University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Fisher Announces 2019 Pitt Volleyball Recruiting Class
11/15/2018 4:22:00 PM | Volleyball
Pitt Unveils Incoming 2019 Volleyball Recruits
PITTSBURGH – No. 10 Pitt volleyball head coach Dan Fisher announced Thursday the addition of five incoming Panthers to the 2019 recruiting class.
"I think this is one of our best classes ever, and maybe the most complete class, in that we have a player from each position," Fisher said. "We're definitely adding a physical component to our gym, as well as skill, and it's going to increase the competition in our program."
Setter Lexis Akeo, libero Ashley Browske, middle hitter Anastasia Russ, middle/right side Chiamaka Nwokolo and outside hitter Valeria Vázquez will join the Panthers' roster in the fall of 2019.
Lexis Akeo | Setter | Kapolei, Hawaii | Kamehameha HS
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB
Ranked 70th nationally by Prep Volleyball Senior Ace … Hawaii's 2017 State Player of the Year, State Tournament MVP and Gatorade Player of the Year … Played for Manoa Beach Volleyball Club … Selected as one of the 2016 Prepvolleyball.com Soph 79.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Les and Cherie Akeo ... Has four siblings, Thomas, Lester, Lesli and Kamalani … Older sister Kamalani Akeo is currently a senior setter for the Panthers.
AKEO ON PITT
"I chose Pitt because the academics are really good and I was excited to see the coaching staff help Kamalani and her setting."
FISHER ON AKEO
"Lexis is one of the top setters in the class. She was the Hawaii State Player of the Year a year ago. Clearly, there are many similarities with her sister [Kamalani]. They have a similar style of game. We feel that Lexis is further along than Kamalani was at her age, and Kamalani was the ACC Setter of the Year two years ago. Lexis is someone that will be able to compete right away in our gym for playing time. She's the top player from Hawaii. Every part of her game is good – she's very well-rounded."
Ashley Browske | Libero | Highland Heights, Ohio | Lake Catholic HS
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB
Two-time All-Conference and All-District First Team (2017, 2018) … 2018 Defensive Player of the Year … 2018 All-Ohio Second Team … 2017 All-Ohio Third Team … Named to 2015 North Coast All-League Team … 2017 GJNC All-Tournament Team … Played for Eastside Cleveland Juniors Volleyball Club ... Member of National Honor Society and Honor Roll.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Mary and Dave … Has four siblings, Stephanie, Natalie, Kimberly and Joey.
BROWSKE ON PITT
"I knew I wanted to play for a top-notch program like Pitt. The location, strong academics and coaching staff made my decision easy. I can't wait to be a Panther."
FISHER ON BROWSKE
"We feel that Ashley is one of the most underrated liberos in the class because she played outside hitter throughout all of high school and club. She's got a big personality; she's a vocal player. With the departure of Angela Seman, she'll be in the mix for that libero spot right away. It's always good to get a player from Cleveland. She led her team to the Ohio State Semifinal this year. She's a natural leader, being the captain of every team she's ever been on. She loves to compete and she won't shy away from the intensity of this level."
Chiamaka Nwokolo | Middle/Right Side | Blacklick, Ohio | Bishop Hartley HS
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB
Ranked 66th nationally by Prep Volleyball Senior Ace … Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention … Club team, Mintonette, won the 16 Open Section at the USAV Nationals in 2017 … Named to the 2017 All-Ohio State Volleyball Team.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Chinyelu and Osita … Has three siblings, Ginika, Ako and Toby … Intended major is behavioral science … Member of Honor Roll.
NWOKOLO ON PITT
"I chose Pitt because I had this overwhelming feeling of family just from stepping on campus. I felt like I could improve my skills not only on the court but in life also."
FISHER ON NWOKOLO
"Chiamaka is another local player that we're lucky to get out of the Columbus area, which is certainly right in the middle of Big Ten country, so it's always good to steal a player from that area away. She is a ready-to-go middle blocker. In her 16s year, she led her team to win the Open National Championships, the highest level of club play. She is ready to come in and block and hit at this level. She can also play on the right side, and she'll be one of the best slide hitters in our gym. She is very dynamic off of one foot. We're excited to add someone who's already competing at the highest level. It was clear from the moment she stepped on our campus that she was a great fit, culturally, for us, as we are for her."
