Temple University Athletics
Izabella Rapacz (left) and Janine Simmons
Two Talented Recruits Sign With Temple Volleyball for Next Season
11.19.13 | Women's Volleyball
PHILADELPHIA – Two true freshmen will join Temple head coach Bakeer Ganes' volleyball team for the 2014 season next fall. Izabella Rapacz (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) and Janine Simmons (Centreville, Va./Centreville) have signed national letters of intent to play for the Owls.
Rapacz, a 6-2 outside and right side hitter, was an all-conference selection as a senior at Glenbrook South High School outside of Chicago. Her 280 kills led the team, which finished second in the conference and advanced to the regional finals. She also plays for the Rolling Thunder Volleyball Club and helped the team to two championships in their division at Nationals. Rapacz was an honor roll student all four years and plans to major in business or sport management at Temple.
"Izabella is a really big and powerful hitter on the outside and right side," said Ganes. "We are very excited to be able to recruit her to Temple. She's a great competitor and comes from a very athletic family. Her dad was a professional soccer player and her mom is a former volleyball player. We're looking forward to integrating her into our team and seeing some production from her, hopefully early on in her career on the right side and outside."
Simmons, a 6-1 middle blocker, was a first team all-region and all-district selection as a senior after leading her team in kills and blocks. She was a four-year varsity letterwinner at Centreville High School, and earned second team all-district honors as a sophomore and junior. Simmons has played for Northern Virginia Volleyball Association (NVVA) club teams since her freshman year, and competed three times at USAV Nationals as well as one time at the AAU Nationals. She also played for the 2013 USAV A1 Red Youth High Performance Team which won a bronze medal in the women's international division at the USA High Performance Championships in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
"Janine is a very explosive and athletic player in the middle blocker position," said Ganes. "She comes from a very established club, and also has some experience with the USA Junior National Program. She is somebody who's going to give us some depth and add a lot of athleticism. Hopefully she can compete for playing time right away. We're very excited to work with her and mold her into a very good volleyball player."
Simmons was a member of numerous academic and other clubs at Centreville, including the National Honor Society, and plans to major in political science at Temple. Her sister, Grace, is currently a freshman on the Fairfield University volleyball team.
"Both kids are very good volleyball players but also very good people," said Ganes. "We are really excited to have them join our Temple volleyball family and be a part of our team."
"Izabella is a really big and powerful hitter on the outside and right side," said Ganes. "We are very excited to be able to recruit her to Temple. She's a great competitor and comes from a very athletic family. Her dad was a professional soccer player and her mom is a former volleyball player. We're looking forward to integrating her into our team and seeing some production from her, hopefully early on in her career on the right side and outside."
Simmons, a 6-1 middle blocker, was a first team all-region and all-district selection as a senior after leading her team in kills and blocks. She was a four-year varsity letterwinner at Centreville High School, and earned second team all-district honors as a sophomore and junior. Simmons has played for Northern Virginia Volleyball Association (NVVA) club teams since her freshman year, and competed three times at USAV Nationals as well as one time at the AAU Nationals. She also played for the 2013 USAV A1 Red Youth High Performance Team which won a bronze medal in the women's international division at the USA High Performance Championships in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
"Janine is a very explosive and athletic player in the middle blocker position," said Ganes. "She comes from a very established club, and also has some experience with the USA Junior National Program. She is somebody who's going to give us some depth and add a lot of athleticism. Hopefully she can compete for playing time right away. We're very excited to work with her and mold her into a very good volleyball player."
Simmons was a member of numerous academic and other clubs at Centreville, including the National Honor Society, and plans to major in political science at Temple. Her sister, Grace, is currently a freshman on the Fairfield University volleyball team.
"Both kids are very good volleyball players but also very good people," said Ganes. "We are really excited to have them join our Temple volleyball family and be a part of our team."
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