@CanesVB Adds Trio of Spring Signees
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball program added three talented players to its incoming 2016 class.
Elizaveta Lukianoa, Carly Davey and Sara Duque became the newest members of the Hurricanes volleyball family when they signed with Miami this spring. The trio joins fall signees Madison Dill and Hannah Sorensen to bring the 2016 class total to five. Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara is excited about what the newest Hurricanes will bring to the program.
“We are excited to welcome Carly, Sara, and Liza to our roster,” Gandara said. “They round up this year’s recruiting class nicely and we look forward to seeing them in our gym.”
Elizaveta Lukianova | Outside Hitter | 6-foot-6 |Omsk, Russia | Omsk Gymnasium 146
Lukianova is a big prospect with even bigger potential. The 6-foot-6 outside hitter has lots of experience playing in her native Russia. Lukianova has played for the VC Omichka club since 2013, playing for the junior team for three years before moving up to the Super League team in 2015. Lukianova helped her team win the championship of Russia, Siberia and the Far East in 2013 and finish second in the same tournament in 2014. Lukianova, who was a tennis player for seven years before trying volleyball in 2013, served as team captain of her Omsk youth team in 2014 and 2015 when they competed in the Russian Youth Championship.
“Liza is a unique player who not only brings height and length to our roster, but she is a young player with good experience,” Gandara said. “She has been playing against good competition back home over the last two years.”
Carly Davey | Defensive Specialist | 5-foot-8 | Atlantic Beach, Fla. | Providence School of Jacksonville
Davey is a talented player from Jacksonville, playing for the Providence School and Jacksonville Juniors Volleyball Academy. A three-time letterman at the Providence School, Davey was a three-time team captain who amassed 1,285 digs in her career to rank second in school history. As a senior, she was named All-First Coast Second Team and broke the single season school record with 626 digs. In 2014, Davey helped Providence reach the state final four for the first time in school history and she was a four-time district champion in high school. She is also an excellent student who is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and has won five awards for having the highest GPA in her class for a specific subject area. Also an honor student, Davey is a member of the Spanish Honor Society.
“Carly has continued to improve throughout the year,” Gandara said. “This is a tribute to her toughness and work ethic, qualities we always look for in our prospects.”
Sara Duque | Defensive Specialist | 5-foot-2 | Plantation, Fla. | Pine Crest School
Duque was a four-year starter at Pine Crest School, helping her team win the district title in 2015 and finish as the Class 4A state runner-up in 2014. Duque recorded more than 1,500 digs and over 120 service aces in her high school career. She was a three-time Miami Herald First Team All-Broward selection and earned First Team All-Broward honors twice from the Sun Sentinel. Duque was named the 2014 Class 5A-2A Player of the Year by both the Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel. She also earned numerous honors on the club circuit, including being named to the 2014 USA Beach High Performance A2 team and earning a spot among the Prep Volleyball Defensive Dandies from 2013-15.
“We like keeping the local talent home,” Gandara said. “Sara is a driven and competitive libero who has shown that she is ready to step up to the challenge.”
Davey, Dill, Duque, Lukianova and Sorensen are set to join the Hurricanes prior to the 2016 volleyball season.
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