The University of Akron Athletics
Volleyball Announces Additional Signee
May 06 | Women's Volleyball
First-year University of Akron volleyball head coach Ron
Arenz announced the signing of Meryl Loop to a
National Letter of Intent Tuesday. Loop will join the Zips for the
2008-09 season.
"Meryl joins our program with an impressive list of individual and
team accomplishments," Arenz said. "She has been recognized as a
top performer in her home state of Kansas as well as in U.S.A.
Volleyball circles. Those accolades mixed with her natural
competitiveness and athleticism are attributes we will rely and
build upon."
Loop (Valley Center, Kan./Circle), a 5-9 setter and libero, will
bring a host of athletic and academic accolades to the volleyball
program. The four-year all-conference selection and the MVP as a
senior was a three-time all-state honoree, earning first-team
status as a junior and senior.
Loop, who also stared on her Central Kansas Jets club team, guided
the Circle High School team to four straight league titles, two sub
state championships and qualified for the 4A State Tournament as a
junior. She was recently selected to participate in the Kansas
Volleyball Association All-Star Match, which will take place this
June.
"Meryl is the most complete player ever to compete for Circle High
School and was a key figure in the most successful four-year run in
Circle volleyball history," said Shelly Nibarger,
Loop's high school coach. "Her all-around skills and athletic
ability have made her a stand-out in our state and I believe she
will take her game to a whole new level at the University of
Akron."
The multi-talented Loop was also a member of the school's
regional-qualifying softball team and competed in the high jump,
long jump and was a sprinter on the track team.
Loop, a four-year honor roll student, has strong bloodlines as her
mother, Margo, was a member of the softball and swim teams at the
University of Nebraska-Kearney and her sister, Kelsey, is currently
a member of the track team at Baylor.
Loop joins early signees, outside hitter Courtney
Jarvis (Amherst, Ohio/Amherst Steele) and middle blocker
Tina Dimitrijevs (Broadview Heights, Ohio/North
Royalton), as the newest members of the Zips volleyball program.
Akron was 10-20 overall and 2-14 in the Mid-American Conference
last fall.
