Sharks Volleyball Adds Trio of Signees

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Following another successful season, one in which the Nova Southeastern Sharks Volleyball program returned to the NCAA Tournament under Head Coach Kacie Ehinger, NSU Volleyball welcomes three new signees for the 2023 season.

Ella Kern – Defensive Specialist & Outside Hitter | New Berlin, WI. | New Berlin West High School
Kern comes to NSU after a successful high school and club career (Milwaukee Sting), where she won a regional championship in 2021 and a conference crown in 2022. Kern was a three-time captain of the New Berlin West High School team and also earned two Honorable Mention All-Conference (2019-20) awards, in addition to a pair of Second-Team All-Conference (2021-22) honors.

Coach’s Comments: “Ella has great ball control and gives us another option of attacking out of the back row. She is strong defensively and moves the ball well as an attacker. We’re excited to have her join our program in August.”

Kendall Jurgens – Middle Blocker | Austin, TX. | Lake Travis High School
A four-time district champion at Lake Travis, Jurgens joins NSU and the Sharks will look for an immediate impact at the net. Jurgens was part of the Austin Junior Volleyball Club team that won the 2021 Club 16 American National Championship. Additionally, Kendall also excelled in the classroom, earning Second-Team Academic All-District and Second-Team All-State honors in both 2021 and 2022.

Coach’s Comments: “Kendall comes from a great high school and club program, having won a national championship at the club level. She plays high and has a quick arm, as well as being a great blocker. We are thrilled to have her as a Shark.”

Emma Ehmann – Outside Hitter | Ocala, Fla. | Vanguard High school
Emma enjoyed an impressive high school career, as she helped Vanguard each four consecutive FHSAA 5A State Final Four berths. Additionally, Ehmanns was a two-time All-County First-Team member and earned All-State honors in 2020. Emma also played for the Ocala Power Volleyball club.

Coach’s Comments: “I can’t wait to get Emma to Nova Southeastern. She’s an extremely athletic six rotation outside, who plays high and has an incredibly quick arm. I’m impressed by her ability to take an aggressive swing, even on out of system sets.”

Nova Southeastern Volleyball advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season and first-time under Head Coach Kacie Ehinger. NSU returns to the court in the fall of 2023. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Volleyball, be sure to follow on Instagram at NSU_VBall and Twitter at NSU_VB.
 

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Taylor Stockman Earns AVCA All-American Honors

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced their NCAA Division II All-American teams on Wednesday afternoon. Taylor Stockman, a freshman outside hitter, has been named as an Honorable Mention All-American for the Sharks Volleyball program. 

Stockman quickly established herself as an elite playmaker for Nova Southeastern and in the Sunshine State Conference, helping the Sharks advance to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. As a freshman, Stockman finished second on the club with 330 kills, second in points (368), and third in both kills-per-set (2.82) and points-per-set (3.15).  

Stockman earned Freshman of the Year honors for the Sunshine State Conference, in addition to being named to both the third-team All-SSC and All-Freshman team, as well as an AVCA All-Region selection.  

Nova Southeastern Volleyball, directed by Head Coach Kacie Ehinger, finished the 2022 season with a record of 19-12, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. To stay up to date on Sharks Volleyball, be sure to follow them on Instagram at NSU_VBall and Twitter at NSU_VB.  

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Sharks Fall in Five-Set Heartbreaker at NCAA Tournament

TAMPA, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern Sharks Volleyball team saw their season end in heartbreaking fashion, as they dropped their match in five-sets (25-20, 20-25, 25-18, 26-28, 9-15) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to the Barry Buccaneers. The Sharks finish their season with a 19-12 record and advanced to the national tournament for the second consecutive season.  

INSIDE THE MATCH 

Score: No. 6 Nova Southeastern 2, No. 3 Barry 3 

Records: No. 6 Nova Southeastern 19-12, 12-8 SSC; No. 3 Barry 26-5, 16-4 SSC 

Location: Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla.  

Get Social: Instagram – NSU_VBall | Twitter – NSU_B | Facebook – Nova Southeastern University Volleyball 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

  • Nova Southeastern began the match with a 3-0 run in the first set, getting points from Preslee Brooksbank and Kate Mihacevich.  

  • With the set tied at 9-9, Mihacevich sparked a five-point rally by the Sharks, putting NSU ahead 14-9.  

