June 23, 2016
RELATED INFO
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The defending national champion Ohio State men’s volleyball program has added to its 2016-17 arsenal, welcoming in nine-member recruiting class. The group consists of student-athletes from five different states, including a pair of native Buckeyes, and an upperclassman transfer from France.
THE CLASS IN A (BUCKEYE) NUTSHELL
Tyler Alter
6-4 | OH | Laguna Beach, Calif. | Laguna Beach H.S.
Jason Bruggemann
6-5 | MB | Cincinnati, Ohio | Archbishop Moeller H.S.
Dejon Clark
6-5 | OH/OPP | Pickerington, Ohio | Pickerington North H.S.
Reese Devilbiss
6-2 | OH | Manchester, Pa. | Northeastern H.S.
Jake Hanes
6-10 | OPP | Orland Park, Ill. | Carl Sandburg H.S.
Paul Henken
6-3 | S | St. Louis, Mo. | St. Louis University H.S.
Maxime Hervoir
6-3 | OH | Royan, France | IUT Informatique Montpellier
Andrew Hillman
6-3 | S | Allentown, Pa. | Parkland H.S.
Shawn Hughes
6-4 | OH | St. Louis, Mo. | St. Louis University H.S.
Alter, the son of Jeff and Laurie Alter, is a First Team All-California Interscholastic Federation performer from Laguna Beach. He excelled for the 949 Volleyball Club as well, picking MVP honors after leading 949 to a gold medal in the 2014 Junior Olympics U-16 Open Division. Alter and his club-mates seized hardware once again in 2015, bringing home a bronze medal in the Junior Olympics U-17 Open Division.
Bruggemann will make the short jaunt from Cincy to Columbus after lettering three seasons for Moeller High, where he garnered Division-I All-Ohio honorable mention. The son of Bill and Karen Bruggemann is a three-time scholar athlete award winner after posting a 4.0 GPA from 2014-16. He also has extensive club ball experience competing for Cincinnati Attack.
Clark, the 2016 Ohio Player of the Year runner-up, was named to the All-Ohio First Team following Pickerington North High’s first district championship in school history and advancement into the state championships. The son of Leslie and Byron Clark set all-time school records for both kills and aces while competing for the Panthers. Clark is also a two-time medalist as a member of the USA Volleyball Youth A-1 High Performance Team.
Devilbiss is one of three AVCA First Team High School Senior All-Americans in this recruiting class. He racked up 21 kills in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association finals sweep, securing Northeastern High’s fourth straight state championship. In early June, the son of Andy and Kristen Devilbiss made the 19-player cut for the U.S. Men’s Junior National Training Team with a shot to make the final 12-player roster which will compete in the NORCECA U-21 Continental Championship in Quebec.
Hanes is an AVCA First Team High School Senior All-American as well. He accumulated 346 kills, 145 digs and 49 service aces en route to Carl Sandburg High’s third-place finish in the Illinois state championships. The son of Jennifer and Frank Hanes also picked up Daily Southtown Boys Volleyball Player of the Year, All-Illinois and all-area honors.
Henken is one of two St. Louis University High School products coming to Columbus at the start of the ’16-17 academic year. Playing alongside his brother, Leo, and fellow Buckeye signee Shawn Hughes; Henken experienced back-to-back Missouri state title runs. The son of AJ and Carol Henken played club ball for High Performance.
Hervoir studied at IUT Informatique Montpellier in Montpellier, France for two years (2013-15) and will be a junior for the 2017 season. He competed for the French National Team in 2014 and plays in the highest national amateur league in France. Hervoir is a two-time French Cup winner, named the ‘Best Outside Hitter’ in 2015.
Hillman is a three-year captain and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state champion. The son of Bruce and Karen Hillman led Parkland High to its first boys volleyball state title in school history by earning Penn Live’s Player of the State Championship award. He was also an All-Pennsylvania selection on the state level and named to the AVCA High School Senior All-America First Team nationally.
Hughes is a three-time choice for the All-Missouri First Team, capping off each of the last two seasons with state titles playing with OSU classmate Paul Henken for St. Louis University High School. The team captain and son of David and Jackie Hughes received Boys Volleyball Player of the Year accolades and was named a Male Athlete of the Year finalist by the St. Louis Dispatch after pacing SLUHS in kills, aces and points. Hughes played with Henken club-wise, too, competing for High Performance.
