Moon Township, Pa. – Robert Morris University volleyball head coach Dale Starr has announced the addition of four student-athletes for the 2017 season, which brings the incoming class to a total of eight freshmen.

Skylar Clements (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mount Vista), Emma Granger (Dalton, Ohio/Dalton), Mirna Sarjanovic (Zagreb, Croatia/HAOK Mladost) and Erika Wilt (Temperance, Mich./Bedford) will join the Colonials for the 2017-18 academic year.

Clements was named First Team All-League in 2017, and was instrumental in helping her high school squad earn the 2017 5A State Runner-Up title. The state championship match marks the farthest the program has advanced in school history. In her senior season, Clements competed in 89 sets and recorded 167 kills at a .332 hitting percentage, and posted 95 blocks.
 
"Skylar comes to us from a state runner-up team and a great club program in Colorado," said Starr of Clements. "She has size and athleticism that will benefit us greatly on a daily basis. She possesses a great nose for the ball on the blocking side, and has the ability to become a solid offensive player for us. Skylar plays the game with tons of passion and energy, which will only help our team get better each and every day. Her work ethic and competitive nature will benefit both her and our team. I look for Skylar to continue to progress and compete for playing time in the middle for us."

Clements earned academic honors all four years, and is a member of the National Honor Society. She also volunteers at the Dumb Friends League Animal Shelter in Denver.

Granger was named District Player of the Year and Daily Record Player of the Year in 2016. She was also named Division 4 First Team All-Ohio last year. In 2015, Granger was named WCAL Player of the Year. She is a three-time First Team All-District, First-Team All-WCAL, and First Team All-Daily Record honoree. In 2015 and 2014, Granger was named Division 4 Third Team All-Ohio and Division 3 Second Team All-Ohio, respectively. She ranks fifth in the state of Ohio in career kills.

"Emma comes to us from a solid high school and high level club background in Ohio," Starr stated. "Being named First Team All-Ohio as a senior, and competing for the Ohio Valley Region at the USA High Performance camp are great accomplishments. Those experiences will serve her well as she adjusts to the college game. Emma's size and athleticism are great for us to have in our program, and I expect Emma to bring a high level of intensity and competitiveness to our gym every day. Emma has a big-time arm and hits a very heavy ball. I expect her to compete for playing time in the middle hitter position for us right away."

Granger plays club volleyball for the Maverick Volleyball Club. She is a member of the National Honor Society, was elected Senior Class President, and is involved in Dalton's Young Life Group.

Sarjanovic is a three-time junior level national champion with her club team, Club HAOK Mladost. In her senior season, Club HAOK Mladost advanced to the finals of the 1.A HOL Croation volleyball league Division I championship. She competed in the Confederation Europeenne de Volleyball (CEV) tournament and the Middle European Volleyball Zonal Association (MEVZA) Final Four tournament. She is currently competing with junior national team Republika Hrvatska – Republic of Croatia (RH) and will play in her high school national championship in late April. Sarjanovic will also compete in the qualification tournament for the World Championship in Turkey in May. As a junior, Sarjanovic helped the 1.B HOL Division I senior team to second place. As a member of the U19 National Team, she was named Best Player of Team Croatia, when she helped her squad to fourth place in the MEVZA Tournament. That year, she also competed in the qualification tournament for the European Championship in Rovinj, Croatia and Riga, Latvia. Sarjanovic captured the first and second place Cadet Trophies with her county team in the Zagreb Trophy Tournament in 2015 and 2014, respectively.
 
"Mirna comes to us from a very strong background in international play," said Starr. "Having been a member of both a Division I club program and the Croatian Junior National Team will prepare her well for collegiate volleyball. She is a very physical player who will make an immediate impact on our program. She possesses a deep knowledge of the game and has played on an international stage, which brings with it experience that is not common in a freshman. I am looking forward to Mirna getting to campus and competing for playing time right away."


Wilt is a three-year varsity letter winner and two-year varsity starter on the Bedford High School volleyball team. In 2016, she garnered MI Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region, Honorable Mention All-State, and Academic All-State accolades. She is a two-time All-League and Monroe Evening News All-Region honoree.

"Erika comes to us from a very strong high school and club background in Michigan," Starr said. "Being recognized as All-Region and All-State Honorable Mention in Michigan is a great accomplishment. Erika will be able to fill several roles for us due to her versatility as a player. She will compete for court time as a defensive specialist, outside hitter, and possibly a right side if needed. I really like her ball control and her passion for the game. She will help us get better on a daily basis in the gym. I look for her to compete for playing time and help make our practice gym very competitive."

"These four players, along with the four we signed in the fall, will give us the needed talent and depth to again compete for NEC Championships," Starr concluded. "We added much needed size, international experience, and players who play the game with a high volleyball IQ. While we will be young, we have a very talented group of kids who are hungry, competitive, and play the game with a ton of energy and passion. I am excited to get them into the gym and begin working with them. I think this team is going to end up being a very special group of kids. Our seven returners had a great spring, and adding these eight new players to the mix is refreshing and exciting. There is great energy around our program now, and I look for us to have a successful, bounce-back season in 2017."

Maria Alfano (Cranberry, Pa./Seneca Valley), Caroline Bain (Lower Burrell, Pa./Oakland Catholic), Whitney Brown (Avonworth, Pa./Avonworth) and Alyson Londot (Utica, Ohio/Utica) will also join the Colonials for the 2017-18 academic year.


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