The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Volleyball Announces Signing of Four Blazers
4/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB volleyball program and head coach Kerry Messersmith announced the signing of four student-athletes to join the Blazers' 2015-16 singing classes.
"We are extremely excited about our 2016 recruiting class and look forward to what these student-athletes will bring to our program," Messersmith said. "We had some spots that needed filled, and we feel like we have done that with this group of young ladies. Each of the student-athletes coming in have a strong work ethic, a desire to compete and a high commitment to academics. These are things that are essential to the overall growth of our program. We couldn't be more excited to have each of them and their families join our Blazer family."
Petra Silic, Aria Smith, Erika Zembyla and Kaylee Gilchrist inked their NLIs to join November signees Kenley Adams, Emma Mitchell and Kirah Williams-Shepard.
See below for more details on each of the Blazers' 2015-16 commits as well as comments from coach Messersmith.
Kaylee Gilchrist |5'7 | Libero/Defensive Specialist | Pelham, Alabama (John Carroll Catholic)
Gilchrist served as the starting libero for John Carroll Catholic's volleyball team for the past two season where she led the team to the 2015 Alabama State Championship and the runner-up title in 2016.
The Pelham, Alabama, native also played six season of club volleyball competition where she led the squad to a 9th place finish at the AAU Nationals in 2013.
The libero is also a member of the track and field team where she holds the school's record for girl's long jump and has earned a spot in state competitions for the last five seasons.
Academically, Gilchrist is a member of the Marian Sodality club, Campus Ministries, the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and a four-year staple on the honor roll.
Active in the community, Gilchrist has tracked over 75 hours of community service over the past year.
Gilchrist is the daughter of Elizabeth and Roger Gilchrist. Her intended major is chemistry.
Aria Smith |5'8 | Setter/Defensive Specialist | East Point, Georgia (Woodward Academy)
Smith was a three-year varsity player and the 2015 co-captain at Woodward Academy, where she made three Final Four State Volleyball Championship appearances.
The East Point, Georgia, native is also a member of A5 South 18-1s, which is ranked third in the region.
The setter is active on-campus as a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Service Club. She also volunteered at Woodward Academy Volleyball Camp, Woodward Academy Volleyball Intramurals, Boys & Girls Club and Each One Reach One.
Academically, Smith is a member of the National Honor Society and National Society of High School Scholars and a recipient of the Golden Eagle Honors award, Silver Eagle Honors award, Certificate of Distinction on National Spanish Exam, Awards of Excellence from the National Association of Future Professionals in Medicine.
Smith's intended major is biomedical sciences. She is the daughter of Lisa Young Smith West and Adam Lorenzo Smith.
"Both Kaylee and Aria come from very successful high school and club programs," Messermsith said of the incoming freshmen. "We will look to them to help elevate our overall ball control and defense. They are both very hard working and aggressive defensive players. They will bring intensity and competition to our gym."
Petra Silic |6'4 |Middle Blocker | Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Hutchinson Community College)
Silic transfers to UAB after playing two season at Hutchinson Community College. While attending Hutchinson, Silic proved to be one of the most prolific players to ever step foot on the court. Silic finished third in career blocks with 361 and fourth in career blocks per set with 1.30.
Last season, Silic led Hutchinson to a 25-9 overall record and a 15-1 mark in KJCCC Western Division play. Silic was named First Team All-KJCCC West and First Team NJCAA All-Region VI Division I and was a part of the Jayhawks West Conference Championship and NJCAA Region VI Tournament Championship teams.
Leading the team with 53 total service aces, Silic and Hutchinson finished ninth place at the NJCAA National Championships.
In 2014, Hutchinson finished with a 27-14 overall record and posted an undefeated record of 16-0 in KJCCC Western Division play. Silic was a member of the Jayhawks West Conference Championship and NJCCA Region VI Championship teams.
Silic was also named First Team All-KJCCC West, First Team NJCAA All-Region VI Division I and All-KJCCC West/All-Region VI Freshman of the Year.
While in Croatia, Silic won several international tournaments including the 2A Croatian League Championship in 2014. She was a starter for the Zagreb's Selection from 2009 to 2011 for domestic and international tournaments.
Silic attended Third Gymnasium Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, where she earned academic honors all four years. Silic is the daughter of Zeljko and Zeljka Silic. Her intended major is exercise science.
"We are excited to add someone of Petra's academic and athletic ability to our Blazer volleyball family," Messersmith said. "We wanted to add size to our roster and we definitely got that with Petra. Her ability to affect the match at the net defensively and offensively could be a game changer for us. Petra is a hard worker who is focused on doing whatever it takes to be successful, both on and off the court."
Erika Zembyla |6'0 |Outside Hitter/Right Side| Nicosia, Cyprus (Hillsborough Community College)
Zembyla transfers to UAB after playing two season at Hillsborough Community College where she led the squad to a 34-6 overall record and a 7-1 Suncoast Conference record last season. Hillsborough finished third place at the NJCAA National Championships in 2015.
The outside hitter and Hillsborough won the 2015 FCSAA State Championship and the 2015 Suncoast Conference Championship.
Zembyla was named a member of the FCSAA All-Tournament Team and the All-Suncoast Conference First Team in 2015 and the 2014 All-Suncoast Conference Second Team.
She also earned a bronze medal at Nationals where she was selected as a member of the National All-Tournament team.
The Cyprus native played on the Anorthosis Famagusta club team and won national championships in 2011 and 2012. She was a part of the of the juniors' and women's national team that won three gold medals in the small European countries' division. She was named Juniors' Player of the Year in 2013.
The outside hitter has made two appearances in the Beach Volleyball World Championship U19 and made the Final 16 in the U20 competition.
Zembyla attended Kykkos B Lyceum in Nicosia where she was she ran track and field. Her intended major at UAB is psychology. She is the daughter of Maria Ingrid Zembyla and Manolis Zembylas.
"Erika is a highly skilled pin player that will make an immediate impact in our gym and on our team," Messersmith said. "Her main strength is that she can hit anywhere along the net, and her versatility will add another dimension to our offense. She is a fundamentally sound six rotation player that can help us in a lot of different ways. She is going to be able to put pressure on teams with a great serve and block as well."
For more information on the UAB volleyball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_VB). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
