Hambly signs three stars for 2013
By: Aaron Bennett
Updated: November 14, 2012
Champaign, Ill. - The Fighting Illini volleyball team has signed three top players
to the 2013 freshman class, Katie Roustio, Katie Stadick
and Michelle Strizak. The
Illini
bring in two outside hitters and a middle blocker, each hailing from a
different state: Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio, respectively.
"The 2013 class fills a some needs for the program and adds depth to the young Illini team," said Head Coach Kevin
Hambly. "There is potential for a couple of these players to start in the 2013 season. The
group is long and athletic and have played on teams that have competed at high levels both in club and high school. We are looking forward
to them joining the program next season."
Name: Katie Roustio
Position: Outside/Right-Side Hitter
Height: 6' 2"
Hometown: O'Fallon, Illinois
High School: O'Fallon Township
Club Teams: High Performance (2012); Southwestern Illinois (2009-11)
Katie Roustio
comes to the Illini from O'Fallon, Ill., where she led the O'Fallon
Township Panthers to Regional Championships in 2009 and 2012. In four
seasons at O'Fallon Township High School, Roustio totaled 1,468 kills,
1,232 digs, 210 service aces and 220 blocks. She averaged 4.99 kills per
set, 4.19 digs per set, 0.71 aces and 0.75
blocks, hitting at least .300 in three of her four seasons. The 6-2
outsidehitter played three seasons for Head Coach Erin LeGendre, before
being led by Melissa Massey her senior year.
A three-time All-Southwethern Conference First Team and Belleville News-Democrat
Large School All-Area First Team honoree, she was named first-team
all-state as a sophomore and junior and earned a special mention
following her freshman year. In her first season at O'Fallon Township,
the Panthers went 28-10-1 and captured the Regional Championship
title, and Roustio garnered the SouthernIllinois Volleyball Association
Sportsmanship Award. This past fall, the Panthers went 31-7, and
captured a second Regional Championship title, led by Roustio's 17 kills
and three aces in the championship match.
Roustio
also has several seasons of club volleyball under her belt, including
three years with Southwestern Illinois (SWIC) and spending 2012 with
High Performance under Head Coach Bob Crack. Roustio was named to the
PrepVolleyball.com "Frosh 59" and "Sophomore 79" lists, then to the "Top
85" list for junior recruits in 2011 and to the "Senior Aces" list this
fall. Additionally, she was named to the AVCA/Under
Armour High School All-America watch list as a senior. Roustio also has
three seasons of basketball under her belt at O'Fallen Township, leading
the team in rebounds and blocked shots all three years.
"Katie Roustio is an extremely physical outside hitter," said Coach Hambly. "She has a great arm and puts up a great block.
She was looked at in high school to score and has shown the ability to score points. She
too will be looked upon to develop into a six rotation outside hitter."
Name: Katie Stadick
Position: Middle Blocker
Height: 6' 3"
Hometown: Watertown, Wisconsin
High School: Watertown Unified High School
Club Team: Milwaukee Sting
Katie Stadick
will join the Illini as a 6-3 middle blocker from Watertown, Wis.
Stadick will be the first Illinois volleyball player from Wisconsin
since the 1994 season. A four-year starter for Watertown Unified High
School, Stadick led the Goslings to three WI Little Ten Conference
titles and the 2011 WIAA Division I State Semifinals.
Stadick tallied 1,864 kills, 584 digs, 495 blocks, 80 assists and 91
aces over 190 matches, including 644 kills (5.55/set) as a senior. After
hitting .298 as a freshman right-side hitter, Stadick switched to
middle blocker her sophomore year, under coach Travis
Hull, where she hit .476 with 526 kills. That year, she was named
third-team all-state, second-team all-conference and earned an honorable
mention on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
All-Area team, as well as earning a spot on the PrepVolleyball.com "Soph
79" list. She then went on to be named First Team WVCA All-State,
first-team all-conference, and WI Little Ten Player of the Year in both
2011 and 2012, adding a Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel First Team All-Area selection as a junior.
Outside
of school, Stadick played for the Milwaukee Sting, who placed second at
AAU Nationals (open division) in 2011 and fifth in 2009. She was
an AAU 15U All-American in 2009 and an AAU 17U All-American in 2011.
Additionally, she was ranked #51 on the PrepVolleyball.com "Top 100
Senior Aces" list.
A
member of a volleyball family, both of her parents, Judy (varsity) and
Bill Stadick (club), playedvolleyball at Wheaton College. Her older
sister,
Deb, graduated from Iowa State last spring after playing four years of
volleyball for the Cyclones, and her brother Rob plays club volleyball
at Wheaton College. Her younger brother, Scott (14), also plays club
volleyball.
"Katie
Stadick is an extremely long, competitive, high flying middle blocker,"
said Hambly. "She is a prototypical middle blocker; she has a blue
collar mentality, is extremely quick laterally and off the floor. She will be an effective attacker both in front and behind the setter."
Name: Michelle Strizak
Position: Outside Hitter
Height: 6' 1"
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
High School: Mount Notre Dame
Club Teams: Cincy Classics (2012-13); Team Z (2007-11)
Michelle Strizak,
a 6-1 outside hitter, hails from Cincinnati, Ohio. A four-year
starter at Mount Notre Dame High School under Head Coach Joe Burke,
Strizak led the Cougers to four sectional championships, four district
championships, three Greater Girls Cincinnati League championships, and
three regional finals appearances, including the
2011 regional championship, followed by the 2011 state championship.
Strizak
began her career as an opposite hitter, and was named to the
PrepVolleyball.com "Freshman 59" list. After switching to outside hitter
in
2010, Strizak was named First-Team All-GGCL, first-team all-district and
second-team all-state, as well as being named to the Cincinnati Enquirer
First Team and the PrepVolleyball.com "Sophomore 79" list. In 2011, she was named GGCL, district and Cincinnati Enquirer
Player of the
Year, first-team all-state, and the Women's Sports Association
Volleyball Player of the Year. Additionally, she was one of five
finalists for PrepVolleyball.com Junior of the Year and runner-up for
Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year. Following her final season
at Mount Notre Dame, the 6-1outside hitter was once against named GGCL
and district Player of the Year and first-team all-state, and was ranked
#22 on the PrepVolleyball.com "Top 100 Senior Aces" list.
In
four seasons at Mount Notre Dame, Strizak accumulated 1,288 kills, 882
digs, 165 blocks, 161 service aces and 26 assists through 97 matches.
In her final three seasons, she averaged4.78 kills, 3.43 digs, 0.63 aces
and 0.50 blocks per set, appearing in 249 sets in 77 matches.
The
Cincinnati native spent twoseasons with the national training team,
finishing third at the 2010 High Performance Championships with the USA
Girls Youth National Training Team, and coming in fourth at the 2012
High Performance Championships with the USA Women's Junior National
Training Team.
"Michelle Strizak is a high flying outside/setter," said Hambly. "She is extremely long and has a great vertical.
She has
played literally every position on the court (with the exception of
libero), both in club and highschool. That versatility will allow her to
play several different roles early in her career,
but she will be looked at to be a six rotation outside hitter."