Anastasia Russ | Middle Hitter | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Hampton HS
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB
Ranked 57th nationally by Prep Volleyball Senior Ace … 2018 AVCA Under Armour All-American … Three-time All-Section, All-WPIAL and All-State selection … 2017 Prep Volleyball All-American Special Mention … 2016 Hampton MVP, where Hampton won Section 3 and played in the WPIAL Championship … Plays for Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball Club … Member of National Honor Society and earned Highest Honor Roll every semester of high school.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Carol and Peter … Has an older brother, Alexander … Intended major is pre-medicine.
RUSS ON PITT
"I chose Pitt because it feels like home. The academics are strong, and I love the campus. The coaching staff and team really stood out to me and are leading the program in a very exciting direction."
FISHER ON RUSS
"Anastasia is a late bloomer that has really been coming on strong in the last year. She's a middle/right side that will be the player that's the highest in our gym. I think she's touching 10-foot-7 right now. There's no limit to her ceiling of how good she can be. We're excited to get her not only in the practice gym but also in the weight room. Not only is she a good fit as an athlete, but she's also a great fit as a person. It's always good to get a top local player. We're lucky to have a player that good in our backyard, and have her stay home in Pittsburgh."
Valeria Vázquez | Outside Hitter | Manati, Puerto Rico | Colegio Marista Manati
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB
Voted MVP of the Jeep Volleyball Championships in 2017 … Named an All-Star in the 2017 AAU Junior National Championships … Received 2016 Power League Super Regional accolades as her team competed in the championship.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Ramón Vázquez Meléndez … Has four siblings, Frances, Verüshka, Jonathan and Zahira … Intended major is rehabilitation science … Father played professional basketball in Puerto Rico and all four of her siblings played volleyball.
VÁZQUEZ ON PITT
"I chose Pitt because I genuinely feel that both the academic and the volleyball programs are perfect for me. Being at such a prestigious university and knowing that I'll be playing at the highest level made my decision very easy."
FISHER ON VÁZQUEZ
"Valeria is someone who we've known about for over a year and we've fallen in love with her arm. She has legitimate heat behind the ball and has a really wonderful personality. She's excited to be in a new culture and in a new climate. She was actually hoping it was going to snow on her visit to Pittsburgh. She's someone in the front row who we think will compete right away. The key to her being on the court soon will be how well she does in the back row. She's one of the best players from Puerto Rico in the 2019 class."
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"I think this is one of our best classes ever, and maybe the most complete class, in that we have a player from each position," Fisher said. "We're definitely adding a physical component to our gym, as well as skill, and it's going to increase the competition in our program."
Setter Lexis Akeo, libero Ashley Browske, middle hitter Anastasia Russ, middle/right side Chiamaka Nwokolo and outside hitter Valeria Vázquez will join the Panthers' roster in the fall of 2019.
Lexis Akeo | Setter | Kapolei, Hawaii | Kamehameha HS
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB
Ranked 70th nationally by Prep Volleyball Senior Ace … Hawaii's 2017 State Player of the Year, State Tournament MVP and Gatorade Player of the Year … Played for Manoa Beach Volleyball Club … Selected as one of the 2016 Prepvolleyball.com Soph 79.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Les and Cherie Akeo ... Has four siblings, Thomas, Lester, Lesli and Kamalani … Older sister Kamalani Akeo is currently a senior setter for the Panthers.
AKEO ON PITT
"I chose Pitt because the academics are really good and I was excited to see the coaching staff help Kamalani and her setting."
FISHER ON AKEO
"Lexis is one of the top setters in the class. She was the Hawaii State Player of the Year a year ago. Clearly, there are many similarities with her sister [Kamalani]. They have a similar style of game. We feel that Lexis is further along than Kamalani was at her age, and Kamalani was the ACC Setter of the Year two years ago. Lexis is someone that will be able to compete right away in our gym for playing time. She's the top player from Hawaii. Every part of her game is good – she's very well-rounded."
Ashley Browske | Libero | Highland Heights, Ohio | Lake Catholic HS
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB
Two-time All-Conference and All-District First Team (2017, 2018) … 2018 Defensive Player of the Year … 2018 All-Ohio Second Team … 2017 All-Ohio Third Team … Named to 2015 North Coast All-League Team … 2017 GJNC All-Tournament Team … Played for Eastside Cleveland Juniors Volleyball Club ... Member of National Honor Society and Honor Roll.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Mary and Dave … Has four siblings, Stephanie, Natalie, Kimberly and Joey.
