The Indiana University volleyball program has a great incoming class next season under Coach Steve Aird, and he knows it will go beyond just next season.
“We think this is the first of a bunch of pretty good classes in a row,” Aird told Indiana Sports Beat.
The 2020 recruiting class brought in by Aird is 15th in the nation and also the highest ranked class in program history.
The group consists of eight different players, which is much more than normal he said, calling it a “massive group.”
Leyla Blackwell, Savannah Kjolhede, Tommi Stockham, Elle Hillers, Morgan Geddes, Grae Gosnell, Britt Soudan and Olivia Panepinto are the names from this elite 2020 class that Hoosier fans can look out for during the season.
These players come from all over the United States, and while this season contains just one in-state recruit (Olivia Panepinto), Aird continues to recruit hard inside Indiana.
“Much like Coach Miller’s doing, we’re trying to attract the best player in the state every year,” Aird said.
He says that Indiana can be considered a hotbed for volleyball recruiting, just as Texas and Florida are for football. And with this, the future for Indiana’s in-state recruits after this year is looking elite.
When Aird came to Indiana in 2018 he knew he that he wanted to recruit the state, and since then he has excelled.
“We weren’t afraid to get into these battles and tell people that we really believed in what we were doing and that’s resonated," Aird explained. "A lot of people in the state are really excited about what we’re doing."
The Big Ten absolutely dominates in college volleyball, and Aird believes that’s also a reason recruits want to come to IU.
However, the future is still up in the air for the upcoming season due to COVID-19.
“Keeping our kids healthy to the best of our ability is certainly at the top of our minds,” Aird added.
Aird knows what they can do though is stay positive and work hard during these rough times.
While the future for next season is unknown, the Hoosiers volleyball program will continue to recruit and make the success look even brighter for Indiana down the road.
Make sure to check out the full interview with Coach Aird at the link below.
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