April 30, 2009

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State's volleyball program has announced the signing of another standout recruit to an already solid 2009 recruiting class. Abby Storm (Calumet, Mich.) is the fifth member of the incoming Laker volleyball class and will begin her collegiate career at GVSU in the 2009 fall semester.

Storm is another strong recruit in a recruiting class that already owns Michigan's 2008 `Miss Volleyball' award winner, Olivia Kohler, among three other prized recruits. In Storm, the Lakers get a 6-1 middle blocker that starred on one of the top teams in the state during her junior and senior seasons.

At Calumet High School, Storm led the Copperkings to a combined record of 105-8-2 in her final two seasons and a pair of conference, district, and regional championships in those years. In 2007, Calumet advanced to the state semi-finals, while the Copperkings were state finalists in 2008. Storm was selected to the state all-academic team in both years.

"Coming from a small community, Abby wasn't really on our radar at first and is someone that we came across late in the process," said GVSU head coach Deanne Scanlon. "When we were able to see her play and see the athleticism she possessed, we knew she would fit right into the type of athletes we have in our program. Her best skills are that she has great size, is a very good blocker, and has good jumping ability. She reminds me of some of the kids we get that come from small schools and end up being All-Americans, such as Erica Vandekopple and Sabrina Bird. Abby has that same potential."

In her junior season, Storm was named second-team all-conference and also was an all-region choice. She recorded 253 kills with a .257 hitting percentage, added 182 total blocks (85 solo), and 183 digs. Named the most valuable player of the West PAC in her senior year, Storm was also named as a first-team all-state selection. Her numbers only improved during 2008, in which she tallied 493 kills, a .427 hitting percentage, 158 blocks (86 solo), and 133 digs for the state finalists.

While at Calumet, Storm also played four years of basketball and participated in track for three seasons. She was in the pep club for four years, where she served as the organization's president, and participated in choir for two years.

In 2008, Grand Valley State finished the year 33-4 overall, including a 15-1 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), and advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four for the fifth time in the last eight seasons.