she could play every position on the floor with ease. She has an ability to score that is sorely needed on our team and she'll be an impact player around the net immediately."
Abby Ray | DS | Bowling Green, Ohio – Bowling Green High School
The all-time career digs record holder at Bowling Green High School, Abby Ray comes to Toledo as a three-year letterwinner for the Bobcats. She averaged 5.8 digs per set during her career, and her 540 digs this past season broke the school's single-season record. Ray received several awards and recognitions during her prep volleyball days, earning all-conference and all-district accolades as a junior and senior. She had a great career off the court as well, earning Scholar Athlete honors all four years.
Oliver on Ray: "With Abby being so close to the program for a long time, it was a natural fit for us to make her a Rocket. She has a great work ethic and comes from an outstanding club program. Her competitiveness and focus will really stand out. I am excited to see how she influences everyone else on the team to be better."
Olivia Vance | MB | Saline, Mich. – Saline High School
Olivia Vance comes to Toledo after a very successful career at Saline High School. A three-year letterwinner, she hit .368 during her career and averaged 2.8 digs per set, in addition to averaging 0.8 blocks per set. She tallied a career-best 3.4 terminations per set during her senior season this past fall, during which she hit .376 and helped Saline to a record of 29-12-2. An all-conference and all-region performer in high school, Vance also saw much success for her club team, earning AAU All-America status and winning two national championships playing for Team Detroit Volleyball Club: at AAU Nationals and the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships.
Oliver on Vance: "Olivia is one of the best athletes I have ever seen. She truly has been blessed with ease of movement, physicality, and quickness that is rare in a player. She competes at a crazy-high level and her impact will be immediate. Her balance on offense and blocking ability will stand out, but her overall mentality and toughness is what I am really excited to coach."
2019 Toledo Women's Volleyball Signees
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Jada Bouyer, Abby Erickson, Ryann Jaqua, Rachel Pierce, Abby Ray, and Olivia Vance all comprise the first recruiting class under head coach Jason Oliver.
"Just like every first-year coach in the country, there is a big push to get as much talent in the program as possible," Oliver said. "Recruiting really is the life blood of any program. We signed a great class that will help with our overall athleticism and add to our culture from day one. Our assistant coaches Bethany Lokken and Evan Antal really worked hard and, in my opinion, we are adding six great Rockets to our family."
The following is a brief look at each of the signees:
Jada Bouyer | OH | Liberty Township, Ohio – Lakota East High School
Jada Bouyer comes to UT from Lakota East High School, where she was a three-time letterwinner for the Thunderhawks. During her career, she averaged 1.3 kills per set and 0.7 blocks per set as a three-year varsity student-athlete. She averaged a career-high 1.1 blocks/set her senior season, helping her team to a 14-8 record and OHSAA sectional final appearance. Bouyer earned her team's Sportsmanship Award and Most Improved Player Award during her career at Lakota East.
Oliver on Bouyer: "Jada has really high end potential. She is young for her graduating class, so I am really excited about her development in our program. She is a quick, explosive athlete that will help from day one with our overall explosive play on offense and defense."Â
Abby Erickson | MB | Powell, Ohio – Olentangy Liberty High School
Abby Erickson recently wrapped up her high school career at Olentangy Liberty High School. She earned two varsity letters there, tallying 2.3 kills per set and hitting .390. Erickson averaged a career-high 2.4 kills per set as a junior in 2017 and hit .399, and she helped her team to a combined record of 50-3 during her two seasons on the varsity squad, including an OHSAA state semifinal appearance this season. Erickson earned all-conference and all-district honors during her career.
Oliver on Erickson: "Coming from a great high school and having a great year, Abby brings a winning attitude to UT. She can block and hit with the best in the country when she puts her mind to it, and her net play is tremendous. Her development in our program will be massive and I am really excited about her future as a Rocket."
