Volleyball Adds Four for 2022

East Lansing, Mich. -- Michigan State volleyball coach Cathy George has announced the addition of four future Spartans who will enroll at Michigan State in the fall of 2022 and become a part of the MSU volleyball program. The four who will enroll are Evie Doezema (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Kara Erdmann (Forreston, Ill. ) Gillian Grimes (Westchester, Ill.) and Maradith O'Gorman (Lake Odessa, Mich.).

George is enthusiastic about the group of signees. "This class immediately addresses the holes we have and adds instant depth to our roster. These four outstanding student-athletes bring a collective competitive edge that will positively benefit our program moving forward. They each come from championship programs and respect the work that it will take to be successful at this level. Fans will enjoy the electric and fiery edge that they bring to the court. The future could not be brighter for Michigan State volleyball and adding these four to our Spartan family accelerates our climb back where we belong in the Big Ten Conference."

EVIE DOEZEMA
Freshman, 6-3, OH/RS
Grand Rapids, Mich. / Grand Rapids Christian    Club: Far Out

CLUB: Played for Joe Steenhuysen at Far Out, where she was a teammate of future Spartan classmate Maradith O'Gorman … Currently ranked as the #5 Top Recruit according to PrepDig Michigan …

HIGH SCHOOL: AVCA Third Team High School All-America pick in the fall of 2021 … Top 11 finalist for Michigan Miss Volleyball honors as a senior … In volleyball, earned All-Conference, All-District, All-Region, and All-State honors as a sophomore and junior … Frosh 59 selection in 2018 and Soph 79 kudos in 2019 … Academic All-State honors in 2018 and 2020 … Earned varsity letters in both basketball and volleyball at Grand Rapids Christian … All-State Honorable Mention pick in basketball, as well as a two-time All-Conference selection …. MLive Basketball Dream Team Honorable Mention pick …

PERSONAL: Daughter of Kip and Carrie Doezema … Has two brothers, Jackson and Will … Father played baseball at Hope College … Enjoys drawing, baking, and photography/videography … Assisted with children's worship at her church … Member of the Student Council … Will be majoring in psychology and aspires to a career as a mental health professional.

Cathy George on Doezema: Evie is a powerful and explosive 6-rotation pin hitter that will bring a needed championship mindset to our program. Her undeniable presence at the net will excite our fans as she hits a heavy ball and is a highly-skilled blocker. She has broken records for one of the best high schools in the state and is a strong candidate for Miss Volleyball this year. She will be a difference maker for the Spartans, and we can't wait for her to get here!

KARA ERDMANN
Freshman, 5-7, DS/Libero
Forreston, Illinois / Forreston   Club: VC United

CLUB: Played for Eric Schulze at VC United …

HIGH SCHOOL: Owns Forreston records for career and single-season digs, compiling more than 1,000 in her career … First Team All-Conference as a junior and sophomore after earning second-team honors as a freshman … All-State News Gazette First Team … Earned Defensive Player of the Year kudos as a junior and also earned the Captain Award … Helped Forreston to a regional championship in 2018 as a freshman … Played softball and basketball in addition to volleyball … First Team All-Conference selection in softball as a freshman and junior, missing her sophomore season due to Covid-19 … All-State Softball pick as a junior … Earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors as a freshman in basketball …

PERSONAL: Daughter of Eric and Andrea Erdmann … Has an older sister Katie and a younger brother, Kendall … Member of the National Honor Society and will graduate in the top 10 percent of her class … Loves to travel and lists a special talent as juggling … Planned major is finance.

Cathy George on Kara Erdmann: Kara caught our eye during the recruiting process due to her highly developed volleyball IQ and her general sense of the game. Her calmness under pressure on the court is a great compliment to her electric and competitive spirit. She is so much fun to watch play and leads her team by example. She has a smooth touch on the ball and her communicative style is effective to those who play with her. She is a defensive anchor who I can't wait to start working with!