  • Late in the opening set, NSU maintained a five-point advantage at 22-17.  

  • Nova Southeastern closed the set victory, with a kill from Mihacevich and a service ace from Bruna Avila, taking the first set 25-20.  

  • After trailing early in the second set, Nova Southeastern rallied to tie the score at 11-11.  

  • The Sharks continued to battle throughout the set, but fell 20-25 to Barry, tying the set at 1-1.  

  • In the third set, Olivia Aniol, Avila, and Mihacevich each recorded a kill to give NSU an early 3-1 lead.  

  • Barry cut the Sharks lead to 8-7, but Taylor Stockman started a 4-0 rally by Nova Southeastern, which was capped by an Aleyna Kennel service ace, putting the score at 12-7.  

  • Mihacevich took over the set for the Sharks, recording a kill and a pair of service aces, as NSU extended its lead to 22-14.  

  • Nova Southeastern took a 2-1 lead in the NCAA Tournament first round, winning the third set 25-18.  

  • NSU trailed 5-1 early in the fourth set, but the Sharks rallied back and cut the Bucs lead to 8-7.  

  • Avila added a kill to put the score at 13-12, as NSU continued its comeback efforts.  

  • Later in the set, Aniol recorded back-to-back kills, while Grace Green added a service ace, as the Sharks came back to put the score at 22-21.  

  • Two consecutive kills from Avila and Stockman tied the fourth set at 25-25; However, Barry scored the final three points to take the fourth set 28-25.  

  • In the fifth set, Nova Southeastern continued to battle with Barry, but the effort fell short. The Sharks season ended after NSU fell 15-9 in the final set.  

Nova Southeastern Volleyball, under the direction of Head Coach Kacie Ehinger, concluded their 2022 season on Friday evening. The Sharks finish the year with a 19-12 record, advancing to the the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.  

To stay up-to-date on Sharks Volleyball throughout the off-season, be sure to follow NSU on Instagram at NSU_VBall and Twitter at NSU_VB.  

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Stockman, Mihacevich, Aniol Named to All-SSC Teams

MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference announced its 2022 All-Conference Volleyball Awards on Tuesday afternoon. Taylor Stockman (Freshman of the Year, All-Freshman Team, Third-Team), Kate Mihacevich (Third-Team), and Olivia Aniol (All-Freshman Team) were the three Nova Southeastern Volleyball players honored.  

Stockman quickly established herself as a premier player in the Sunshine State Conference and helped lead the Sharks back to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. In SSC matches, Stockman finished second on the Sharks in kills (227), points (252.5), kills-per-set (2.91) and points-per-set (3.24). Defensively, Stockman recorded 45 blocks, which ranked third on the team. The freshman totaled her season-high of 17 kills on three occasions during the 2022 campaign – 10/25 vs. Palm Beach Atlantic, 10/29 vs. Florida Southern and 11/5 vs. Florida Tech. On the season, Stockman has 18 matches with double-digit kills.  

Mihacevich elevated her game during the season and has been a focal point of the NSU offense throughout the year. Kate led the Sharks in kills (271), points (312.5), points-per-set (4.01) and kills-per-set (3.47), while adding 30 service aces. Mihacevich closed out the season by going nine consecutive matches with double-digit kills and set a new career-high with 24 in the regular season finale against Embry-Riddle. Mihacevich earned her first career Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week honor on Sept. 19.  

Aniol has made a major impact for the Sharks defense, especially down-the-stretch of the season, at the net. Aniol, tied for the team lead in blocks (65), has recorded seven consecutive matches with multiple blocks, including setting her season-high with 10 in the regular season finale against Embry-Riddle. Aniol also earned Sunshine State Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors on Monday, Nov. 14.  

Nova Southeastern Volleyball, under the direction of Head Coach Kacie Ehinger, have advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Sharks take on Sunshine State Conference foe, Barry on Friday, November 12, in Tampa, Fla. First serve is set for 12 p.m. 

To stay up-to-date on Sharks Volleyball, be sure to follow on Instagram at NSU_VBall and Twitter at NSU_VB.  

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Olivia Aniol Named SSC Player of the Week

MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference announced the Players of the Week for the week of November 7-13, on Monday afternoon. Nova Southeastern Sharks student-athlete Olivia Aniol (Volleyball) earned honors following her performance this past week. 

