Trio of highly touted recruits sign with Maryland volleyball

Coach Steve Aird directs his players during a timeout when the Terps lost 3-1 to Penn State at Xfinity Center on Nov. 11, 2015.

Terrapins volleyball assistant coach Kristin Kenney had a hard time falling asleep Tuesday night. Her phone was constantly buzzing with messages from the Terps coaching staff group chat.

The excitement had nothing to do with the following day’s showdown with No. 17 Purdue. Instead, the coaches were just ecstatic to have their recruits sign Wednesday.

“It was the best. It felt like Christmas morning,” Kenney said. “Now, finally, it’s here.”

Wednesday marked the first day the Terps’ highly touted recruits could sign with the program. After months of hoping their verbal commitments — outside hitter Gia Milana, middle blocker Katie Myers and setter Taylor Smith — would hold true to their word, they made it official.

“They want to come here to build a program and make it nationally competitive,” head coach Steve Aird said. “They’re not coming here because it is that. For a young kid to be brave enough to believe in a vision, it’s an inspiring thing.”

READ MORE: Terps fall to Purdue in four sets

The staff began recruiting the trio immediately after Aird was hired in January 2014. With some of this year’s freshmen recruited by the previous staff, the 2016 recruiting class marks the first the coaching staff has brought it in completely on their own.

Plus, it was the coaches’ first chance to build the foundation of a program they plan to lead into the national spotlight.

“They know what kind of job they signed up for, which is the same kind of job that coach and the rest of our staff signed up for,” Kenney said. “It’s going to be hard and also be incredibly rewarding.”

Milana, whom PrepVolleyball ranked its No. 15 recruit, headlines the class. She has starred on her high school team, notching 40 kills in the squad’s regional semifinal this past Tuesday.

Aird initially met the first-team Under Armour All-American as an assistant at Penn State, but she expressed interest when he came to College Park. And after visiting the campus for a day, Milana was hooked.

“My goal is to help her reach her goals, and if she reaches her goals, it’s going to help the team,” Aird said. “I’m going to train her real hard. I know she’s excited to train.”

Milana, who is enrolling in January, will be able to participate in spring workouts, a key advantage in making the difficult jump from high school to college, Aird said.

Myers, meanwhile, first visited this university when former coach Tim Horsmon was still at the helm. After meeting Aird and Kenney at a match in Indianapolis, Myers came back to College Park and sensed a new vibe around the program.

The Westerville, Ohio, native is a third-team All-American and ranked No. 62 by PrepVolleyball. The 6-foot-2 Myers presents Aird a versatile option who he can see playing all six positions.

“I love Katie because she’s got a massive chip on her shoulder and a boatload of talent,” Aird said. “When you put those two things together, it’s dangerous. She plays the game the right way.”

With setter Whitney Craigo about to enter her senior season, the coaching staff knew it would need a setter in its 2016 class. After they got hired, Aird and Kenney traveled through a blizzard to Muncie, Indiana, to see Smith play.

“From then on, it was done,” Kenney said. “We knew she was the kid we wanted to run our offense. We were pretty stoked about her.”

Growing up in Auburn, Indiana, a town of less than 13,000, Smith brings something of a tough country attitude, something Aird has admired since first meeting her.

All three have already begun to develop a strong connection with the current players.

“Reaching out is extremely important,” freshman Abby Bentz said. “Just creating a family atmosphere and telling them what we’re all about.”

Bentz remembers thinking signing her letter of intent last year was the biggest moment ever. Now, she’s just excited to applaud the trio on their next step.

“We’re so excited to get them in here,” Bentz said. “They’re a great group of girls.”

They won’t be able to help the 13-16 Terps this season. But the future seems promising for a program that hasn’t made a tournament appearance in 10 years.

“It’s as bright as it’s ever been,” Kenney said. “The 2016 class is talented and they’re competitors. They’re ready to work. The 2017 class will hopefully be a lot like that class. We’re putting together groups of players who understand what it will take to win at this level.”