GILLIAN GRIMES
Freshman, 5-6, DS/Libero
Westchester, Illinois / Nazareth Academy            Club: Adversity VC

CLUB: Played for Melissa and Kyle Masterson at Adversity … Helped her teams to third place (2018) and fifth place (2019) finishes at USAVolleyball Open Nationals, and placed 13th in 2021 … Earned Frosh 59 and Soph 79 distinction from Prep Volleyball, and also earned a spot on the 2020 Defensive Dandies list … 2019 AVCA Phenom, 2019 Ultra Ankle JVA Watch List, and 2020 Prep Volleyball Watch List …

HIGH SCHOOL: AVCA Third Team High School All-America pick in the fall of 2021 … Earned All-Conference honors as a junior … Helped her team to a third place finish at the state 3A Championships … Special Mention All-State as a freshman and a sophomore … Earned Nazareth Defensive Player of the Year honors as a freshman …

PERSONAL: Daughter of Bob and Susan Grimes … Has an older sister, Maeve, who was an All-American setter at Ferris State in 2019 and a brother, Bobby, who is currently on the baseball team at Illinois -Chicago … Plans on majoring in criminal justice and would like to be a forensic psychologist.

Cathy George on Gillian Grimes: Gillian personifies what it means to be a Spartan - she is a tenacious, gritty, and passionate player on the court who loves to play and win. An extreme competitor at her core, Gillian's natural talent and leadership will be evident on the first day she is on campus. Her serve receive is solid, she has a smooth touch on the ball, and her defensive presence is fantastic. She is going to be an absolute fan favorite in Jenison Field House!

MARADITH O'GORMAN
Freshman, 6-2, OH/RS
Lake Odessa, Michigan / Lakewood        Club: Far Out
CLUB: Played for Joe Steenhuysen at Far Out , where she was a teammate of future classmate Evie Doezema … Named to the JVA All-National Team in 2019, 2020, and 2021 … Currently ranked as the #2 Top Recruit according to PrepDig Michigan …

HIGH SCHOOL: AVCA Second Team High School All-America pick in the fall of 2021 … Top 11 finalist for Michigan Miss Volleyball honors as a senior … Surpassed 2,000 kills … Helped her team to the Division 2 State Finals as a junior and a sophomore as a semifinal appearance as a freshman … Three-time All-State, All-Region, All-Conference, All-Barry County, and Lansing State Journal Player of the Year finalist in addition to earning a spot on the LSJ Dream Team all three seasons as well Prep Volleyball Freshman and Sophomore of the Year Finalist in addition to Freshman 59 honors in 2019 as well as Sophomore 79 kudos in 2020 … PrepDig First Team Division 2 acknowledgement … Special mention All-American as a junior … Ionia County Player of the Year as a freshman … Plays basketball in addition to volleyball … Honorable Mention All-Conference kudos her junior and sophomore seasons in basketball … LSJ Dream Team Honorable mention as a junior as well as All-Barry County First Team kudos …

PERSONAL: Daughter of Shawn and Melissa O'Gorman … Has an older sister Jacqueline and brother, Mitchell in addition to sister, Aubrey, who will be her Spartan teammate in the fall of 2022 … Mother, Melissa, was a basketball letterwinner at Western Michigan as an undergrad … Undecided on a major, but forsees a future career working with children in some manner … Enjoys being on the lake, wake surfing, babysitting, traveling, going to the beach, beach volleyball and playing basketball.

Cathy George on Maradith O'Gorman: Maradith will excite our fanbase the moment she first steps on the court with her no nonsense approach and aggressive demeanor. She is such a fun competitor who hits hard with a fast arm swing as a lefty and will add the depth we need. She is an all-around offensive threat as her backrow play is highly efficient. She adds a spirit that is infectious to those around her, and she is a natural candidate for Miss Volleyball this year. We could not be more excited to welcome Maradith to our program!

Related News

Related Videos