Nova Southeastern Sunshine State Conference Players of the Week awards are presented by Courtyard Marriott.

Aniol is awarded the first Defensive Player of the Week honor of her career. After averaging 1.8 blocks per set in NSU’s final three games of the regular season. The Tarpon Springs, Florida native recorded five total blocks and 12 kills in a 3-2 loss to Saint Leo. She followed with eight blocks and four kills in a sweep at Rollins. Lastly, she registered a career-high 10 blocks and added seven kills in a five-set win at Embry-Riddle. Accumulating 23 kills and 23 blocks across three games and helping lead NSU to victory in their final two regular season matches.

To stay up-to-date on Sharks athletics, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter at NSUSharks.

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TICKET PUNCHED! NSU Advances to NCAA Tournament for Second Consecutive Season

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – For the second consecutive season, the Nova Southeastern Volleyball team has qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The Sharks, under the direction of first-year Head Coach Kacie Ehinger, went 19-11, 12-8 SSC during the regular season. NSU is slotted as the sixth-seed in the South region.

“I’m really proud of our team, we’ve faced some adversity throughout the season and we are playing some of our best volleyball down the stretch,” said Head Coach Ehinger. “Last season’s team set the standard of making the NCAA Tournament, so we’re excited to continue the success of Sharks Volleyball.”

Nova Southeastern enters the regional tournament playing their best volleyball of the season, winning seven of their final eight matches in Sunshine State Conference play, effectively playing their way into the tournament.

The 2022 NCAA Tournament marks the first time that an Ehinger led team has qualified for the tournament.

“It means a lot to be able to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first-time in my career,” continued Ehinger. “This team has worked extremely hard since day one to achieve this
goal, and I’m excited to see what we can do in the postseason.”

Nova Southeastern is led offensively by the duo of sophomore Kate Mihacevich and freshman Taylor Stockman. Mihacevich has elevated her game during her second collegiate season, leading NSU in kills (344), points-per-set (3.68), and kills-per-set (3.24). Mihacevich saved some of her best performances for the Sharks final playoff push, finishing two matches in the last week of the regular season with over 20 kills – including setting a career-best of 24 in the season finale against Embry Riddle (11/12). Stockman, in her first season at Nova Southeastern, has established herself as one of the premier players in the Sunshine State Conference. The freshman recorded 319 kills during her rookie campaign, averaging 3.17 points-per-set and 2.85 kills-per-set.

Defensively, the trio of freshman Olivia Aniol, junior Preslee Brooksbank and senior Aleyna Kennel have been anchors for the Sharks both at the net and on the back line. Aniol has been a terrific addition to the Sharks, finishing the regular season as the team leader in blocks with 91 total on the 2022 season. Aniol helped lead NSU to a win in the final game of the season, recording a season-high 10 blocks. Brooksbank has continued to be a strong point on the backline for NSU, totaling 364 digs on the campaign and tied for the team lead in service aces (34) with Mihacevich. Kennel has exhibited a steady presence on serve-receive for the Sharks and has shown continued veteran leadership.

Joining the Sharks in the NCAA South Region Tournament is top-seed and host No. 6 Tampa, No. 13 West Florida, No. 16 Barry, Lynn, Eckerd, Florida Southern and Spring Hill.

The sixth-seeded Sharks open NCAA Tournament play against third-seeded Barry on Thursday, November 17, from the Bob Martinez Athletic Center on the campus of Tampa.

To stay up-to-date on Sharks Volleyball, follow on Instagram at NSU_VBall, Twitter at NSU_VB and Facebook at Nova Southeastern University Volleyball.
 

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Sharks Close out Regular Season with Victory

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – A career day from Kate Mihacevich helped lift the Sharks to victory. Nova Southeastern takes care of business and takes down Embry-Riddle 3-2 (18-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-22, 15-12).

INSIDE THE MATCH 

SCORE: Nova Southeastern 3, Embry-Riddle 2 

RECORDS: Nova Southeastern 19-11, 12-8 SSC | Embry-Riddle 17-14, 8-12 SSC 

LOCATION: Daytona Beach, Fla. | ICI Center

GET SOCIAL: Instagram – NSU_VBall | Twitter – NSU_VB | Facebook – Nova Southeastern University Volleyball 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

·       After going down early in set one, the Sharks began to battle back. Going on a five-point run, the Sharks were able to tie up set one at 16-16. The run saw a kill from Taylor Stockman and two service aces from Jordan Chessar.

