Eastern Michigan Athletics
EMU Volleyball Signs Four For 2008
12/18/2007 10:34:05 AM | Volleyball
Eagles ink players from Michigan, Montana and Ohio
YPSILANTI, Mich. – Eastern Michigan University head volleyball coach Kim Berrington continues to build the depth of one of the top programs in the Mid-American Conference by signing four players to National Letters of Intent. Jillian Bates (Billings, Mont.-Billings Senior), Ashley Mason (Eastlake, Ohio-Lake Catholic), Haley Stein (Carleton, Mich.-St. Mary Catholic Central) and Cassie Sowers (Williamsport, Ohio-Westfall) will all play for the Eagles in the 2008 season.
Bates, a 6-foot-2 middle hitter, just wrapped up a solid career at Billings Senior High School in which the team won three consecutive state championships and recorded a 93-2 record in four years. A first team All-State selection as a senior, Bates averaged a .324 attack percentage, 0.96 blocks and 0.62 aces per game en route to a 31-0 mark. During the 2007 state championship game, she notched 13 kills, five blocks and two aces. In 2006, she posted 2.07 kills and 1.17 blocks per game.
Mason, a 5-foot-9 setter, was an honor roll student and four-year letter winner at Lake Catholic High School in Mentor, Ohio. Selected the The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Lake-Geauga Player of the Year for the second year in a row, Mason had more than 680 assists for the second straight year, and she was named first-team All-Ohio. As a senior, she dished out 681 assists for the 16-6 Cougars, pulled up 164 digs, hit 83 kills and recorded 159 blocks. For her efforts, Mason was named first team Division II All-Ohio, one year after being a second team selection.
A two-time varsity captain, Mason was named the District 2 Player of the Year and first team North Coast League for both her junior and senior seasons. Mason was put on the Lake County Herald’s Players to Watch list her sophomore through senior year. She was also a member of the Rocky River and Walsh Jesuit All-Tournament teams three consecutive seasons.
Stein, a 5-foot-6 libero, is a four-year honor student from St. Mary Catholic Central High School in Monroe, Mich. Stein had 802 digs this past season and 2,052 for her career, averaging 5.31 per game as a senior. She earned first-team All-State honors in 2007, was second team as a junior and third team as a sophomore. She earned All-Huron League honors three times and was co-captain of the team this year. During her senior year, Stein was selected the MVP of the University of Michigan Dearborn Tournament and to the All-Tournament team at The Monroe Evening News tournament.
Stein was also a three-year member of the Eastern Michigan Volleyball Academy (EVA) that placed third at the AAV Nationals her junior year and eighth at the ASICS National Championships her sophomore year. With the EVA she received the Best Passer Award and was voted MVP for both her sophomore and freshman years. Her mother, Barb Stein, played volleyball for Eastern Michigan University.
Sowers, a 5-foot-10, outside hitter, is a National Honor Society member and senior class president of Westfall High School in Williamsport, Ohio. The four-year varsity letter winner is a three-time Scioto Valley Conference Player of the Year and District 14 Player of the Year. During her junior and senior years, Sowers was named to All-Ohio first team and sophomore year she was named to the All-Ohio second team.
Sowers holds seven Westfall High School records including kills in a match (39), kills in a season (565), kills in a career (1,622), digs in a match (35), kills in a season (346), digs in a career (1,063) and aces in a match (10). Sowers is a two-time scholar athlete award winner and a member of two district champion teams.
The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team completed the 2007 season with a 20-14 overall record and an 8-8 mark in Mid-American Conference play. The record was a seven-game improvement over the team’s 2006 finish. Also, the Green and White notched a MAC Tournament Quarterfinal upset victory over No. 2 seed Western Michigan, as the Eagles reached the 20-win plateau for the ninth time in the program’s history.
Eastern Michigan University Volleyball 2008 Committments
Player Pos. Ht. Cl.-Elig. Hometown-High School
Jillian Bates MH 6-2 Fr.-Fr. Billings, Mont.-Billings Senior
Ashley Mason S 5-9 Fr.-Fr. East Lake, Ohio-Lake Catholic
Haley Stein L 5-6 Fr.-Fr. Carleton, Mich.-St. Mary’s Catholic Central
Cassie Sowers OH 5-10 Fr.-Fr. Williamsport, Ohio-Wesfall
