Volleyball Signee Class Includes Five Talented Athletes
6/22/2020
The Temple volleyball signee class will include five talented student-athletes set to join the Owls in the fall. The group is made up of Falanika Danielson from Ewa Beach, Hawaii; Taylor Davenport from Columbia, S.C.; Ilayda Dinçer from Ankara, Turkey; Nikki Shimao from Honolulu, Hawaii; and Nina-Symone Williams from Alphretta, Ga.
We’re so excited about this group. I think they have tremendous talent and they’re all unique in their abilities based on their positions. They all come with a competitive mindset and they are ready to compete, grind it out and win, they have the fire we need.Head Coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam
A 5-5 versatile athlete out of Hawaii, Falanika will concentrate on the libero position for the Owls, having played at outside hitter in high school. The third ranked player on Hawaii’s Fab 15 list, she racked up the most kills in Division I as a senior. Falanika was named the OIA Player of the Year for the West Region, earning a spot on the All-Tournament team as she led her squad to the OIA West and OIA Championships, finishing fourth in the state.
We can't wait for Falanika to join the team. She is one of the top recruits from the state of Hawaii. Despite her lack of height, she was able to star as an outside hitter in club and high school volleyball and the reason she was able to do that is a high volleyball IQ and a super competitive spirit. She is a very strong player both physically and mentally and we are excited to have her.
A 6-1 middle blocker from South Carolina, Taylor is a decorated player who earned All-State honors to cap her outstanding senior season. She led her team to an undefeated record in the region, winning the 4A Championship. Taylor also earned All-State and All-Region honors as a junior, with Offensive Player of the Year accolades as well.
Taylor is an incredible athlete, and she reminds me of a combination of two of our past talented middles, Janine Simmons and Kirsten Overton. She is a physical talent and we are very excited to start working with her technical game. We feel that the sky is the limit for Taylor at Temple.
A 6-1 outside hitter from Turkey, Ilayda is one of the top players from her home country. She played on the Turkish U18 National Team for the European Youth Olympic Festival in Azerbaijan, helping Turkey to a third place finish. Ilayda most recently starred for Ankara's U19 League with Karayollari Volleyball Sport Club.
We’re very excited to have Ilayda come to Temple, she’s a high caliber player, and a top recruit. She’s one of the top players in Turkey and in all of Europe. A six rotation outside hitter, she is a good passer, server and defender. She has a very high volleyball IQ and is someone who can terminate the ball on offense for us.
A 5-7 multitalented athlete from Hawaii, Nikki will play setter and defensive specialist for the Owls. She led her high school team to a pair of state titles and was also a talented track athlete, competing in triple jump and sprints.
We’re very happy with Nikki’s addition because she’s bringing something to our team that we’re looking for. Ability to be a very good defensive player, but also has the ability to be a very good setter. She’ll be trained in both positions and we’re looking forward to using her in both areas as well. She’s a great person to be around but she’s really competitive and works hard and fits.
A 6-0 middle from Georgia, Nina-Symone finished fourth in the state for hitting percentage as a senior. A three-time first team All-Region selection, she was an AVCA High School All-Region selection and also earned an All-State honorable mention nod. Nina-Symone led her team to a regional championship as well as a final four appearance in the state playoffs.
Nina is a very intelligent and mature individual that we've been recruiting for a while. We think she will be a really important player for us in the future. She is capable of playing multiple positions and will take on a very important role on the team.
