Michigan Volleyball Inks Nyambio and Simmons to 2022 Class
11/10/2021 7:16:00 PM | Volleyball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball program and head coach Mark Rosen announced Wednesday (Nov. 10) the signing of Serena Nyambio and Molly Simmons to National Letters of Intent for the 2022-23 academic year.
"We couldn't be happier with signing Serena and Molly for this year's class," said Rosen. "They're both going to be impact players for our program. We're excited about not only the athleticism they bring to the volleyball side, but the academic and social awareness they bring to our team along with their personalities. Both are great students that are committed to the academic success they can have at Michigan, but are also extremely good volleyball players."
Serena Nyambio
Nyambio hails from nearby Troy, Michigan where she attends Detroit Country Day and plays club for Legacy Volleyball Club. The 6-foot-2 middle blocker is a 2021 Under Armour All-American and will be playing in the Under Armour All-American Match this winter. In addition, Nyambio spent the summer of 2021 playing with the best players in the country in the U.S. National Team development program. She was also named AVCA Girls High School All-America first team honoree, is a 2021 Michigan Miss Volleyball finalist and has led Country Day to a District Championship already in her senior campaign. In her career she has earned All-State status twice (2020 First Team and 2019 Second Team), All-Regional First Team (2020) and a PrepVolleyball All-American honorable mention honor (2020).
She's also been impressive in the classroom, earning a spot on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Best and Brightest First Team as well as National Scholar-Athlete status as a senior.
"Serena is an elite athlete and we're excited to be joining our program, especially being from close by," said Rosen. "We watched her as a young player growing up and felt she had great potential, but as she developed we saw that she could be an elite student-athlete. She's very explosive, very quick, learns well and is committed to being the best she can be, not only as an athlete but also as a student. She's the entire package."
Molly Simmons
Simmons comes to Ann Arbor by way of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she has had a decorated career playing for Moon Area High School. She is a four-time varsity letterwinner, a three-time first team Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) Quad A - Section 2 - Big 56 selection and a two-time Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association All-State member. Simmons was recently named a finalist for Pennsylvania's Gatorade Player of the Year Award, and has experience playing on the international level after playing for the Trinidad and Tobago National Team in 2018.
She is also active outside of volleyball, being a member of National Honor Society and a High Honor Roll recipient, as well as being a leader for Social Handprints Overcoming Unjust Treatment (SHOUT), a mentor in Princess Within Organization and taking part in Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and the WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit.
"Molly is another signee we got to know when she was very young" said Rosen. "She came to one of our prospect camps and we were very impressed with her athleticism. She's a very explosive and dynamic player that jumps really well and has a really good fast arm. We think she has the potential to be a really elite player because of her athletic ability. It has been fun to watch her grow up as a player. But Molly is a student-athlete that is really focused on wanting to be at a high academic level and we think she is a great fit for our program and the University of Michigan."
