George Announces Four Newest Spartans on Signing Day

East Lansing, Mich. -- Michigan State volleyball coach Cathy George has announced that four players will join the Spartan volleyball program for the 2021 season.

The Spartans' 2020 class includes 5-11 setter Julia Bishop (Dearborn, Mich.), 5-8 defensive specialist Grace Danziger (East Lansing, Mich.), 6-3 middle blocker Aubrey O'Gorman (Lake Odessa, Mich.) and 6-3 middle blocker Abby Olin (Coopersville, Mich.),

"The 2021 freshman class will be strong, and it will complement our returning roster in every category," said head coach Cathy George. "With three of four of our newcomers being finalists for Miss Volleyball, we feel like we got some of the best talent in the state to come to East Lansing. The combination of skill, experience and athleticism will serve MSU well throughout their collegiate careers, and we're excited to see them continue to grow and develop."
This all-Michigan native class expects to be the fifth-straight top-15 recruiting class for the Spartans. MSU's current seniors and current sophomores were both ranked No. 9 by Prep Volleyball, with the juniors earning a No. 15 class ranking and the current freshmen No. 13.

Julia Bishop
Fr., 5-11, Setter Dearborn, Mich./Mercy Club: Michigan Elite

Four Year letter winner at Mercy High School
2020 Michigan Miss Volleyball Finalist
Two-time Under Armor All-America (2019,2020)
Named to the PrepVolleyball list of top 50 Juniors
First team All-State and All-Catholic league honors (2018,2019)
National Junior of the Year finalist by PrepVolleyball (2019)
Ranked No.20 in the PrepVolleyball Top 150 for the class of 2021
Two-time AAU Nationals All-American (2017, 2019)
Three-Time JVA Ultra Ankle All-National Team (2018-2020)
Member of the PrepVolleyball Sophomore 79
PrepVolleyball All-American (2019)
Attained a milestone of 5,000 career assists at Mercy
Helped Mercy to a state championship in 2019
Four Year Starter in basketball at Mercy earning two All-Catholic league distinctions and an All-State Honorable mention pick
Played club volleyball for Michigan Elite
Three-time Gold Honor Roll
Six-time recipient of the Student Athlete Award in her first six semesters
Daughter of Barbara and Michael Bishop and has one sister, Elizabeth

Julia Bishop on choosing MSU: "I grew up going to Michigan State volleyball matches. It was my dream not only to attend MSU, but also play volleyball in the green & white jerseys. The amazing academics, athletics, coaches, and so much more were just a few reasons why I chose to be a Spartan."

Cathy George on Julia Bishop: "Julia Bishop will come to MSU with a long list of accolades but it is her demeanor and grittiness that sticks out to the coaching staff the most. She finds ways to win no matter what the challenge. This quality along with her location, leadership and team-first attitude will certainly make an impact the Spartans for years to come."

Grace Danziger
Fr., 5-7, DS/Libero East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing Club: Michigan Elite

Three-year letter winner at East Lansing High School (2017-2019)
As a senior, competed with the homeschool team and placed 3^rd at Nationals
All-Conference selection (2018,2019)
All-Area Honorable Mention (2019)
All-District selection (2019)
JVA Watch List (2018,2019)
Played one year of varsity softball as a freshman, earning All-Conference, All -Area, and All-District honors
Distinguished Scholar (2017-2019)
Academic All-Conference selection (2018,2019)
Played club volleyball for Michigan Elite
Daughter of Fred and Susan Danziger and has one younger brother, John
Comes from a long line of Spartans, as at least a dozen of her family members are Michigan State graduates, dating back to the 1930's

Grace Danziger on choosing MSU: "I started coming to camps at Michigan State when I was in fourth grade. I looked up to the players and the coaches and wanted to emulate them. The culture of family and hard work in the gym was exactly what I wanted."

