The No. 5-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team will add five players to its roster this year with three liberos, a right side and an outside hitter joining the Cardinals. Liberos Jessica Drapp, Kamden Schram and Molly Urban will join outside hitter Alanna Bankston and middle blocker/right side hitter Reese Robins as the Class of 2023.
“We are very excited to announce the 2023 class,” said University of Louisville head coach Dani Busboom Kelly. “First, we feel like we are adding three fantastic liberos who will add speed and athleticism to our back row. All three have been successful in their prep careers and understand what it takes to be great defenders at Louisville. Kamden Schrand is signing today after winning the Kentucky State Championship. Reese Robins and Alanna Bankston will add some depth, size, and athleticism to our pin hitters. Both Bankston and Robins are very versatile attackers and could find themselves on the court very early in their careers. Fans are going to love watching Reese as she is one of the hardest hitting attackers in the country.”
Alanna Bankston is a 6-1 outside hitter from Omaha, Neb., where she played for Millard West for Coach Joe Wessel and played club with Premier Nebraska for Coach Shannon Smolinski. At Millard West, she was a Preseason Super Six and helped her team to the 2021 state runnerup spot. In 2022, she was named AVC All-Region and on the AVCA All-American Watchlist. She was part of the USA NTDP training series and made PrepVolleyball’s Top 150 Class of 2023.
Jessica Drapp is a 5-6 libero from Cincinnati, Ohio, where she played for Mercy McAuley High School and Coach Sam Gagnon. She played club ball for Tri-State Elite for Coach Matt Long. She was named to the GGCL First Team in both 2021 and 2022 and was voted First Team All-Region. She earned OHSVCA Division II All-Ohio First Team honors. On the 2021 AVCA Phenom Watchlist, she also was made the Omaha World Herald’s All-State HM list.
Reese Robins, a 6-5 middle blocker/opposite is from Mansfield, Texas where she played for Timberview High School for Coach Judith McGill and club volleyball for Drive Nation for coach Jason Nicolson. Reese is a 4-time USAV HP/NTDP training camp participant and a 4-year varsity letter winner. As a freshman, she was the District 5-5A Newcomer of the year, as a sophomore she was 10th district 8-5A co-offensive player of the year, was named Academic All-District and was on the GJNC 16u All-tournament team. As a junior, she was District 8-5A MVP, and led the DFW Metroplex in Kills (711) and Blocks (170). She made the Texas Sports Writers Association 5A First-team All-State, was an USAV North Texas Region All-star and was on All-Star All-Tournament team. As a senior, she was the District 8-5A co-MVP and led the DFW metroplex in kills (675), and blocks (266). She was voted No. 11 in the PrepDig Class of 2023.
Kamden Schrand is a 5-6 libero from Villa Hills, Ky., where she played for Notre Dame Academy for Leslie Litmer and Jenna Leistner. She also played club volleyball for Tri-State Elite for Coach Matt Long. She was named the 2022 Kentucky Defensive Player of the Year and 2022 KVCA First Team All-State as she helped Notre Dame win its second state championship in three years. In 2022, she was the 9th Region Tournament MVP, and made the 35th District All-Tournament team as well as the Asics Challenge All-Tournament team. In 2021, she was named to the 9th Region All-Tournament team and the 35th District All-Tournament team. For the NKGVCA, she earned all-opponent Division I honors and was named the NDA Volleyball’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player. She holds the NDA season record for aces and digs.
Molly Urban, is a 5-4 libero from Martinsville, Ind., where she played for Kelsey Patrick and played club for Circle City for Scott McQueen. She earned GJNC 17s All-Tournament Honors. As a junior, she was a key part of a Martinsville team that went 26-6, compiling 537 digs, 536 receptions to only 31 errors, 46 assists and 59 aces along the way.
| Nancy Allison WorleyAssociate Sports Information Director | Louisville Athletics |