PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – Coming off of a solid season following the Covid-19 layoff, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball program is pleased to introduce six recruits ready to make their mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
 
Athleticism and passion to improve highlight the incoming 2022 class, with solidifying the passing game while adding new dimensions to the offense being the key to future success.
 
"We wanted kids that wanted to get better," head coach Trevor Callarman said. "We knew with this class we had a lot of good returners to build on, but we needed some freshman to come in and play immediately. This season we think we can make a really good push with these additions, we needed defense, we needed passing, just a couple more options and depth on the pin."
 
The class brings a mix of youth and experience, with three true freshmen in Valeria Matias, Nkemjika Ikemefuna and Anjola Omolewa, MEAC tested sophomore Shanti Ramdeen and two high-end JUCO transfers in Isil Yilmaz and Romina Vacca.
 
Valeria Matias
 
The 5'4" libero/defensive specialist from Ponce, Puerto Rico will bring flair and skill to the court for the Hawks in the fall. A quick google search for highlights will show Matias as one of the most athletic volleyball players to ever make her way to the MEAC, making diving digs and clutch defensive saves from line to line.
 
"It wouldn't be too much to call her a studly libero," Callarman said. "She's fast, she's willing to throw her body around and make some crazy plays – she's going to add a ton of ball control to our team."
 
Matias was the first commit for the Shore, emphasizing what the team needed as a backbone with her hard work and replacing the lost passing following the graduation of Stella Johnson.
 
"She's good at serve receive, she's good at defense and she's just a super hard worker, she's going to add that to our culture," Callarman said.
 
Nkemjika Ikemefuna
 
When it comes to recruiting for Callarman, it's not just what the player can do on the court but also what she brings to the program. Ikemefuna, the 5'11" outside hitter from Richmond, Texas, is the perfect package in on the court prowess, off the court enthusiasm and eagerness to learn.
 
"She's going to offer us an offensive weapon and offer us a piece of hopefully just enjoyment," Callarman said. "We wanted to recruit kids that we wanted to be around in practice and this is one."
 
Playing even taller than her height, Ikemefuna brings a heavy arm to the outside and will work on becoming a true six rotation player as she progresses. Callarman expects Ikemefuna to step immediately into Division 1 volleyball thanks to her impressive knowledge on the court thanks to the high-level competition seen in her club days.
 
Isil Yilmaz
 
Yilmaz comes to Maryland Eastern Shore after a year at Odessa College in Texas, where some of the best JUCO in the country is played. A strong libero, the 5'4" sophomore originally from Ankara, Turkey, will give the Hawks a strong one-two punch when combined with Matias.
 
"I think we're going to have two of the better passers and defenders in the conference with these two (Isil and Valeria) packaged together," Callarman said.
 
At Odessa, Yilmaz led the Wranglers with 251 digs and was one of the core passers for a strong team that went 15-7.
 
"What separates Isil is her control on the court," Callarman said. "She really looks composed and she reads the game well. She can do all of it."
 
Associate head coach Heather Feldman added that Yilaz continues to bring hard work to the Hawks program.
 
"She's going to put the work in on and off the court," Feldman said. "You can tell that she's bought in and is ready to give whatever she has to the program."


 
Anjola Omolewa
 
A more local product coming from Laurel, Maryland – Omolewa will look to bring balance to the Hawks and a different look to the offense than has typically been on the court in years past. At 5'10" and working as a middle blocker, Omolewa has both the athleticism and the height to be a weapon over her career.
 
"She can run really quick tempo," Callarman said. "Zero tempo, fast style. She did that at club level so I think she can add that in to our offensive really easily, that'll be a natural transition."
 
With the graduation of Marui Carver, Callarman was looking to bring someone in that would be able to control the net – Omolewa brings that as she hits ten feet on her vertical. At the same time, she will be expected to move laterally to improve both the offense and defense using her speed.
 
"It's just a different style middle so we're excited to put that speed into our offense and the speed into our defense," Callarman said. "We think she's going to be moving laterally, touching things on the block which is huge for our defense."
 
Romina Vacca
 
Another Texas JUCO product, Vacca comes from Midland College – which played Yilmaz's Wranglers in 2021 – a high level program. With two years of JUCO experience, Callarman expects Vacca to step right into Division 1 volleyball without much need for adjustment.
 
At Midland, Vacca had a staggering 444 assists in 86 sets for the Chapperals to lead the team, which is exactly what she was brought to the Shore to do.
 
"She's a smaller size setter but what she lacks in height (she makes up with being) fast," Callarman said. "Her ball delivery is saucy – it's a nice delivery and it just sits up on a platter so hitters can go and crush it – which is huge for a setter because their job is to make hitters successful."
 
Shanti Ramdeen
 
Transferring in from Coppin State, Ramdeen played in nine sets for the Eagles with six points and four kills during her freshman year. Callarman also has knowledge of her from club days in Texas, where she played at the Austin Juniors – Callarman's first coaching program.
 
The 5'10" Ramdeen is an experienced middle blocker that is already knowledgeable in the type of game the Hawks play.
 
"She's another middle that comes with experience and she's really well trained," Callarman said. "She knows the footwork patterns, she knows the offensive systems, I know the program she comes from so I know she's going to be able to perform at a high level."
 
In addition to being a solid middle hitter, Callarman finds the sophomore extremely versatile and things she will be able to hit from the outside and bring slides to the offense.
 
"A true volleyball player is a good way to describe her and it just ups the volleyball in our gym," Callarman said.
 
The Hawks begin their season at the Bearcat Classic on August 26, hosted by Binghamton University in Vestal, New York. Follow the action this season on Twitter via @ESHawksVBall.