Post by aaronic on Nov 14, 2006 23:16:48 GMT -5
The Wahine lost a good one in Ashley Adams. 6-1 OH out of CA. Hope she's happy playing for Stevenson and the Mustangs. She ranks 36 on prepvolleyball.com.
Ashley Adams decides to stay at home for college volleyball
Joshua D. Scroggin
jscroggin@thetribunenews.com
When Ashley Adams, the defending Tribune County Player of the Year, signed a national letter of intent with Cal Poly last week, it ended a two-team recruiting war between the Mustangs and Hawaii.
But considering there aren’t any highways to Honolulu, if Adams had chosen to become a Wahine, it would have meant constant airplane flights — something she’s had a little unpleasant experience with.
"Twice, and I cried the whole time," said Adams, asked if she’d ever flown before. "I feel like we’re about to crash."
Cal Poly announced Monday that Adams, a senior who led San Luis Obispo High to the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division I-A playoffs, as well as two others, had signed with the school.
Six-foot Dominique Olowolafe (East Lansing, Mich.) and 6-0 Nicole Pederson (Colorado Springs, Colo.), both middle blockers, round out the signing class.
But not having to fly as much at Cal Poly wasn’t the reason Adams (6-1) chose the Mustangs. It’s just one of the fringe benefits.
"It would be nice to get out of San Luis," said Adams, who backed out of a verbal commitment to Louisville earlier this year. "I’ve been here 17 years. It would be nice to go away, but at the same time, my family’s here, my boyfriend’s here and my friends are here."
Adams also cited the emergence of the Cal Poly program from a relative irrelevant to a top 20 national contender as a main motivation to stay local. San Luis Obispo High coach Jon Hastings agreed.
"I really didn’t think Cal Poly was going to be in the running because I thought at one point, she was looking forward to moving away for a while," Hastings said. "I think the resurgence of the Cal Poly program kind of helped.
"She can help them reach new heights over there."
Mustangs coach Jon Stevenson chalked it up as a victory for the program.
"Adams’ decision to sign with us is the ultimate confirmation that our program has established itself as one of the best in the country," Stevenson said in a news release. "Ashley is a player who has the potential to be an All-American at three different positions."
Ranked 36th on prepvolleyball.com’s list of top 40 high school seniors, Adams was averaging 17.5 kills per match as an outside hitter for the Tigers as of Nov. 2. All she has left to do is qualify academically. That and get ready for an increase in tempo.
"She’s gotta dedicate herself to really working hard," Hastings said, "because that’s the attitude they have over there."
Olowolafe, ranked 39th in the top 40, was an All-Michigan honorable mention selection, and Pederson helped her Pine Creek High team to a top-eight finish at the Colorado state tournament.
www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/sports/16007144.htm
Ashley Adams decides to stay at home for college volleyball
Joshua D. Scroggin
jscroggin@thetribunenews.com
When Ashley Adams, the defending Tribune County Player of the Year, signed a national letter of intent with Cal Poly last week, it ended a two-team recruiting war between the Mustangs and Hawaii.
But considering there aren’t any highways to Honolulu, if Adams had chosen to become a Wahine, it would have meant constant airplane flights — something she’s had a little unpleasant experience with.
"Twice, and I cried the whole time," said Adams, asked if she’d ever flown before. "I feel like we’re about to crash."
Cal Poly announced Monday that Adams, a senior who led San Luis Obispo High to the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division I-A playoffs, as well as two others, had signed with the school.
Six-foot Dominique Olowolafe (East Lansing, Mich.) and 6-0 Nicole Pederson (Colorado Springs, Colo.), both middle blockers, round out the signing class.
But not having to fly as much at Cal Poly wasn’t the reason Adams (6-1) chose the Mustangs. It’s just one of the fringe benefits.
"It would be nice to get out of San Luis," said Adams, who backed out of a verbal commitment to Louisville earlier this year. "I’ve been here 17 years. It would be nice to go away, but at the same time, my family’s here, my boyfriend’s here and my friends are here."
Adams also cited the emergence of the Cal Poly program from a relative irrelevant to a top 20 national contender as a main motivation to stay local. San Luis Obispo High coach Jon Hastings agreed.
"I really didn’t think Cal Poly was going to be in the running because I thought at one point, she was looking forward to moving away for a while," Hastings said. "I think the resurgence of the Cal Poly program kind of helped.
"She can help them reach new heights over there."
Mustangs coach Jon Stevenson chalked it up as a victory for the program.
"Adams’ decision to sign with us is the ultimate confirmation that our program has established itself as one of the best in the country," Stevenson said in a news release. "Ashley is a player who has the potential to be an All-American at three different positions."
Ranked 36th on prepvolleyball.com’s list of top 40 high school seniors, Adams was averaging 17.5 kills per match as an outside hitter for the Tigers as of Nov. 2. All she has left to do is qualify academically. That and get ready for an increase in tempo.
"She’s gotta dedicate herself to really working hard," Hastings said, "because that’s the attitude they have over there."
Olowolafe, ranked 39th in the top 40, was an All-Michigan honorable mention selection, and Pederson helped her Pine Creek High team to a top-eight finish at the Colorado state tournament.
www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/sports/16007144.htm