·       Despite the fight late, the Sharks dropped set one to the Eagles 18-25.

·       Kate Mihacevich and Cambry Pope got the second set going with back-to-back kills to give the Sharks the opening two points.

·       Later in the second set, the Sharks went on a six-point run to take a 12-5 lead. The run featured kills from Olivia Aniol, Kate Mihacevich, and Jordan Chessar, as well as two service aces from Preslee Brooksbank.

·       A four-point run at the end of the set secured the 25-18 set two victory for the Sharks. The run came about after a kill from Kate Mihacevich, a service ace from Preslee Brooksbank, and consecutive kills from Jordan Chessar.

·       After fighting for much of the third set, the Sharks could never find their footing, leading to a 18-25 defeat in set three.

·       Going back-and-forth the entire fourth set, the Sharks were able to push through late. After kills from Kate Mihacevich and Jordan Chessar, and two service aces from Preslee Brooksbank, the Sharks capped off a five-point run and a 25-22 set four victory.

·       After trailing 5-7 in set five, Sharks turned it on, going on a four-point run to take the two-point lead. The run came about after kills from Madison Cook, and Cambry Pope (2).

·       The end of set five was all Kate Mihacevich. Three kills and a service ace from Kate Mihacevich helped the Sharks take set five 15-12 and secure the match victory.

STATS OF THE MATCH

·      Kate Mihacevich (24 kills), Cambry Pope (15), and Jordan Chessar (9) led the team in kills.

·      Kate Mihacevich’s 24 kills was a career high.

·      Olivia Aniol (10 blocks) and Taylor Stockman (6) led the team in blocks.

·      Madison Cook recorded 56 assists in the match.

UPCOMING 

The Sharks await the NCAA Tournament selection show on November 13th at 10:30pm.

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Sharks Sweep The Tars

WINTER PARK, FLA. – The Nova Southeastern take care of business and secure the match sweep. The Sharks take down the Tars 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-17).

INSIDE THE MATCH
SCORE: Nova Southeastern 3, Rollins 0
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern 18-11, 11-8 SSC | Rollins 7-23, 2-17 SSC
LOCATION: Winter Park, Fla. | Warden Arena
GET SOCIAL: Instagram – NSU_VBall | Twitter – NSU_VB | Facebook – Nova Southeastern University Volleyball

HOW IT HAPPENED

· After going down early in set one, the Sharks began to find their footing. After kills from Taylor Stockman, Olivia Aniol, and Kate Mihacevich, the Sharks were able to get within three.

· After going on a four-point run, the Sharks were able to tie it up at 17. The run saw kills from Taylor Stockman, Olivia Aniol, and Cambry Pope.

· The Sharks were able to secure the 25-23 set one victory after a kill by Olivia Aniol.

· The Sharks started off set two absolutely dominating, taking an early 10-1 lead. Kills from Kate Mihacevich (3), Bruna Avila, and Jordan Chessar helped make that start possible.

· Sharks went on another four-point-run to take a 17-4 lead in the second set. The run saw kills from Taylor Stockman and Cambry Pope.

· After an attacking error by the Tars, the Sharks were able to capture the set two victory, 25-13.

· Set three saw a lot of back-and-forth scoring until the Sharks caught fire, going on a seven-point-run, taking a 15-9 lead.

· Another four-point-run by the Sharks pushed the score to 19-11. The run saw kills by Cambry Pope and Olivia Aniol.

· A kill from Jordan Chessar secured the set three win, and a 3-0 match victory.

STATS OF THE MATCH

· Kate Mihacevich (10 kills), Cambry Pope (8), and Taylor Stockman (7) led the team in kills.

· Olivia Aniol (8 blocks) and Bruna Avila (5) led the team in blocks.

· Bruna Avila recorded 29 assists in the match.

UPCOMING

The Sharks close the regular season on Saturday evening at 4:00pm as they travel to Daytona Beach, FL to take on Embry-Riddle.

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Sharks Fall to Lions in Five Sets

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – Nova Southeastern battled till the end, but were unable to secure the victory. The Sharks fall to the Lions 2-3 (20-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-19, 11-15).

