Women’s Volleyball Adds Four on National Signing Day
11/8/2023 11:23:00 AM | General, Women's Volleyball
Head Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg announced the signing class on Wednesday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women's volleyball program announced the addition of four signees to its ranks on national signing day on Wednesday.
"I've been eagerly awaiting this day to announce members of our 2024 class who are joining our Buckeye family," Head Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg said. "This class was recruited to build on the success of recent years and have big goals individually and as a team."
Kaia Castle | 6-4 | Middle Blocker | Montrose, Minn.
Middle blocker Kaia Castle is a four-year starter from Buffalo High School in Minnesota. She made an immediate impact on the Bison, leading her team in blocks and kills as a freshman in 2020 and doing so all four years. Castle is a three-time all-conference selection and also earned all-state and all-metro honors her junior and senior seasons. She served as a team captain her senior year and earned the team MVP and offensive awards as a junior and senior.
"Kaia is one of the most complete middles in her class," Oldenburg said. "I knew from the first phone call with her that she was meant to be a Buckeye. With USA NTDP experience, we are excited for what she will bring to our team both offensively and defensively as she has a strong presence at the net. I also know she will fit seamlessly into our culture and I'm looking forward to coaching her for the next four years!"
Castle played on Club Bison from 2017-19 and Minnesota Select from 2019-23. She is a four-time JVA All-National Team selection and spent time with the USA National Development Team the past three years. In 2022-23, Castle was ranked 16th among recruits nationally, second in Minnesota and first in her region. She was also selected to the VA Next All-America game.
Outside volleyball, Castle is a leader and server of her community. She contributed to the Minnesota Select's equity action plan and focus groups from 2020-22. Castle also raised money to supply diverse books to local elementary schools throughout the past four years and coordinated with high school administrators to create safer environments at sporting events and school. She's attended leadership conferences, which has helped as she coaches and mentors youth in her area. Castle will study sports industry at Ohio State.
Olivia Hasbrook | 5-8 | Libero | Eureka, Mo.
Libero Olivia Hasbook is a four-year starter from Eureka High School in Missouri. As a senior captain, she set the school record for career digs and earned her spot on the All-District First Team, AVCA High School All-Region Team and the AVCA Best & Brightest Third Team. Hasbrook led Eureka to a conference championship as a junior and was named Conference Player of the Year and Team MVP in addition to being first team for all-conference, all-district and all-state. She was also Academic All-State and All-Metro Second Team as a junior. As a sophomore, Hasbrook was named to the All-Conference, All-District and All-State First Teams as well as Academic All-State.
"Liv plays with a passion and energy that fits perfectly with our culture," Oldenburg said. "As a libero, I believe her ball control skills and ability to set out of system will be an asset to our backcourt immediately. As the first commitment in the 2024 class, she was an integral part of recruiting the rest of her class which exemplified how much she bleeds Scarlet and Gray. I'm ecstatic for her to be a Buckeye!"
Hasbrook has played for the Rockwood Thunder club team since 2016 and is also a seven-time USA National Team Development Program selection. She is a PrepVolleyball All-American Honorable Mention and has been named to the All-Tournament Team for the Triple Crown, Windy City and Show Me Tournaments. The three-time USA Volleyball High Performance selection was also picked to the volleyballmag.com dream team in 2022.
Outside of volleyball, Hasbrook is a member of the National Honor Society and plans to major in sports industry.
Emmi Sellman | 6-4 | Outside Hitter | Burtonsville, Md.
Outside hitter Emmi Sellman is a four-year starter from Academy of the Holy Cross in Maryland. In 2023, Sellman is ranked as the top player in Virginia for the second-straight year and is ranked as the No. 5 player in the country (No. 2 among outside hitters) by PrepDig. The three-time WCAC MVP and first team selection has been on the AVCA Phenom Watchlist the past three years and is an Under Armour NEXT All-American after being selected for camp the previous two years. In 2022, Sellman was named Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year, All-Met Volleyball Player of the Year (Washington Post) and Maryland Player of the Year (Volleyball Magazine). In 2021, she made the Washington Post All-Met Volleyball First Team.
"Emmi joins us as a six-rotation outside hitter with a ton of high-level experience," Oldenburg said. "Emmi was named captain for both the USA U-19 and U-21 World Championship rosters this past summer. She won the gold medal with U-19 team and was named Best Passer for the U-21 tournament. Her ability to score and block, but also pass and defend makes her a pretty special player who should have an immediate impact for our squad. I am thrilled to have her represent the Scarlet and Gray for the next four years!"
Sellman has played for the Metro Volleyball Club of Washington DC for the past four years and has international playing experience through the USA Volleyball U19 and U21 National Teams this past summer when she competed at the FIVB World Championships in Mexico, Croatia and Hungary. She served as a team captain on both teams, won a gold medal with the U19 team and was named best receiver at the world championship with the U21 team. She has also been a member of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program for the past three years and is a 2023 USA Volleyball U17 All-American and MVP of the Mizuno Capitol Hill Classic the past two years. Sellman served as an alternate for the USA Volleyball U19 National Team for the Pan Am Cup in 2022.
Outside of volleyball, Sellman is a member of the National Honors Society, the Spanish National Honors Society and made the honor roll all four years with a 4.0 GPA as an AP/honors student. She is a member of the Bake for Hope Club, which raises money for breast cancer research. Other community service activities include serving at a prison ministry site, a church for migrant families and volunteering at elementary schools during their aftercare time. Sellman will enroll in the veterinarian medicine program at Ohio State.
Reese Wuebker | 5-9 | Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist | Centerville, Ohio
Outside hitter and defensive specialist Reese Wuebker is a four-year starter from Centerville High School. Wuebker was named Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman and sophomore and then Conference and District Player of the Year as a junior and senior. The four-time all-conference and all-district selection (three-time first team in each) also earned all-state honors as a junior and senior and was MVP as a junior.
"Reese is a baller," Oldenburg said. "She plays the game with a chip on her shoulder that I can relate to. I'm excited to watch her development in our gym as she will train as a utility player. Being an in-state prospect, she knows how special it is to be a Buckeye and will help carry on the traditions of our program and university. I'm fired up that she is a Buckeye!"
Wuebker has played with Tri State Elite the past three years, earning a PrepVolleyball All-American nod this past season. In 2021-22, the team was the runner-up at AAU Nationals where she earned All-American status. Wuebker enjoys volunteering to help with youth volleyball camps and plans to major in communications.
Tickets for the Buckeyes' 2023 home season are available. Single match tickets can be purchased HERE and mini plans can be purchased HERE. Applicable service fees will apply to all tickets. Fans with ticketing questions and group ticket requests (10+ tickets and in advance only) should call the Ohio State Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-BUCKS or email athletic.tix@osu.edu.
#GoBucks
"I've been eagerly awaiting this day to announce members of our 2024 class who are joining our Buckeye family," Head Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg said. "This class was recruited to build on the success of recent years and have big goals individually and as a team."
Kaia Castle | 6-4 | Middle Blocker | Montrose, Minn.
Middle blocker Kaia Castle is a four-year starter from Buffalo High School in Minnesota. She made an immediate impact on the Bison, leading her team in blocks and kills as a freshman in 2020 and doing so all four years. Castle is a three-time all-conference selection and also earned all-state and all-metro honors her junior and senior seasons. She served as a team captain her senior year and earned the team MVP and offensive awards as a junior and senior.
"Kaia is one of the most complete middles in her class," Oldenburg said. "I knew from the first phone call with her that she was meant to be a Buckeye. With USA NTDP experience, we are excited for what she will bring to our team both offensively and defensively as she has a strong presence at the net. I also know she will fit seamlessly into our culture and I'm looking forward to coaching her for the next four years!"
Castle played on Club Bison from 2017-19 and Minnesota Select from 2019-23. She is a four-time JVA All-National Team selection and spent time with the USA National Development Team the past three years. In 2022-23, Castle was ranked 16th among recruits nationally, second in Minnesota and first in her region. She was also selected to the VA Next All-America game.
Outside volleyball, Castle is a leader and server of her community. She contributed to the Minnesota Select's equity action plan and focus groups from 2020-22. Castle also raised money to supply diverse books to local elementary schools throughout the past four years and coordinated with high school administrators to create safer environments at sporting events and school. She's attended leadership conferences, which has helped as she coaches and mentors youth in her area. Castle will study sports industry at Ohio State.
Olivia Hasbrook | 5-8 | Libero | Eureka, Mo.
Libero Olivia Hasbook is a four-year starter from Eureka High School in Missouri. As a senior captain, she set the school record for career digs and earned her spot on the All-District First Team, AVCA High School All-Region Team and the AVCA Best & Brightest Third Team. Hasbrook led Eureka to a conference championship as a junior and was named Conference Player of the Year and Team MVP in addition to being first team for all-conference, all-district and all-state. She was also Academic All-State and All-Metro Second Team as a junior. As a sophomore, Hasbrook was named to the All-Conference, All-District and All-State First Teams as well as Academic All-State.
"Liv plays with a passion and energy that fits perfectly with our culture," Oldenburg said. "As a libero, I believe her ball control skills and ability to set out of system will be an asset to our backcourt immediately. As the first commitment in the 2024 class, she was an integral part of recruiting the rest of her class which exemplified how much she bleeds Scarlet and Gray. I'm ecstatic for her to be a Buckeye!"
Hasbrook has played for the Rockwood Thunder club team since 2016 and is also a seven-time USA National Team Development Program selection. She is a PrepVolleyball All-American Honorable Mention and has been named to the All-Tournament Team for the Triple Crown, Windy City and Show Me Tournaments. The three-time USA Volleyball High Performance selection was also picked to the volleyballmag.com dream team in 2022.
Outside of volleyball, Hasbrook is a member of the National Honor Society and plans to major in sports industry.
Emmi Sellman | 6-4 | Outside Hitter | Burtonsville, Md.
Outside hitter Emmi Sellman is a four-year starter from Academy of the Holy Cross in Maryland. In 2023, Sellman is ranked as the top player in Virginia for the second-straight year and is ranked as the No. 5 player in the country (No. 2 among outside hitters) by PrepDig. The three-time WCAC MVP and first team selection has been on the AVCA Phenom Watchlist the past three years and is an Under Armour NEXT All-American after being selected for camp the previous two years. In 2022, Sellman was named Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year, All-Met Volleyball Player of the Year (Washington Post) and Maryland Player of the Year (Volleyball Magazine). In 2021, she made the Washington Post All-Met Volleyball First Team.
"Emmi joins us as a six-rotation outside hitter with a ton of high-level experience," Oldenburg said. "Emmi was named captain for both the USA U-19 and U-21 World Championship rosters this past summer. She won the gold medal with U-19 team and was named Best Passer for the U-21 tournament. Her ability to score and block, but also pass and defend makes her a pretty special player who should have an immediate impact for our squad. I am thrilled to have her represent the Scarlet and Gray for the next four years!"
Sellman has played for the Metro Volleyball Club of Washington DC for the past four years and has international playing experience through the USA Volleyball U19 and U21 National Teams this past summer when she competed at the FIVB World Championships in Mexico, Croatia and Hungary. She served as a team captain on both teams, won a gold medal with the U19 team and was named best receiver at the world championship with the U21 team. She has also been a member of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program for the past three years and is a 2023 USA Volleyball U17 All-American and MVP of the Mizuno Capitol Hill Classic the past two years. Sellman served as an alternate for the USA Volleyball U19 National Team for the Pan Am Cup in 2022.
Outside of volleyball, Sellman is a member of the National Honors Society, the Spanish National Honors Society and made the honor roll all four years with a 4.0 GPA as an AP/honors student. She is a member of the Bake for Hope Club, which raises money for breast cancer research. Other community service activities include serving at a prison ministry site, a church for migrant families and volunteering at elementary schools during their aftercare time. Sellman will enroll in the veterinarian medicine program at Ohio State.
Reese Wuebker | 5-9 | Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist | Centerville, Ohio
Outside hitter and defensive specialist Reese Wuebker is a four-year starter from Centerville High School. Wuebker was named Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman and sophomore and then Conference and District Player of the Year as a junior and senior. The four-time all-conference and all-district selection (three-time first team in each) also earned all-state honors as a junior and senior and was MVP as a junior.
"Reese is a baller," Oldenburg said. "She plays the game with a chip on her shoulder that I can relate to. I'm excited to watch her development in our gym as she will train as a utility player. Being an in-state prospect, she knows how special it is to be a Buckeye and will help carry on the traditions of our program and university. I'm fired up that she is a Buckeye!"
Wuebker has played with Tri State Elite the past three years, earning a PrepVolleyball All-American nod this past season. In 2021-22, the team was the runner-up at AAU Nationals where she earned All-American status. Wuebker enjoys volunteering to help with youth volleyball camps and plans to major in communications.
Tickets for the Buckeyes' 2023 home season are available. Single match tickets can be purchased HERE and mini plans can be purchased HERE. Applicable service fees will apply to all tickets. Fans with ticketing questions and group ticket requests (10+ tickets and in advance only) should call the Ohio State Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-BUCKS or email athletic.tix@osu.edu.
#GoBucks
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