Nov. 30, 2010

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CHICAGO - The UIC volleyball team will welcome five new Flames to the program next season, head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley announced Tuesday.

Dominique Aramburu (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley H.S./Michio), Tracy Friel (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central H.S./Fusion), Lauren Kraemer (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering-Fairmont H.S./Dayton Juniors), Molly McCoy (St. Charles, Ill./Wheaton Academy/Fusion) and Sara Sternard (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Westmont H.S./New Wave) will all join the Flames as freshmen for the 2011 campaign.

Three of the new members of the UIC program, Friel, Kramer and McCoy, have each been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association 2010-11 Under Armour Girls High School All-American watch list.

"I feel that all incoming players from the Class of 2011 are true student-athletes who will make great contributions to the UIC Program," said Schumacher-Cawley. "I look forward to them joining us in working towards our goal of achieving excellence.

"Each newcomer will raise the bar and compete to get on the floor," said Schumacher-Cawley who recently concluded her second season as the Flames head coach.

Aramburu, a 5-foot-5 defensive specialist, is a three-time team captain at Mother McAuley H.S. and she helped lead the Mighty Macs to a Girls Catholic Athletic Conference championship and a regional championship during her tenure at the school. Mother McAuley is also the alma mater of Schumacher-Cawley and UIC assistant coach Ellen Hayes.

Friel is a 5-foot-9 setter from Crystal Lake, Ill. and three-time letterwinner at Crystal Lake Central H.S. As a junior, Friel led her team to conference, sectional and supersectional titles en route to a fourth place finish at the state tournament. She was named Fox Valley All-Conference and special mention All-State. She captured All-Conference honors again as a senior and was named in the Chicago Tribune's Top 50.

Kraemer, a 6-foot-2 middle hitter, is the lone newcomer from outside the state of Illinois. The Kettering, Ohio native collected scores of honors during her career. This season, Kraemer led the Firebirds to a GWOC Conference Championship. She led Kettering-Fairmont in blocks and kills and was named the GWOC Central Player of the Year, All-GWOC First Team, District 15 Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-State.

McCoy, a 6-foot attacker, is another Illinois native and she plays for Club Fusion along with fellow newcomer, Tracy Friel. McCoy, a four-year letterwinner in high school, is a two-time All-Suburban Christian Conference honoree who led the Wheaton Academy Warriors in a myriad of statistical categories during her junior and senior seasons, including aces, kills, hitting percentage, digs and passing.

Sternard, like Kraemer, is a 6-foot-2 middle hitter who has enjoyed a successful high school career. The Clarendon Hills, Ill. native set school records at Westmont H.S. in career kills, most kills in a season and hitting efficiency. Sternard is a three-time All-Interstate 8 and All-Area selection, a two-time team MVP for the Sentinels and a two-time Academic All-Conference honoree. She is also a three-time All-Conference selection in basketball and was named to the All-State Third Team in 2010.

In addition to the talented crop of incoming players, UIC will return seven letterwinners next year from the 2010 team.

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