ELON, N.C. – Adding to the team’s 2017 incoming class, Elon University volleyball announced Tuesday, April 18, it has added two future student-athletes in Bella Seman (Seneca Valley Senior High School/Cranberry Township, Pa.) and Kodi Garcia (Tomball Memorial High School/Tomball, Texas). Both are set to begin their careers in maroon and gold this coming fall.
“We are excited to welcome Bella, Kodi and their families to Elon University and our volleyball program,” said Elon head coach Mary Tendler. “Both individuals competed at a very high level throughout the year in high school and club and their experiences will allow them to make an immediate impact on our program. We look forward to their arrival in August.”
Bella Seman • Cranberry Township, Pa. • Seneca Valley Senior High • Libero • 5-10
Notes: A four-year varsity letterwinner at Seneca Valley Senior High, Seman served as a team captain as a junior and senior and led Seneca Valley to the 2016 WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League) District 7 championship as a senior. A two-time First Team All-Section honoree in both 2015 and 2016, Seman was also named to the All-State team and a First Team All-WPIAL honoree as a senior after being a Second Team All-WPIAL honoree in 2015. Playing club volleyball for Pittsburgh Elite 18 Elite, Seman helped the team to the NEQ 2017 USA championship this spring. In her career with the club, she was also named to the 2015 Ohio Power League All-Tournament Team and the 2013 Capital Hill Classic MVP. Seman is the third member of her family to commit to a collegiate program, following her sisters Cate – a four-year member of the Rhode Island volleyball team – and Angela – a current volleyball player at Pittsburgh. A member of Seneca Valley’s academic honor roll all four years of high school, Seman plans to major in Broadcast Journalism when she arrives in August.
Quoting Coach Tendler: “Bella comes from a volleyball family and knows what it takes to be successful at the collegiate level. She is a very consistent passer and has good instincts on the court and her leadership skills stood out to us right away. She is very vocal and makes the players around her better.”
Kodi Garcia • Tomball, Texas. • Tomball Memorial High School • Setter • 5-11
Notes: A team captain in 2015 and 2016, Garcia was been named Tomball Memorial’s Leadership Award winner for her guidance as a captain while helping the team to the second round of the state playoffs each of the last three years. Coming to Elon as a setter, Garcia has been honored as a First Team All-District honoree three times and picked up All-Academic honors three years in a row heading into graduation. Playing for the Texas Tornados and coach Bill Walton, she was named to the USAV Open All-Tournament Team and was a team captain in her final year. Set to join the Phoenix this August, Garcia intends to major in Business upon arrival in North Carolina.
Quoting Coach Tendler: “When we started looking for a setter to join our team in 2017, Kodi checked all the boxes. She is a good decision maker on the court and has great location with her sets. The offense she is running with her club team is very similar to what we run, so we anticipate her transition to the collegiate level to be smooth. On top of that, Kodi has the desire and work ethic to keep improving and will be a good teammate here.”
The two join Courtney Carpenter, Julia Crabtree and Natalie Cummins as members of the 2017 class. For more information about these three future Phoenix, click here.