May 4, 2006

DAYTON, Ohio - University of Dayton Head Volleyball Coach Tim Horsmon announced the commitments of high school seniors Chelsy Christoff (LaGrange Park, Ill.) and Allison Florian (Holland, Ohio) to the team for the 2006 season.

"These players should succeed at Dayton both on the court and in the classroom," Horsmon said. "They have a great deal of experience and should help us in building upon three championship seasons."

Christoff is a 5-10 outside hitter/defensive specialist from Lions Township High School. She led LTHS to the IHSA "Sweet 16" in each of the past two years while being named the 2005 Suburban Life Player of the Year. Christoff recorded nearly 500 kills and served over 50 aces in her final two prep seasons to earn All-Conference honors each year. She also starred in the classroom as a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society to earn Illinois State Scholar Honors. Christoff has been accepted into the honors program at UD. She chose to attend Dayton because of the atmosphere on campus and the volleyball program's desire to take it to the next level.

"Chelsy is a dynamic athlete who will give us some depth on the outside while bringing a great personality and fire to the team," Horsmon said. "We are looking forward to her playing in the back row in addition to Chelsy's volleyball skills, she is an outstanding student in the classroom."

Florian is a 5-9 outside hitter/defensive specialist from St. Ursula High School. She led St. Ursula to the State Finals this season after winning the Championship in 2004. Florian had eight kills and six digs in the OHSAA Semifinals followed by 11 kills and 10 digs in the State Title match. The All-State volleyball selection was also a three-time All-City League pick in basketball. She chose to attend Dayton because she liked that although UD had won three straight Conference Championships, the commitment to improve still existed.

"Allison has been a winner at a high level both in high school and with her club team," Horsmon said. "She brings a great deal of winning experience to the program and her athleticism gives her the ability to play many different positions."

Christoff and Florian increase the 2006 recruiting class to four. The duo joins Lindsay Fletemier of Garden City, Mich. and Sara Meineke of Villa Hills, Ky. who will all play for the Flyers this Fall when the 2006 schedule begins with the Dayton Flyer Classic on Aug. 25 & 26 at the Frericks Center.

In 2005, UD earned its fifth consecutive 20-win season with a 24-11 overall record and became the just the fourth school ever to win three-straight Atlantic 10 Championships. The program also boasted the A-10 Player of the Year for the third straight season and its fourth AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honor in the last three years. The Flyers also won 19 consecutive matches at one point, which was the 11th longest winning streak in the nation this season and paved the way for UD's fourth-ever Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship.