Volleyball signs six for 2015
November 12, 2014 | Volleyball
Nov. 12, 2014
MADISON, Wis. - Head coach Kelly Sheffield announced the signing of six student-athletes to play volleyball at the University of Wisconsin for the 2015 season on Wednesday.
| Name | PrepVolleyball.com | Honors |
| Madison Duello | 9th | Under Armour 1st Team All-American |
| Hannah Juley | 21st | Under Armour 1st Team All-American |
| Amber MacDonald | 91st | Under Armour 1st Team All-American |
| Brooke Morgan | 12th | Three-time state champion |
| Julia Saunders | 71st | Under Armour 3rd Team All-American |
| Tionna Williams | 6th | Under Armour 1st Team All-American |
Madison Duello (DWELL o) from Kansas City, Missouri; Hannah Juley from LaGrange, Illinois; Amber MacDonald from Alpharetta, Georgia; Brooke Morgan from Dike, Iowa; Julia Saunders from LaGrange, Illinois; and Tionna Williams from Fort Wayne, Indiana, make up Sheffield's second class with the Badgers.
"I'm very excited about this class," Sheffield said. "First of all, they are all players with good character who also come from good families. These are also players who will continue to improve, players who have pretty high ceilings. I love that this is a group that seems really passionate about playing this game and will be players that will embrace the necessary work it'll take in order to be great. All of them have the potential to be impact players throughout their careers and a couple of them have the ability to see the court next season."
Madison Duello, 6-3, OH, Kansas City, Missouri/Liberty High School/KC Power Volleyball Club
Duello, a 6-3 outside hitter, is ranked as the No. 9 recruit in the country by PrepVolleyball.com. She is a 2014 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Under Armour first-team All-American. A three-time all-state pick at Liberty High School for coaches April Fleming and Eric Leone, Duello aided the Blue Jays to three districts titles. Liberty advanced to state semifinals in 2014 as Duello averaged 6.7 kills, 3.0 digs and 0.7 blocks per set while hitting .420 as a senior. She ended her career as her school's record holder for career kills with 1,391.
"Madison has the potential to be a great six-rotation player," Sheffield said. "She has a really nice arm and hits with range. She also has good foot speed and can get on a ball pretty quickly. Her front-row skills are more polished at this point than her back-row skills, but I think she's going to end up being pretty good in the backcourt as well."
Duello also played club volleyball with KC Power under coaches Katie Martincich and Mike Dauernheim. Her team finished 11th at open nationals in 2014. She also participated in USA Volleyball's High Performance program. As a junior she was named one of Top 50 juniors by PrepVolleyball.com and one of 30 Underclassmen to Watch by Volleyball Magazine.
Hannah Juley, 5-10, S, LaGrange, Illinois/Lyons Township High School/1st Alliance Volleyball Club
Juley, a 5-10 setter and the sister of Badger junior Erin Juley, was a first-team AVCA Under Armour All-American and ranked 21st by PrepVolleyball.com. She was named to the Chicago Sun Times all-state team as a senior for coach Joann Pyritz at Lyons Township High School. Juley averaged 11.4 assists and 2.6 digs per set as a senior. For her career, she put up 1,590 assists and 523 digs.
"Hannah has as much upside at the setter position as any in this class," said Sheffield. "She's athletic, has good volleyball instincts, and is a winner. She only has a couple of years' experience at the setting position and missed last club season with an injury, but she has the tools to be a great setter. She's been coming to Wisconsin matches for years and has watched her older sister set on great teams. I really like her ability to communicate and she has an understanding of the work ethic that is necessary in order to be great."
Juley also plays with 1st Alliance volleyball club under coach Beth Keck. She didn't play club volleyball last season due to injury but finished among the top-10 teams at the 2013 Junior Olympic Nationals. She was a third-team high school All-American and a 2013 PrepVolleyball.com All-American.
Amber MacDonald, 5-5, L/DS, Alpharetta, Georgia, Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, A5 Volleyball Club
MacDonald, a 5-4 libero/defensive specialist, is ranked as one of the top-two liberos in her class. She was a 2014 AVCA Under Armour first-team All-American and was named the MaxPreps National Player of the Year watch list. MacDonald is a three-time all-state pick at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School for coach Paul Stevens.
