Posted: Oct 15, 2016

Eight Former Lady Saints Volleyball Players Excelling at the Next Level

While the 2016 version of the Seward County Lady Saints are enjoying another successful year on the court in the Greenhouse, eight former Seward players are enjoying equal success across the country as they star for their four year teams. The Lady Saints are represented by former players at every different levels of collegiate athletics including NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

Seward's two NCAA Division I players are led by 2014 Lady Saint Kari Anderson who after reeling in All-Jayhawk West honors as a sophomore, took her talents to Tulsa, Oklahoma to play for Oral Roberts. Anderson has seen time in five matches this season as a defensive specialist for the Golden Eagles who sit at 11-9 on the year.

After starting at the setter position for the Lady Saints a season ago, Jade Piper transferred to NCAA Division I Nicholls State for her sophomore year of competition. After biding her time early in the season, Piper has become a mainstay in the Colonel's lineup of late, playing in 13 matches and starting four, averaging 4.75 assists per set on the season. Piper had the breakout game of her young career against Stephen F. Austin, racking up a career high 45 assists and pulling up a career best 14 digs in her first double-double at Nicholls.

A two-time All-Conference performer for the Lady Saints, Carolina Gasparini is now showcasing her talents in the state of Arkansas where she plays for NCAA Division II member Arkansas-Monticello. Gasparini has carried the Blossoms all season long, leading the team with 3.14 kills and 0.50 aces per set, while pacing all UAM frontrow players with 2.29 digs per set as well. She has played in all 19 and started 18 of Monticello's matches this season, recording double digits in kills 11 different times. She has caught fire over the past 10 days, leading the Blossoms to four straight wins while smashing home 45 kills in the final three matches of the stretch.

A teammate of both Gasparini and Anderson, Thayna Silva, another All-Conference outside for the Lady Saints in 2012 and 2014 is the lone Seward player to head North as she now plays at the University of Mary in North Dakota, an NCAA Division II institution. In her second year for the Marauders, Silva has shined, ranking second on the team with both 2.89 kills and 2.85 digs per set on the season. She has played in all 18 matches for Mary, posting double-doubles in five of those matches.

The lone Lady Saint playing at the NCAA Division I level is setter Nacole Miller who is starring at Concordia University Texas where she was the ASC Newcomer of the Year in her first season in 2015. This season Miller has played in 15 matches, splitting time between setter and defensive specialist where she is second on the team averaging 1.53 assists per set and also pitching in 1.36 digs per set on the defensive side of the ball.

A trio of 2015 Lady Saints are showing off their skills together at NAIA powerhouse Wayland Baptist in Texas. Pacing the group so far has been junior outside hitter Alex Wood who has fit in real nicely at Wayland, leading the Pioneers and ranking 3^rd in the Sooner Athletic Conference with 3.55 kills per set on the season. After getting comfortable in Plainview, Wood has been on a tear of late, recording double digit kills in 13 of the Pioneers past 15 matches including 34 in Wayland's past two matches this week.

Megan Sharratt has also made herself at home at Wayland, ranking in the top three on the team in kills, blocks, and aces this season. Sharratt has played in 21 of 25 matches for the Pioneers, notching seven or more kills 15 times including nine in each of Wayland's past three matches. As it was with the Lady Saints, Sharratt's serve continues to be a weapon for her as she has at least one ace in all but three matches this year, including a six ace performance in a sweep of USAO.

Joining Wood and Sharratt at Wayland is Lindsey Schwab. Schwab was off to a solid start to the season, playing in eight matches, including a start for the Pioneers before an injury sent her to the sideline. She played in 23 sets, recording 18 kills before the injury and also combined on nine blocks, but the injury has forced Schwab out of action since then, with her last court time coming back on August 27^th.

Seward has six sophomores on their 2016 roster that will hope to get a chance at the next level. Only one, setter Amanda Pereira, has committed thus far for 2017 as she will be headed to Bismarck, North Dakota to follow in the footsteps of Silva at the University of Mary.