The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Mariah McCallum To Join UAB Volleyball Program In Fall
3/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
March 30, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Mariah McCallum, a libero from Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., has committed to join the UAB volleyball program.
A three-time all-state selection by the Florida High School Athletic Association, McCallum logged more than 2,100 digs for her high school career. She earned Florida Times-Union All-Area honors, St. Augustine Record All-County recognition and All-St. John's River Conference accolades three times each.
A Gatorade Player of the Year nominee as a senior, McCallum guided her Nease team to three conference titles, three district championships and the Florida Class 4A state championship as a sophomore in 2008. A PrepVolleyball.com Super Sophomore 79 selection that year, she has been listed multiple times among the website's "Defensive Dandies."
"Mariah is a highly intelligent and gifted defensive player," UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith said. "She has an amazing wealth of high-level playing experience for someone her age, and she will bring a lot to our volleyball team."
McCallum played her freshman season at Episcopal High School in Jacksonville, Fla., where she helped her team to the Class 3A state semifinals in 2007.
Also a standout in the classroom, McCallum was selected as a PrepVolleyball.com Academic All-American as a senior in 2010. She graduated early from high school this past December as a member of the National Honor Society and United States Achievement Academy.
McCallum played her club volleyball for the Jacksonville Juniors. Her team took first place in the American Gold Division at the 2010 USA Volleyball National Championships, where she was named to the all-tournament team.
She has also been heavily involved in the USA Volleyball High Performance program and has spent time playing around the world in places such as Nicaragua, Greece and Barbados as part of Bring It Promotions, an organization that conducts international volleyball tours.
McCallum will enroll at UAB and be eligible to compete for the Blazers this coming fall.
