Freeman’s Remmers commits to Ohio University
FREEMAN – Ohio University is one of those collegiate volleyball programs that might be on the verge of something special, and they’ve picked one of Nebraska’s top high school players to help get there.
Carley Remmers, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter from Freeman, recently gave her verbal commitment to Ohio. The Bobcats have won 10 Mid-American Conference titles in the last 11 years. Last year, Ohio went 27-6 with wins over Oregon, Western Kentucky and Virginia while pushing both Michigan and North Carolina to five sets. Ohio lost to Michigan State in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
“I’m super pumped and super excited,” Remmers said. “It’s always been my dream to play at a Division I school.”
Ohio coach Deane Webb is in his first year as head coach at Ohio after leading Belmont University for several years. Ohio started recruiting Remmers after a recent tournament in Chicago where she was playing for the Nebraska Juniors 181 team. Remmers then had a stellar AAU National Championship tournament in Orlando at the end of June, which resulted in her making a visit to the Ohio campus and getting the offer.
Remmers also had an offer on the table from Furman – which has already gotten commitments from Kasey and Kylie Hohlen from Norris – and earlier had an offer from Tulsa. Ultimately Ohio was the right fit, Remmers said, because she felt like the coaching staff and competitiveness of the program would push her.
“(Coach Webb) is awesome. He’s funny, he’s intense and he’s like a father figure,” she said. “He told me he won’t be my buddy but he will be my friend. I know he will push me further than what I think I can do.”
Remmers said the coaching staff at Ohio says she projects as a full-rotation outside hitter, which fills a need on their future roster. Remmers said she knows another full season of high school and club volleyball will help prepare her to be a full-rotation player in college.
“I feel like after one more year with Gwen (Egbert, the Nebraska Juniors 181 coach) I will definitely be ready,” she said. “I still have a lot of learning and growing to do but I will definitely be prepared.”
During the 2013 high school season, Remmers helped lead Freeman to a 27-6 record and Class C-2 runner-up finish. She led the Falcons with 317 kills during the regular season and she had 15 kills, four blocks and 18 digs in the Class C-2 state championship match against Hastings St. Cecilia.
Remmers is the sixth player from the Class of 2015 to make a verbal commitment to a Division I program, joining Omaha Concordia’s Megan Wickey (Ohio State), Norris’ Kylie Hohlen (Furman), Fremont’s Gessica Gdowski (UNO), Gothenburg’s Tiani Reeves (Nebraska) and Lincoln Southeast’s Meagan Roth (UNO).