The Titans won two state championships during MacDonald's tenure, including in 2014, and advanced to the state tournament finals all four years. She finished her career with 2,355 digs, including 787 as a senior.
"Two things are obvious when I watch Amber, she loves volleyball and she loves competing," Sheffield said. "When she came to our summer camp, nobody competed at a higher level than Amber did and she probably came the closest to playing at the level which is required in the Big Ten. Every team she is on wins. She is a very good passer and really reads well on defense. She plays with pride, is steady, and is absolutely ferocious in the back-row."
A member of the A5 Volleyball Club for coach Bob Westbrook, MacDonald has finished in the top 20 in the open division at AAU or USA Volleyball Junior Nationals six times since her 14 Open season. She was named to the 2013 USA Junior National All-Tournament Team, aiding her team to the championship match. She was also named a 2014 PrepVolleyball.com All-American and ranked 91st by PrepVolleyball.com.
Brooke Morgan, 6-5, MB, Dike, Iowa/Dike-New Hartford High School/Six-Pack Club
Morgan, a 6-5 middle blocker, is ranked 12th on PrepVolleyball.com. She has been injured for much of the 2014 season but aided her team to state championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Morgan is a two-time all-state selection for coach Diane Harms at Dike-New Hartford High School.
"Brooke is a very good high school player with the potential to be an elite college player," said Sheffield. "She moves well and has a good arm. I've watched her a lot the past few years and have seen a player grow from being very tentative out on the court to someone who wants the ball and wants to win. Her combination of size and speed give her the potential to be an elite blocker and she is equally good at attacking off of one or two feet."
Morgan plays for Six Pack Volleyball Club for coaches Jay Grassley, Marty Smith and Liz Plum. Her team won the 2012 16-National championship at the USAV Junior National Championship and finished among the top-16 teams every season since 2010.
Julia Saunders, 6-3, OH, LaGrange, Illinois/Nazareth Academy/1st Alliance
Saunders, a 6-3 outside hitter, is ranked as the No. 71 recruit by PrepVolleyball.com. She is a three-time all-conference pick and second-team all-state selection by the Champaign News Gazette. Saunders guided Nazareth Academy to three regional titles for her father and coach Wayne Saunders.
She averaged 4.1 kills, 2.1 digs and 0.6 blocks per set as a senior.
"Julia was our first commitment from this class," said Sheffield. "She's a very smart and determined player who has played on top club teams for a few years. She has a lot of experience playing all three positions at the net, although we plan to use her on one of the pins. She hits a very heavy ball and puts up a really good block. She's able to do a lot of things out on the volleyball court and is someone that plays with a lot of energy."
A member of 1st Alliance Volleyball Club with Juley, Saunders also participated in USA Volleyball's High Performance program. She was also a third-team AVCA Under Armour All-American.
Tionna Williams, 6-2, MB, Fort Wayne, Indiana/Concordia Lutheran High School/Munciana
Williams, a 6-2 middle blocker, is the highest ranked recruit, coming in sixth on PrepVolleyball.com and is a 2014 AVCA Under Armour first-team All-American. She is a four-time conference player of the year for coach Trish Miller at Concordia Lutheran High School. Her team won the Indiana state 3A championship this weekend after finishing as the runner-up last season.
Williams averaged 5.0 kills per set this season while hitting .469. She also added 2.7 digs, 1.0 blocks and 0.6 service aces per set and was named the Indiana High School Athletic Association Mental Attitude award winner for volleyball in her class.
"Tionna and I go back almost four years since I've known her and her family since her freshman year," Sheffield explained. "She is an incredible athlete with elite quickness and athleticism. She is fast off the ground, has a quick trigger and has grown into a tough, hard-nosed competitor."
Williams plays with Munciana Volleyball Club and coach Mike Lingenfelter. She is a two-time AAU 18-Open All-American, aiding her team to second and third-place finishes at the national championships.
