Moon Township, Pa. – Robert Morris University volleyball head coach Dale Starr has announced the addition of three student-athletes for the 2020 season.
Emma Brown (Westerville, Ohio / St. Francis DeSales / Mintonette), Annie Monaco (Dover, Ohio / New Philadelphia / The Academy for Volleyball Cleveland), and Abby Ryan (Orchard Park, N.Y. / Orchard Park / Niagara Frontier) will join Robert Morris for the 2020-21 academic year.
"This 2020 class is exciting for us to add to an already tremendous team," said Starr. "We will be a more competitive group in 2020 with the addition of these three. Without losing a player from our 2019 team, the future is very bright for RMU volleyball. I'm excited to get everyone in the gym for another great year!"
Brown, a middle blocker and right side from Westerville, Ohio, will add to the championship culture in Moon Township. With her club team, Mintonette Sports One, she won the 2019 AAU National Championship and earned silver at the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships, and recently just helped lead St. Francis DeSales High School to a victory in the Ohio Division I state championship over the nation's No. 1 team, Padua.
"Emma (Brown) comes to us from a very competitive high school and club program," said Starr. "The past year she has been on teams that won the AAU National Championship, second place at USA Volleyball Nationals, and she just won the Ohio Division 1 State Championship. She is a tremendous offensive middle who is capable of scoring both in front and behind the setter."
The middle blocker was a three-time All-CCL selection at St. Francis DeSales, finishing her career with a pair of First Team nods. She was also All-District First Team and All-Ohio Honorable Mention in her senior season, and made the Under Armour Watch List from 2017 to 2019. Brown hit at a .765 clip over her high school career and recorded 176 total blocks.
A member of National Honor Society at St. Francis DeSales, Brown comes from an athletic family as she has had family members play volleyball at Dayton, Florida Atlantic, Illinois, and Wheeling, along with uncles that competed for Otterbein and Yale in basketball, and Ohio State in football. She plans to major in computer science at Robert Morris.
"Emma fits in perfect with our tradition of offensive minded middle hitters," added Starr. "Emma will provide immediate depth and competition to our veteran middle blocker group. I anticipate her becoming another in the long line of great middles we have had at RMU."
Monaco, an outside hitter and setter from Dover, Ohio, plays for New Philadelphia High School and The Academy for Volleyball Cleveland. With New Philadelphia, she captured two District championships in 2016 and 2017, a pair of Sectional titles in 2018 and 2019, and three straight League crowns from 2017 to 2019.
"Annie comes to us off a great high school and club season where she played multiple positions," said Starr. "She is a versatile player who had over 1,000 assists to go along with being a dynamic outside hitter. She has the ability to set, which is always a great skill to have, as well as be a six-rotation outside hitter."
Monaco has collected a bevy of awards at New Philadelphia, including League Player of the Year as a senior. She is a two-time All-Ohio Honorable Mention selection in 2018 and 2019, and a three-time All-District 5 pick – earning a pair of First Team plaudits the last two seasons. Like Brown, Monaco comes from an athletic family, with her older siblings, Anthony and Moriah, and an uncle playing basketball at the Division I level.
"Annie will add great depth to our outside hitter position, something that after this injury-filled 2019 season, we are grateful to have in 2020," added Starr. "Her versatility will also be a welcome addition to our gym, as she will compete for playing time at multiple positions for us."
Ryan, an outside hitter from Orchard Park, N.Y., starred for Orchard Park High School and Niagara Frontier on the club circuit. She won a pair of Division titles in 2018 and 2019, adding a Section 6 crown in her junior campaign. Ryan has been named All-Western New York, Maroon Key MVP, and All-State Large Schools Fourth Team in 2018.
"Abby (Ryan) is a dynamic outside hitter," said Starr. "She has a terminal arm swing, an explosive vertical, and is capable of scoring at a higher rate. She has good ball control and defensive skills as well. Abby will provided a boost to our outside hitter position.
Over her high school career, Ryan has tallied a school-record 1,400 kills, 472 digs, 181 service aces, and 101 blocks. She is a three-time Scholar Athlete and a member of both National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. Ryan plans to major in nursing at Robert Morris.
"Abby will be a great addition to our gym on a daily basis and help make our outside hitter group very competitive," added Starr. "She is going to add to an already great group of outside hitters we will have in the gym in 2020."
Brown, Monaco, and Ryan will join a Robert Morris team that has captured its first Northeast Conference (NEC) regular-season championship since 2008 and does not have a senior on its roster. The Colonials, who will be hosting next weekend's NEC Tournament on Nov. 22-23, conclude the regular season on the road with matches at Fairleigh Dickinson tonight at 6:00 p.m. and Long Island at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow.
Follow the Colonials: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
