From Texas Christian University to Dartmouth, colleges nationwide have shown interest in this year’s Xavier athletes, specifically volleyball. The national average of high school students playing volleyball in college, as reported by the National College Scouting Association, is 5.6%. Xavier has six volleyball players committing to six different colleges.
The six collegiate-bound athletes are Annemarie O’Gara ‘25 to the University of California Berkeley, Jane Burkhardt ‘25 to the University of Texas at Dallas, Elle McCreery ‘25 to Dartmouth University, Olivia Lenz ‘25 to Texas Christian University, Allison Dunnion ‘26 to the University of San Diego and Vivian Hickman ‘26 to the University of California Los Angeles.
O’Gara plans to play Division I as a right-side hitter for Cal Berkeley. O’Gara was sought after by the commitment team at Berkeley and received a scholarship as well.
O’Gara’s advice to student athletes interested in the commitment process is, “Don’t jump to conclusions.” She also advised students to “trust the process” and “everything will work itself out.”
Burkhardt has committed to the University of Texas at Dallas and plans to play as an outside hitter. She is ecstatic to become a Comet and to write for the school newspaper.
As an upcoming Division II athlete, Burkhardt suggests that students in the commitment process not stress as they will “know what the right fit is.” She sympathized with this notion as she had difficulty deciding which school she wanted to attend; however, as O’Gara said, she “trusted the process” and now cannot wait to become a Comet.
McCreery will play middle at Dartmouth University. Although she has played the sport in the Arizona heat for eight years, McCreery is thrilled to explore a new environment and learn more about the school’s Outing Club.
McCreery advised that student athletes “take their time” during the commitment journey and, once again, “trust the process.”
Seasoned volleyball coach of 25 years, Coach Lamar-Renee Bryant, commented on this topic and encouraged students planning to commit to “not compare yourself to others. Everyone’s journey is specific.”
Bryant’s advice for this year’s volleyball commitments is, “They have to be committed to the process of getting better each and every day.”
In addition to this, Bryant listed her admiration of each girl committing this year.
Bryant praised McCreery for prioritizing academics over volleyball and finding a school that balances academics and athletics well.
In regards to Burkhardt, she states, “Jane has such an amazing gift on the court and off the court.” Bryant additionally claimed that she truly believes Burkhardt has found “the perfect match.”
For O’Gara, Bryant commends the player for her hard work and improvement of her craft. Bryant continued by praising O’Gara for finding the right school and future coach.
Bryant complimented Dunnion’s amazing club season and how she “shocked the world with her 6 feet 3 inches frame.” Additionally, Bryant praised Dunnion for finding a school that matched her wishes of staying close to home and near a beach.
The coach commended Lenz for overcoming her doubts about being able to play for her dream school’s elite volleyball team. “Her dream just came true,” Bryant added.
Lastly, Bryant praised Hickman as “a great athlete,” stating she is “amazing, driven and highly sought after.” Bryant believes that Hickman will be able to “really hone her craft” during her remaining two years at Xavier.
Bryant concluded with this advice: “Stay true to yourself, stay true to your training, stay true to your family, and stay true to your commitment to being a team member. Your role may be bigger or smaller, but your worth is not your position on the volleyball team.”
