Volleyball Announces 2022 Recruiting Class

ALBANY, N.Y. - The University at Albany women’s volleyball program and head coach Josh Pickard have announced a class of nine recruits ahead of the 2022 season.

“This year’s class of recruits will be a great boost to our squad,” said head coach Josh Pickard. “We have experience coming from all over the world and positions all over the court. We are excited to see how this group’s athleticism meshes with our current athletes. We look to have a very competitive gym every day and all of these athletes move us in that direction.”

Coming from all over the world, the incoming class will head to the Capital Region from Poland, Ukraine, Turkey, Canada, and four different states in the USA. They will join a program that went 14-15 overall, 8-4 in the America East, with a trip to the conference championship match.

Cassidy Bloom

OH | 5-9 | Naples, Florida | Florida Gulfside Volleyball Academy | The Community School of Naples

Quick Facts: A seven-time participant at the Junior Olympics, Bloom comes to UAlbany with multiple awards and honors. The EXOS Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year in 2019, she surpassed 1000 kills during her high school career. Before closing out her pre-college career on the 2022 Prep Volleyball Watch List, the CSN Rookie of the Year was named first-team all-area and an all-region student-athlete in 2021.

Pickard on Bloom: “Cassidy is a player who has taken big swings her whole life and we expect that to continue here. She has grown her role in both high school and club and we look to be able to use her in multiple positions here at UAlbany. She’s a great person coming from a great family and we can’t wait to get them all here.”

Sadie Brown

MB | 6-1 | Dublin, Ohio | Mintonette | Jacksonville State

Quick Facts: A transfer from Jacksonville State University, Brown joins the Great Danes as a junior. As a Gamecock, she tallied 32 total blocks (.67 per set) along with 58 kills in 48 sets and 11 starts. In high school, Brown competed in the 2018 AAU & National Championships. Along with her team, she earned her way to become the 2020 OVC Champion and a 2019 Third-Team All-Ohio honoree.

Pickard on Brown: “We were looking for someone who can go off of one foot and Sadie does that extremely well. It’s always great to get someone who has college experience and comes from great pedigree in the club and high school ranks. Sadie hit it off with the team as soon as she was on campus and will make a great addition to the team.”

Zeynep Ertam

RS | 6-1 | Istanbul, Turkey | M.E Marmara Akademi | TED Istanbul College

Quick Facts: A welcome addition to the Great Danes, Ertam comes to the Capital Region with national experience. Along with her team, she finished second in the youth category at the Turkey Championships.

Pickard on Ertam: “Zeynep has great volleyball experience outside the United States. She’s a player who is used to playing six rotations and we are excited to have that knowledge in our gym. She has shown us she can be a force at the net and we look forward to seeing that every day.”

Kaleigh Fitzgerald

DS/L | 5-9 | Waukesha, Wisconsin | Milwaukee Sting VBC & SMASH VBC | Hartford

Quick Facts: A mid-year transfer from the University of Hartford, Fitzgerald served as the sole non-starter to compete in all 84 sets with the Hawks. In her early high school years in Wisconsin, she was a two-time WIAA All-Conference selection and earned WIAA All-State honors as a sophomore. After moving to Massachusetts, Fitzgerald became a two-time Boston Herald All-Scholastic Athlete and Boston Globe All-Scholastic selection. Through the MIAA, she was named an All-Star, All-Conference, and All-State selection for both years of competition (2019-20). Fitzgerald closed out her high school career as the 2020 Middlesex League MVP.

Pickard on Fitzgerald: “Kaleigh hit the ground running when she joined us in January. She has experience in the America East and knows what it takes to be successful there. Kaleigh is an extremely hard worker who has already grown so much since she has been with us and we are very excited to see where she can go.”

Alexa Harris

OH | 5-8 | Edwardsville, Illinois | High Performance VBC | Murray State

Quick Facts: A sophomore transfer from Murray State University, Harris saw 24 matches with the Racers. She finished third on the team with kills per set (2.63) and fourth in total kills (210). In high school, the four-time first-team all-conference athlete was a three-time IHSA Regional Champion and two-time Sectional Champion. The 2018 Honorable Mention All-State honoree was the first person since 2006 to lead her team in digs and kills.

Pickard on Harris: “Alexa’s going to be a great fit for our team. She has the experience to play in the back row but also fantastic potential in the front. Her athleticism and speed make her someone that teams will have to pay attention to. We can’t wait for her to get in the gym!”

Brooke Malek

DS/L | 5-7 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Pandas VBC | Harry Ainlay HS

Quick Facts: A multi-sport athlete, Malek comes to UAlbany with accomplishments in volleyball, badminton, and track and field (long jump). For volleyball, she was the Team Alberta MVP and helped her team to the gold at the Canada Cup in 2019. Competing with Team Canada, Malek participated in the U18 World Championship. She also owns medals in badminton (two gold and two bronze) and long jump (two golds). 

Pickard on Malek: “Brooke is a player that will help us shore up our already steady ball control. She has played in international competitions and has worn the Libero jersey for her home country. She is steady and cool and will be an asset to our gym from the moment she steps in.”

Anna Myhal

OH | 5-11 | Poltava, Ukraine | GKS Wiezyca 2011 Stezyca | High Sports School (Stezyca, Poland)

Quick Facts: An incoming freshman, Myhal is a native of Ukraine and spent much of her volleyball career in Poland. Along with her team, she was a two-time top-three finisher at the Polish Junior Championships - once in second place and once in third place.

Pickard on Myhal: “Anna is a very dynamic pin attacker. She has played with international rules so she will be very capable in the back row and handling the ball in serve receive. Already through conversations with the team, they have taken a great liking to her and we are excited to have her in the states!”

Macey Salvione

DS/L | 5-3 | Gloversville, New York | Fulmont VBC & Lakeside VBC | Fulton Montgomery CC

Quick Facts: A sophomore transfer from Fulton Montgomery Community College, Salvione led the Raiders with both 3.05 kills/set (119 total) and 3.42 digs/set (133 total). The 2021 NJCAA Mohawk Valley Conference Player of the Year was a two-time Foothills League MVP (2020-21) and three-time First Team All-Foothills League honoree.

Pickard on Salvione: “Anytime you can get talent from Upstate New York is a great thing. Macey comes to us after spending a year at FMCC and she will mainly be a defensive/ball control type player. She has come highly recommended from coaches in the area and we are excited to keep her in the Capital Region.”

Zofia Szczotkiewicz

S | 6-1 | Walcz, Poland | MKS Kalisz | Wichita State

Quick Facts: A sophomore transfer from Wichita State University, Szczotkiewicz previously competed in the Polish Junior Championship for three years in a row. Earning the bronze medal in 2018, her team improved each year with the silver medal in 2019 and the gold medal in 2020. In 2019, along with her team, Szczotkiewicz finished fifth at the U20 World Championship in Mexico.

Pickard on Szczotkiewicz: “Zofia comes to us from Division I ranks and we are excited to have her. Her size and strength at the setting position will be a great addition to what we already have in Malea. She has great experience from playing in the world championship and we are excited to bring that to UAlbany.”

For more information on the University at Albany volleyball team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanyvb
Instagram - @ualbanyvb
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyVB