April 19, 2004

Chicago, Ill. - New University of Illinois at Chicago Head Volleyball Coach Nancy Mueller announced on Monday afternoon that she has signed Ashley Martin (Lombard, Ill./Montini Catholic) to a National Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2004 campaign.

Martin, a 5'9" outside hitter/middle blocker, was a three-year varsity player for Montini High School and helped the Lady Broncos to Regional Championships in each of those seasons. As a senior, Martin served as team co-captain and was named to the Suburban Catholic All-Conference team and earned Honorable Mention All-Area honors in the Daily Herald.

Martin excels in the classroom as well, ranking 18th out of a class of 156, including being a four-time recipient of Suburban Catholic Academic All-Conference honors.

Mueller spoke highly of her first recruit on the West Side campus.

"Ashley will be a huge asset to this program," Mueller said. "She has the ability to come to UIC and make an immediate impact."

Martin also competed for the DuPage Express Volleyball Club from 1999-2004, where she served as the team captain for all five years. Following the 2002-03 campaign, the Express competed in the Junior Olympics, in Phoenix, AZ, where they placed 13th overall.

"I couldn't be happier with the addition of Ashley to the roster," Mueller said. "I'm looking forward to getting her here on campus in August."