BROWSKE ON PITT
"I knew I wanted to play for a top-notch program like Pitt. The location, strong academics and coaching staff made my decision easy. I can't wait to be a Panther."
FISHER ON BROWSKE
"We feel that Ashley is one of the most underrated liberos in the class because she played outside hitter throughout all of high school and club. She's got a big personality; she's a vocal player. With the departure of Angela Seman, she'll be in the mix for that libero spot right away. It's always good to get a player from Cleveland. She led her team to the Ohio State Semifinal this year. She's a natural leader, being the captain of every team she's ever been on. She loves to compete and she won't shy away from the intensity of this level."
Chiamaka Nwokolo | Middle/Right Side | Blacklick, Ohio | Bishop Hartley HS
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB
Ranked 66th nationally by Prep Volleyball Senior Ace … Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention … Club team, Mintonette, won the 16 Open Section at the USAV Nationals in 2017 … Named to the 2017 All-Ohio State Volleyball Team.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Chinyelu and Osita … Has three siblings, Ginika, Ako and Toby … Intended major is behavioral science … Member of Honor Roll.
NWOKOLO ON PITT
"I chose Pitt because I had this overwhelming feeling of family just from stepping on campus. I felt like I could improve my skills not only on the court but in life also."
FISHER ON NWOKOLO
"Chiamaka is another local player that we're lucky to get out of the Columbus area, which is certainly right in the middle of Big Ten country, so it's always good to steal a player from that area away. She is a ready-to-go middle blocker. In her 16s year, she led her team to win the Open National Championships, the highest level of club play. She is ready to come in and block and hit at this level. She can also play on the right side, and she'll be one of the best slide hitters in our gym. She is very dynamic off of one foot. We're excited to add someone who's already competing at the highest level. It was clear from the moment she stepped on our campus that she was a great fit, culturally, for us, as we are for her."
Anastasia Russ | Middle Hitter | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Hampton HS
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB
Ranked 57th nationally by Prep Volleyball Senior Ace … 2018 AVCA Under Armour All-American … Three-time All-Section, All-WPIAL and All-State selection … 2017 Prep Volleyball All-American Special Mention … 2016 Hampton MVP, where Hampton won Section 3 and played in the WPIAL Championship … Plays for Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball Club … Member of National Honor Society and earned Highest Honor Roll every semester of high school.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Carol and Peter … Has an older brother, Alexander … Intended major is pre-medicine.
RUSS ON PITT
"I chose Pitt because it feels like home. The academics are strong, and I love the campus. The coaching staff and team really stood out to me and are leading the program in a very exciting direction."
FISHER ON RUSS
"Anastasia is a late bloomer that has really been coming on strong in the last year. She's a middle/right side that will be the player that's the highest in our gym. I think she's touching 10-foot-7 right now. There's no limit to her ceiling of how good she can be. We're excited to get her not only in the practice gym but also in the weight room. Not only is she a good fit as an athlete, but she's also a great fit as a person. It's always good to get a top local player. We're lucky to have a player that good in our backyard, and have her stay home in Pittsburgh."
Valeria Vázquez | Outside Hitter | Manati, Puerto Rico | Colegio Marista Manati
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB
Voted MVP of the Jeep Volleyball Championships in 2017 … Named an All-Star in the 2017 AAU Junior National Championships … Received 2016 Power League Super Regional accolades as her team competed in the championship.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Ramón Vázquez Meléndez … Has four siblings, Frances, Verüshka, Jonathan and Zahira … Intended major is rehabilitation science … Father played professional basketball in Puerto Rico and all four of her siblings played volleyball.
VÁZQUEZ ON PITT
"I chose Pitt because I genuinely feel that both the academic and the volleyball programs are perfect for me. Being at such a prestigious university and knowing that I'll be playing at the highest level made my decision very easy."
FISHER ON VÁZQUEZ
"Valeria is someone who we've known about for over a year and we've fallen in love with her arm. She has legitimate heat behind the ball and has a really wonderful personality. She's excited to be in a new culture and in a new climate. She was actually hoping it was going to snow on her visit to Pittsburgh. She's someone in the front row who we think will compete right away. The key to her being on the court soon will be how well she does in the back row. She's one of the best players from Puerto Rico in the 2019 class."
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