Newest proCane Ciara Michel Signs Pro Volleyball Contract

Coral Gables, Fla. - Former University of Miami volleyball student-athlete Ciara Michel (Miami, Fla.) officially signed a contract to play professional volleyball on Fri., July 16, taking her talents to Alemannia Aachen, a member of Germany's 14-team national first league, Bundesliga.

Aachen is a city located in westernmost Germany, nestled along the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Michel, a four-year standout for the Hurricanes at the middle blocker position from 2004-07, is the second former Hurricanes student-athlete under Nicole Lantagne Welch to ink a pro contract this year. Ashley Woods, a right side hitter for UM from 2005-08, signed to play with Club Voleibol in Benidorm, Spain this past January.

"I really owe this opportunity to my coaches at the University of Miami, for seeing potential in me as a tall, skinny but extremely uncoordinated `project player' in the past," said Michel. "I feel extremely lucky, and really excited to make the move to Germany. Not only will my volleyball improve, but I will learn a third language in the process."

Michel will fill in nicely for the "Ladies in Black" after Alemannia Aachen lost two players from the front row this past season, and should be a natural fit for them at middle blocker. She is the second signing of the summer season for Aachen, joining Karolina Bednáøová who is moving over from the Dutch club, VC Weert.

"We had the lead in the commitment of Ciara Michel," said Alemannia Aachen head coach Stefan Falter. "This is a great addition to our team."

While at UM, Michel established herself sixth all-time in kills (962), seventh in total attempts (1,993) and 10th in kills per set (2.24). In 2007, she was selected to the Preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference Team while also serving as a team captain for the Hurricanes.

Currently, Michel is eighth all-time at UM for attack percentage (.256), while sitting atop the record books in solo blocks (122) and total blocks (573). Her blocks total is more than 200 blocks better than second place performer Karla Johnson who accumulated 358 from 2002-05. Michel serves as the leader for the Hurricanes' record books in blocks per set, holding an average of 1.33 per set. In points, Michel sits fourth all-time, having picked up 1,316.5 throughout her stellar career.

In 2006, she was selected to the All-ACC Second Team, and earned All-ACC Academic Team honors, while being named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll three consecutive years from 2005-07. She was voted the team's Most Improved Player as a redshirt freshman in 2004, and was named to the 2004-05 ACC Academic Honor Roll.

"We were the first European club to become aware of Michel, and we are extremely happy that she has decided to bring her talents to Aachen," states Falter. "With a size of 1.96 meters, she has the perfect size for a middle blocker for our team."

Upon graduation from UM, Michel ventured to Australia, spending two-and-a-half years there while also spending a semester studying abroad at Monash University in Clayton, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne. Most recently in Melbourne, she was working towards a Master's Degree from the University of Melbourne, and worked for a not for profit organization, Foundation for Young Australians, which provides scholarships and education opportunities to underprivileged youth. In the meantime, she found time to play professionally for the Melbourne University Team.

Michel was noticed while playing for the University of Melbourne. In order for Michel to prepare for the Olympic Games, she decided to now make the move to Europe and the country of Germany with the "Ladies in Black."

For more information on the Alemannia Aachen volleyball team, please visit http://www.alemannia-aachen.de/volleyball/aktuell/nachrichten/.

For more information on the University of Miami volleyball team, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Hurricanes volleyball program.



(hurricanesports.com)