Cathy George on Grace Danziger: "Grace Danziger is a Spartan through and through. She has attended more camps than I can remember and caught the eye of our coaching staff. Her continued improvements and her relentless pursuit of knowledge of the game made her an easy choice to help strengthen our defensive corps. Grace will always give us her max, and we know that will translate into making important contributions in the future."

Aubrey O'Gorman
Fr., 6-3, Middle Blocker Lake Odessa, Mich./Lakewood Club: Far Out

JVA All-American in (2018, 2019)
AAU All-Star in 2018
AVCA Under Armour Second Team All-America (2020)
2020 Michigan Miss Volleyball finalist
Ranked No. 50 in the Prep Volleyball Top 150 for the Class of 2021
Helped her team to three straight MHSAA Final Fours as well as regional, district, and conference championships
Unanimous first-team All-State selection (2018,2019)
Third Team All-State (2017)
Ionia Sentinel-Standard All-County Volleyball Player of the Year (2019)
Two-time Lansing State Journal Dream Team selection and 2019 Player of the Year finalist
Earned First Team Region 7, All-Barry Country, All-Ionia County, and All-GLAC Conference (2017-2019)
PrepVolleyball Frosh59 pick, Soph79 selection, and Junior of the Year Finalist (2019)
AVCA Phenom List (2018)
Volleyball Magazine Top 25 Underclassmen honoree (2019)
Prep Dig Top Offensive and Top Defensive Team selection (2020)
Four-year letter winner at Lakewood High School
Played club volleyball for Far Out
Three-time MIVCA Team Academic All-State honoree
Member of the National Honor Society
Daughter of Shawn and Melissa O'Gorman and has two older siblings, Jacqueline and Mitchell, and a younger sister, Maradith, who is a junior volleyball player at Lakewood.

Aubrey O'Gorman on choosing MSU: "I chose Michigan State because of the atmosphere they have built in the volleyball program. It is a place that I am certain I will be pushed to my potential in all aspects of my life, and the leadership extends further than the coaching staff. MSU has created a culture that is rooted in family but expectant of greatness and will stop at nothing to achieve that greatness. It is that culture, the Spartan culture, that is something I am proud to become a part of for my collegiate career and beyond."

Cathy George on Aubrey O'Gorman: "Aubrey is an intense competitor and a strong leader. We have had the opportunity to watch her growth and development over the years. Aubrey's quickness, length, and tireless work ethic will provide quality depth in the middle blocker position. We are excited about both the tangible and intangibles that Aubrey will add to our team culture and program."

Abby Olin
Fr., 6-3, Middle Blocker Coopersville, Mich./Coopersville Club: Inside Out

2020 Michigan Miss Volleyball Finalist
Helped Coopersville to back-to-back Conference and District championships (2018,2019)
First Team All-State honors (2019)
First Team All-Conference (2018,2019)
All-Region selection (2018,2019)
Third-Team All-State honors (2018)
First Team All-Muskegon Area (2019)
Beast of the East All-Tournament Team selection
Prep Dig honors (2018,2019)
Holds Coopersville School record in blocks and kills
Lettered in softball as a sophomore and earned Honorable Mention All-Conference
Played club volleyball for Inside Out
Daughter of Justin and Anna Olin and has three siblings: Meckenzie (15), Neveah (11), and Anthony (14)

Abby Olin on choosing MSU: "I initially chose Michigan State because of the numerous programs it offers and because of head coach Cathy George. I could tell that she truly cared about my success, and that really drew me in. Once I saw the beauty of the campus and met the team, I knew I belonged at Michigan State.

Cathy George on Abby Olin: "Abby Olin is a hidden gem and has been away from the mainstream club circuit. Abby possesses a great deal of athleticism, jumping ability, and a natural feel for the game. We anticipate her game to grow exponentially once she is surrounded and competing daily with top-level talent. She has the ability to play all three front row positions, which will strengthen our offensive corps and give us flexibility to use her athleticism as needed."

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