Michigan Adds Beals, Dowd to Incoming 2019 Class
7/31/2019 2:09:00 PM | Volleyball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan volleyball program and head coach Mark Rosen announced Wednesday (July 31) the additions of libero Amber Beals and setter Maddie Dowd to the Wolverines' incoming freshman class for the 2019-20 academic year.
Beals and Dowd join outside hitters May Pertofsky and Jess Robinson as members of the four-person incoming class. Pertofsky and Robinson signed letters of intent in November.
"We're really excited about this class," said Rosen. "They're all very different in terms of how they'll impact our program, but they're all very athletic and they're all players that are used to winning. They've all played on great club and high school teams that are used to winning and competing at a high level, so I think they all have a chance to come in and make us better. I think they will all blend in well with the returning Michigan players."
A 5-foot-2-inch libero from Columbus, Ohio, Beals graduated from Worthington Kilbourne High School and played club volleyball for Mintonette Sports. She was a four-year varsity letterwinner and two-time team captain. In her junior and senior seasons, she was selected to the first team All-Conference and All-District squads, and was named Conference Player of the Year. As a sophomore, she was named to the All-Conference second team. She has been named a Prep Volleyball All-American in each of the last three seasons and also was named to the JVA All-National Team. Beals was also named to the All-State third team.
"Amber is a great ball-control player," said Rosen. "I love the way she plays. She plays hard, she plays gritty. She is a coach's kid, so she grew up in a family where athletics was a priority. She's just a gritty player that isn't afraid to get dirty and get after it. She's small in stature but certainly not small in her effort or her fight, and that showed in her being selected as her conference's player of the year for the last two years while playing in the libero position. She does a really good job with her first contact as a passer and as a defender, and I think she's going to be able to come in and compete with our defensive players early on. She has a lot of potential to be an impactful player with our ball control and defense."
A native of Clarkston, Michigan, Dowd is a 5-foot-9-inch setter and four-year letterwinner from Marian High School. She was a three-time all-region first team and All-Catholic League selection, and was named to the All-State team in 2017 and 2018. As a junior, she was named a finalist for the PrepVolleyball Andi Collins Award as well as the Gatorade Player of the Year and Detroit Free Press Metro Detroit Volleyball Player of the Year awards. Dowd also played club volleyball for Legacy.
"Michigan was a great academic fit for Maddie; it's a school that fit her from an academic and athletic standpoint," said Rosen. "We are excited about the depth she'll bring to our setter position and it gives our offense a lot of options. Her club team recently won the national championship so she has experience at a high level as a serving and defensive specialist."
Michigan ended an impressive 2018 season with its seventh NCAA Tournament regional semifinal appearance and its 13th 20-win campaign in program history. The Wolverines will open up the 2019 campaign on Aug. 30 with matches against Oakland and Northern Arizona as part of the Michigan Invitational. [ Tickets ]