Ryann Jaqua | OH| Kalamazoo, Mich. – Portage Central High School
A four-year varisty letterwinner in volleyball, Ryann Jaqua comes to UT after a stellar career at Portage Central High School. She was a four-time all-division and all-region player, totaling 2,072 kills, 1,206 digs, and 93 blocks during her career. Jaqua was a three-time all-state honoree and was a Michigan Miss Volleyball candidate as a senior. As a sophomore, she helped Portage Central to a 28-5 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the MHSAA Class A state tournament.
Oliver on Jaqua: "Ryann is just a baller. She has such a great background of volleyball, and I know that she will help us in the front row and the back row from day one. Ryann comes from a family of athletes and coaches and has all the intangibles to be a huge producer on our team. I will expect her to really push everyone around her and make a ton of plays for us all over the floor."
Rachel Pierce | OH | Rockbridge, Ohio – Logan High School
Rachel Pierce joins the Rockets after lettering all four years during her time at Logan High School. As a senior, she hit .306 and averaged 3.5 kills per set and 3.5 digs per set and helped Logan to a 17-7 record and an OHSAA Division I tournament berth. She was named the OHSAA Division I Offensive Player of the Year and the District 13 Offensive Player of the Year. Pierce will be District 13's representative to the state volleyball all-star match. She was terrific as a junior as well, averaging 4.8 kills per set and hitting .401.
Oliver on Pierce: "Rachel has been a player that I have liked for a long time. When I got the job here, we went over our committed recruits and I was so excited to see that Rachel made the decision to be a Rocket. She is so skilled in every aspect of the game that she could play every position on the floor with ease. She has an ability to score that is sorely needed on our team and she'll be an impact player around the net immediately."
Abby Ray | DS | Bowling Green, Ohio – Bowling Green High School
The all-time career digs record holder at Bowling Green High School, Abby Ray comes to Toledo as a three-year letterwinner for the Bobcats. She averaged 5.8 digs per set during her career, and her 540 digs this past season broke the school's single-season record. Ray received several awards and recognitions during her prep volleyball days, earning all-conference and all-district accolades as a junior and senior. She had a great career off the court as well, earning Scholar Athlete honors all four years.
Oliver on Ray: "With Abby being so close to the program for a long time, it was a natural fit for us to make her a Rocket. She has a great work ethic and comes from an outstanding club program. Her competitiveness and focus will really stand out. I am excited to see how she influences everyone else on the team to be better."
Olivia Vance | MB | Saline, Mich. – Saline High School
Olivia Vance comes to Toledo after a very successful career at Saline High School. A three-year letterwinner, she hit .368 during her career and averaged 2.8 digs per set, in addition to averaging 0.8 blocks per set. She tallied a career-best 3.4 terminations per set during her senior season this past fall, during which she hit .376 and helped Saline to a record of 29-12-2. An all-conference and all-region performer in high school, Vance also saw much success for her club team, earning AAU All-America status and winning two national championships playing for Team Detroit Volleyball Club: at AAU Nationals and the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships.
Oliver on Vance: "Olivia is one of the best athletes I have ever seen. She truly has been blessed with ease of movement, physicality, and quickness that is rare in a player. She competes at a crazy-high level and her impact will be immediate. Her balance on offense and blocking ability will stand out, but her overall mentality and toughness is what I am really excited to coach."
2019 Toledo Women's Volleyball Signees
| Name | Ht. | Pos. | Hometown/High School |
| Jada Bouyer | 5-9 | OH | Libery Township, Ohio/Lakota East |
| Abby Erickson | 6-1 | MB | Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty |
| Ryann Jaqua | 5-7 | OH | Kalamazoo, Mich./Portage Central |
| Rachel Pierce | 6-2 | OH | Rockbridge, Ohio/Logan |
| Abby Ray | 5-6 | DS | Bowling Green, Ohio/Bowling Green |
| Olivia Vance | 6-0 | MB | Saline, Mich./Saline |
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Players Mentioned
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