Four @CanesVB Players to Graduate
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Four members of the Hurricanes volleyball program earned their undergraduate degrees and will participate in the University of Miami Commencement ceremonies this weekend.
Seniors Julia Giampaolo, Alex Johnson and Ryan Shaffer, as well as redshirt junior Emani Sims, will walkacross the stage and accept their diplomas as part of the Spring Commencement exercises from May 8-10 at the BankUnited Center.
Giampaolo played as a reserve in her time at Miami, but made an impact on and off the court. As a freshman, she earned the team’s Most Improved Award. That same year, the Torrington, Connecticut, native also earned a spot on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for her outstanding academic performance. She appeared in a career-high 25 matches as a junior and helped the Hurricanes in several games as a senior. Her two service aces against Syracuse on Sept. 29 helped Miami pick up its second ACC win of the season. Giampaolo projects to graduate with Magna Cum Laude honors and is the first Miami student-athlete to complete a bachelor’s degree in athletic training.
Johnson is one of the most decorated volleyball players in Miami history. She is only the second player in Miami history to record at least 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs, joining two-time All-American Lane Carico. Johnson has also started every match of her collegiate career, ranking third in program history with 125 matches played. The Tallahassee, Florida, native earned All-ACC, AVCA All-Region and AVCA All-America honorable mention after a stellar 2012 season. Johnson, who is known for her all-around play, earned the second preseason All-ACC selection of her career prior to the 2013 season. A nominee for the 2013 AAU Sullivan Award given to the nation’s outstanding amateur athlete, Johnson graduates with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
Shaffer is another player who has earned multiple spots in the Miami volleyball record book. The San Jose, California, native was an All-ACC selection in 2012 and also earned AVCA All-Region honorable mention following an impressive junior campaign. Shaffer became Miami’s all-time digs leader when she surpassed Cassie Loessberg’s 2,008 career digs with a 17-dig performance in the Canes’ victory over Notre Dame on Nov. 15. The defensive specialist was tabbed third team All-ACC following the 2013 season. She finished her collegiate career with a program-best 2,120 digs. Shaffer graduates with a bachelor’s degree in sport administration.
Sims led the team with 153 blocks this season, averaging a team-high 1.32 blocks per set, which ranked fourth in the ACC. Her team-leading .345 hitting percentage ranked fifth-best in the ACC, while her blocks-per-set average of 1.32 ranked fourth in the conference. Following her redshirt junior season in 2013, Sims earned her second consecutive All-ACC first team selection. In 2012, the Glenview, Illinois, native was named to the AVCA All-America third team. Sims graduates with a bachelor’s degree in advertising. She will play her senior season in 2014 while working toward a master’s degree.
This spring more than 3,500 University of Miami undergraduate and graduate students will begin a new chapter in their lives by graduating to new careers or graduate school, among other adventures. During Commencement ceremonies, which mark the launch of a new era in the lives of students, graduates from all of UM’s schools and colleges will be recognized by name and will walk across the stage to be congratulated by President Donna E. Shalala and their academic dean. With research papers, labs and final exams completed, these students will go on to embark on new journeys. According to a survey conducted by the UM Toppel Career Center on graduating students from last year (May 2013), 62 percent had full-time job offers within six months of graduation, with an average base annual starting salary of $47,700. Roughly 28 percent of that same graduating class enrolled in graduate school. The UM Commencement ceremony is open to graduates and their guests. For more information, visit www.miami.edu/commencement, where the ceremony will be webcast live and archived.
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