INSIDE THE MATCH
SCORE: Nova Southeastern 2, Saint Leo 3
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern 17-11, 10-8 SSC | Saint Leo 12-17, 5-13 SSC
LOCATION: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. | Noel P. Brown Center
GET SOCIAL: Instagram – NSU_VBall | Twitter – NSU_VB | Facebook – Nova Southeastern University Volleyball

HOW IT HAPPENED

· After going back-and-forth in set one, the Sharks were able to go on a four-point run halfway through. With kills from Taylor Stockman and Olivia Aniol, as well as a service ace from Jordan Chessar, the Sharks went up 14-13.

· Despite a few strong kills from Kate Mihacevich late in the set, the Sharks were unable to capture the victory, as they fell 20-25.

· Set two started off very similarly to set one going back-and-forth, until the Sharks once again went on a four-point run. With kills from Madison Cook, Kate Mihacevich, and Olivia Aniol, and a service ace from Grace Green, the Sharks were able to take a 10-9 lead.

· The Sharks stayed in thanks to three kills late from Kate Mihacevich, but it was not enough to secure the set two victory. Sharks drop set two 20-25.

· The energy began to shift in set three after the Sharks went on a monster nine-point run. With kills from Taylor Stockman, Cambry Pope, and Jordan Chessar, as well as two service aces from Kate Mihacevich, the Sharks went up 18-14.

· After back-to-back kills from Olivia Aniol and Kate Mihacevich, the Sharks were able to claim the 25-17 set three win.

· The momentum stayed in the Sharks favor in set four as they went on an early 7-point run. With kills from Taylor Stockman and Olivia Aniol, and two service aces from Aleyna Kennel, the Sharks went up 9-2.

· Despite a late push from the Lions, Jordan Chessar was able to hammer one down to seal the 25-19 set four win for the Sharks.

· After going down early, the Sharks came back to life after three consecutive kills from Olivia Aniol to bring the Sharks within one.

· After fighting till the end, the Sharks were unable to win set five and in result, dropped today’s matchup against the Lions.

STATS OF THE MATCH

· Kate Mihacevich (22 kills), Taylor Stockman (13), and Olivia Aniol (12) led the team in kills.

· Mihacevich’s 22 kills ties her career-high.

· Madison Cook recorded 49 assists in the match.

UPCOMING

The Sharks are back in action on Friday, November 11th at 7pm as they travel to Winter Park, FL to take on Rollins.

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Sharks Take Down Panthers, Win 5th Straight Match

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern women’s volleyball team defeated Florida Tech on Saturday, winning its 5th consecutive match. The Sharks lost the first set before gaining momentum, winning the next three, and defeating the Panthers in four sets (29-31, 25-16. 25-23, 25-19).

INSIDE THE MATCH
RECORDS: Nova Southeastern 17-10, 10-7 SSC, Florida Tech 13-15, 5-12 SSC
SCORE: Nova Southeastern 3, Florida Tech 1 LOCATION: Rick Case Arena | Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
GET SOCIAL: Instagram – NSU_VBall | Twitter – NSU_VB

HOW IT HAPPENED

· Nova Southeastern got off to a slow start in the first set, finding themselves down 10-15 before a kill by Cambry Pope lowered the Sharks’ deficit to 15-17.

· NSU rattled off six straight points with kills from Taylor Stockman and Jordan Chessar to give the Sharks a 22-20 lead.

· The rally would fall short, as NSU dropped the first set 29-31.

· The Sharks got out to a 7-4 lead in the second set with two consecutive kills from Madison Cook and Stockman.

· Kills by Kate Mihacevich and Chessar lengthened the Sharks lead to 23-14.

· A final kill from Mihacevich, assisted by Cook, ended the second set and gave the Sharks a 25-16 win.

· The Sharks and Panthers fought back and forth throughout the third set, but NSU rallied three straight points on kills from Mihacevich to put the Sharks up 23-22.

· NSU continued its hot streak, taking the third set 25-23 on an attack error by the Panthers.

· Mihacevich had three consecutive service aces as a part of six straight points by the Sharks, putting NSU in good position to end the match with a 19-10 lead.

· Despite a strong comeback effort by the Panthers, a Chessar kill won the Sharks the set, and the match, 25-19.

UPCOMING

Nova Southeastern returns home on Monday, Nov. 1 to take on Saint Leo at the Noel P. Brown Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m. To stay up-to-date on Sharks Volleyball, be sure to follow on Instagram at NSU_VBall and Twitter at NSU_VB

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