Photo by: SU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
Volleyball Announces Five Orange Newcomers
2/13/2023 12:12:00 PM | Volleyball
Head volleyball coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam announced the addition of five student-athletes who will join Syracuse in the fall of 2023 on Monday afternoon. The five incomers round out a total of seven performers that will join the Orange in the fall.
"This group will help lay the foundation that we will continue to build on for many years to come," said coach Ganesharatnam. "This mix of incoming freshmen and transfers will have a tremendous impact on the team, as they all meet the specific needs that we were looking to fill. More importantly, my staff and I were able to find athletes who excel on and off the court and will mesh well with our returners. This is a group that brings a lot of talent and will create an extremely cohesive unit."
Cherlin Antonio joins the 'Cuse as a transfer from Iowa Western. The La Romana, Dominican Republic native spent her freshman and sophomore campaigns playing for the Reivers, where she helped her squad become 2021 NJCAA champions. While competing for Iowa Western, Antonio earned a pair of NJCAA first-team honors in 2021 (All-Region and All-Tournament). The outside hitter attended Luis Munoz Rivera High School in the Dominican Republic and played on the Mirador VC club squad.
Mira Ledermueller heads to The Hill all the way from Endorf, Germany. The setter brings a wealth of experience from playing at the club level, as Ledermueller has played for Dresdner SC since 2013 and VC Olympia Dresden since 2017. While playing for the two clubs, Mira was coached by Andrea Renneberg. The setter performed at highly competitive levels, as the setter competed at the 2022 German U20 Championships and for the German National Team at the 2019 U16 European Championship.
Laila Smith joins the Orange as a transfer from Alabama, where she competed in 33 matches over two years for the Crimson Tide. The middle blocker attended New Castle High School in New Castle, Ind. where she was a two-time conference (2017, 2019) and Indiana state champion (2018, 2019). While playing for the Trojans, Smith was tabbed as an All-Conference and First-Team All-State in 2019. Smith also played at the club level for three years with Municana Samurai, where she helped her squad become the 2021 18S Open Champions and captured third place at the 16S Open Nationals in 2019.
Greta Schlichter will join Syracuse all the way from Lathen, Germany where she attended Schul-Und Leistungssportzentrum. The setter competed for VC Olympia Berlin for three years and was coached by Manuel Hartmann. Since 2018, Schlitchter has also competed for the German Junior National Team. In 2019, the setter represented Germany in the U16 European Championship and took second place in the German Championship with SV Raspo Lathen.
Klara Zarnovicka heads to the Hill as a transfer from Florida Atlantic, where she spent two years playing for the Owls. During her two years at FAU, she played in 42 total matches. The outside hitter was tabbed the 2022 MVP of the Owls Paradise Classic and earned a 2021 C-USA freshman of the week accolade. As a Czech Republic native, Zarnovicka attended Sportovni Gym and competed at the club level for TJ Ostrava's women's extralique and youth teams.
For the latest news on the Syracuse volleyball program, follow /CuseVB on Facebook, @CuseVB on Instagram, and @CuseVB on Twitter.
"This group will help lay the foundation that we will continue to build on for many years to come," said coach Ganesharatnam. "This mix of incoming freshmen and transfers will have a tremendous impact on the team, as they all meet the specific needs that we were looking to fill. More importantly, my staff and I were able to find athletes who excel on and off the court and will mesh well with our returners. This is a group that brings a lot of talent and will create an extremely cohesive unit."
Cherlin Antonio joins the 'Cuse as a transfer from Iowa Western. The La Romana, Dominican Republic native spent her freshman and sophomore campaigns playing for the Reivers, where she helped her squad become 2021 NJCAA champions. While competing for Iowa Western, Antonio earned a pair of NJCAA first-team honors in 2021 (All-Region and All-Tournament). The outside hitter attended Luis Munoz Rivera High School in the Dominican Republic and played on the Mirador VC club squad.
Coach Ganesharatnam on Cherlin Antonio: "We are so excited to welcome Cherlin to Syracuse! Cherlin brings championship experience from playing in the NJCAA and national team exposure, as she played on the Dominican Republic National team. Cherlin adds a lot of talent and length, allowing her to help us on the outside and right side."
Mira Ledermueller heads to The Hill all the way from Endorf, Germany. The setter brings a wealth of experience from playing at the club level, as Ledermueller has played for Dresdner SC since 2013 and VC Olympia Dresden since 2017. While playing for the two clubs, Mira was coached by Andrea Renneberg. The setter performed at highly competitive levels, as the setter competed at the 2022 German U20 Championships and for the German National Team at the 2019 U16 European Championship.
Coach Ganesharatnam on Mira Ledermueller: "We are ecstatic to welcome Mira to our squad! Mira brings a lot of experience from playing overseas in Germany at the highest amateur level and plays for the Junior National team. As a setter, Mira will add to the program and will fit well in our offensive scheme."
Laila Smith joins the Orange as a transfer from Alabama, where she competed in 33 matches over two years for the Crimson Tide. The middle blocker attended New Castle High School in New Castle, Ind. where she was a two-time conference (2017, 2019) and Indiana state champion (2018, 2019). While playing for the Trojans, Smith was tabbed as an All-Conference and First-Team All-State in 2019. Smith also played at the club level for three years with Municana Samurai, where she helped her squad become the 2021 18S Open Champions and captured third place at the 16S Open Nationals in 2019.
Coach Ganesharatnam on Laila Smith: "We are so excited to welcome Laila to the Orange! Laila is an established middle blocker and [before Alabama] she was a highly recruited player in high school. Smith has also played for a well-respected club team and coaches. She will add an enormous amount of depth to our middle blocker rotation."
Greta Schlichter will join Syracuse all the way from Lathen, Germany where she attended Schul-Und Leistungssportzentrum. The setter competed for VC Olympia Berlin for three years and was coached by Manuel Hartmann. Since 2018, Schlitchter has also competed for the German Junior National Team. In 2019, the setter represented Germany in the U16 European Championship and took second place in the German Championship with SV Raspo Lathen.
Coach Ganesharatnam on Greta Schlichter: "We are so excited to have the opportunity to work with Greta and she has an extremely high volleyball IQ. Greta brings a lot of expertise from playing for the German Junior National volleyball team."
Klara Zarnovicka heads to the Hill as a transfer from Florida Atlantic, where she spent two years playing for the Owls. During her two years at FAU, she played in 42 total matches. The outside hitter was tabbed the 2022 MVP of the Owls Paradise Classic and earned a 2021 C-USA freshman of the week accolade. As a Czech Republic native, Zarnovicka attended Sportovni Gym and competed at the club level for TJ Ostrava's women's extralique and youth teams.
Coach Ganesharatnam on Klara Zarnovicka: "We are ecstatic to welcome Klara to SU! Klara is an extremely selfless player and team supporter. She will add a lot to the six rotation as an outside hitter and brings experience playing in the Czech Republic."
For the latest news on the Syracuse volleyball program, follow /CuseVB on Facebook, @CuseVB on Instagram, and @CuseVB on Twitter.
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