Ganesharatnam Bolsters Volleyball Roster With Four Additions
8/4/2022 6:02:00 PM | Volleyball
Syracuse Volleyball locked in the first incoming class of the Bakeer Ganesharatnam era, as four student-athletes have joined the Orange roster for the 2022 season.
Alyssa Bert joins the Orange as a senior transfer from Colorado State, where she was a three-time Mountain West Academic All-Conference honoree (2019, 2020, 2021) and was tabbed an MW Scholar-Athlete in back-to-back seasons (2019, 2020). Playing primarily as a defensive specialist/libero, Bert assisted the Rams to a Mountain West regular season title from the back row in 2019 and a co-season title in 2021. The Oklahoma City, Okla. native also has experience playing in the postseason, as the Rams faced South Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2019, ultimately falling in a five-set battle.
Prior to her three years at CSU, Bert was a four-year letter winner at Westmoore High School (Oklahoma City, Okla.) under head coach Kaci Sandburg, where she served as a team captain for three years. During her time at Westmoore Bert collected a handful of accolades, including three-time Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference (COAC) All-Conference First-Team honors, COAC All-Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2018, 2019), and was named the Westmoore Female Athlete of the Year after the conclusion of her senior campaign (2019). Bert also played club volleyball for Oklahoma Peak Performance under the direction of head coach Joe Skinner for eight years.
Coach Ganesharatnam on Bert: "Alyssa Bert is a proven backcourt player that brings a wealth of experience competing at a high level. She is a very positive high-energy individual that will be a good fit for our team. She is very coachable and a very good team player that will have an immediate impact within our program. We are very excited to have Alyssa join our program."
Incoming freshman Melina Brooking comes to Syracuse from Laurel, Md., where she attended St. John's College High School. Brooking played for four years under the Cadet's head coach Bill Pribac and is a three-year letter winner. During Brooking's freshman year, the defensive specialist/right-side hitter was a dual sport athlete, splitting her time between track and field and the JV Volleyball squad.
Brooking also carries immense club volleyball experience, as she played for the Metro Volleyball Club (four years, HC Silvia Johnson) and the Columbia Volleyball Academy (three years, HC Mike Bossom).
Coach Ganesharatnam on Brooking: "Melina Brooking is a very talented young player. She comes from a very good club and fits in with our philosophy perfectly. Her values are in line with the culture we want to create for our program. Melina will add more depth to our backcourt and provide us with some options. She has high aspirations academically and athletically and we are excited that she has decided to join us on our journey."
Incoming freshman Ariana Joubert reports to 'Cuse from Chicago, Ill., where she attended De La Salle Institute before transferring to Montini Catholic High School for her senior campaign. During Joubert's time with Montini Catholic, the outside hitter helped her squad to capture the 2021 2A IHSA State Championship title.
Joubert also brings an additional seven years of club experience to the Orange squad (Chicago Elite Volleyball Club, 1st Alliance).
Coach Ganesharatnam on Joubert: "Ariana Joubert is a very intriguing player with her size, she has a high ceiling to continue to develop at as a talented player. I have had the pleasure to get to know her and her family throughout the recruiting process and one of the things that impressed me about her is that she is not afraid to pursue her dreams. She is a hard worker and a total team player. We are looking forward to working with her and helping her to become the volleyball player she wants to be."
Didar Ozcan Joins Syracuse as a junior transfer after spending two years at the College of Southern Idaho (NJCAA). Prior to her time at CSI, Ozcan attended high school at the Bogazici School in Turkey. The middle blocker also spent a total of four years playing for a pair of club volleyball teams in her Turkish homeland (TVF Sports Club and Karsiyaka Sports Club). Ozcan represented Turkey on the 2017 U16 National Team, while also serving as a team captain in 2018 for the Karsiyaka Sports Club.
Coach Ganesharatnam on Ozcan: "Didar Ozcan is an experienced player that competed for a very good junior college and brings excellent experience competing in her home country of Turkey. She went through some very good junior programs where she enjoyed being coached by some very good trainers. She has an exceptional technical skill set and is also very competitive. She is willing to do whatever it takes for the success of the team."
The orange are set to test the waters with an exhibition matchup against Binghamton on Saturday, August 20 at 1 p.m. Ganesharatnam and his squad will then head to the Queen City to kick off the regular season at the Charlotte Invitational, where the team will face Campbell (Aug. 26), Wofford (Aug. 27), and UNC Charlotte (Aug. 27).
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