By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – Angel Baylark, Ryan Rednour and Olivia O’Keefe have joined the University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball and beach volleyball programs, head coach Jaclynn Wilson announced today. Baylark will have three years of eligibility while Rednour and O’Keefe will have two seasons of eligibility with the Skyhawks.
These three join Kayla Bryant (Louisville, Ky.), Mary Leslie Cranford (Covington, Tenn.), Anna Gover (Stanton, Tenn.) and Mia Saenz (Lexington, Ky.) in UT Martin’s recruiting class. The Skyhawks are coming off a 2021 campaign where they posted their highest winning percentage (.611) in league play since 2002.
Angel Baylark, MB, 5-11, So., Burlington, Iowa (Iowa Central CC)
Achieved NJCAA first team All-American accolades last season at Iowa Central Community College under head coach Sara Horn…Helped the Tritons notch a pair of top-four national finishes after reaching the NJCAA Division II Championship semifinals in back-to-back years… ICCC went 42-3, was ranked No. 1 nationally for the first time in school history (holding the top spot for six consecutive weeks) and nabbed its fourth straight Iowa Community College Athletic Conference championship last fall…Took part in 66 matches during her Triton career, piling up 599 kills (2.75 per set) on a sizzling .374 attack percentage (second-best mark in school history) and 263 blocks (1.21 per set)…Slammed down 368 kills (2.77 per set while hitting .358) and tacked on 167 blocks (1.26 per set) in 2021…That followed a 2020-21 campaign where she was named ICCAC Freshman of the Year, first team All-Region and second team all-conference after piling up 231 kills (2.27 per set) on a .402 attack percentage to go along with 96 blocks (1.13 per set)…Dialed up double-digit kills in 14 different matches in 2021 – including a pair of season-best 20-kill performances (.455 hitting percentage at Metropolitan on Oct. 8, .350 attack percentage against Heartland on Nov. 18)…Hit .600 or better on nine separate occasions, including a season-high .643 (11 kills against two errors on 14 swings) against St. Mary’s on Oct. 8…Also swatted away at least six blocks in 10 matches, including career-bests of eight rejections against Grand View (Sept. 24) and Carl Sandburg College (Oct. 15)…Accumulated seven double-digit kill matches during the 2020-21 spring season – including a career-high 23 rally killers (on a .613 hitting percentage in 31 attempts) at North Iowa Area on March 4…That was one of five instances where she hit over .600 in a single match as her career-best .692 performance (nine kills, zero errors in 13 swings) occurred on March 2 at Iowa Lakes…Also was a defensive menace at the net, turning away five-plus blocks on eight different occasions (including a career-best eight swats against Illinois Central on April 15)…Prepped at Burlington High School under head coach Amber Taeger…Did not pick up the sport of volleyball until her sophomore year but despite her late start, she was named to the Girls 4A Southeast Iowa All-District team as a senior.
“We are ecstatic to add someone of Angel’s caliber and potential to our program – her athleticism is off the charts,” Wilson said. “She had a very productive junior college career as she was a first team All-American and conference Freshman of the Year for a squad that went 64-7 in her two seasons. We expect big things out of Angel over the next three seasons.”
Ryan Rednour, DS, 5-9, Jr., Huntertown, Ind. (Southern Illinois)
Spent the last two seasons at Southern Illinois under head coach Ed Allen, seeing playing time in 39 matches overall with 10 appearances in the starting lineup…Registered 187 digs, 21 service aces and a .913 reception percentage over 109 career sets as a Saluki…Started in six matches in 2021, appearing in 72 sets over 23 matches…Piled up 125 digs (1.74 per set), 16 service aces and a .902 reception percentage as a sophomore…Scooped up double-digit digs on four different occasions in 2021, including a career-best 17 digs against Indiana State on Oct. 11…Landed multiple service aces three times as a sophomore, including a career-high four aces against Loyola Chicago on Sept. 25…Made four starts and appeared in 16 matches (37 sets) as a true freshman, accumulating 62 digs (1.68 per set), five service aces and a .932 reception percentage…Came away with a season-high 10 digs on March 8 against Indiana State…Posted a pair of service aces against Evansville on March 14…Enjoyed a standout prep career at Leo High School, where she helped the Lions to a 25-5 record and a Northeast Eight Conference championship as a senior…Was named to the 2019 Under Armour All-American Watch List and the 2018 AVCA Phenom List…Earned Class 3A all-state second team accolades and All-Northeast Eight Conference accolades in 2019…Accrued 689 digs and 137 service aces over 259 sets in her final three years of high school…Averaged 4.0 digs per set (354 scoops) as a senior while also registering a career-best 55 service aces…Her mother Debbie played collegiate volleyball at Southern Illinois and is the program’s all-time assists leader (5,047 from 1996-99).
“We’re excited for Ryan to come in and compete for time at the DS position,” Wilson said. “Ball control is extremely important in our system and she brings an added ball control element. She also has experience playing in the sand – since our beach roster is a mostly crossover student-athletes, we welcome her experience and feel confident that she will enhance our programs.”
Olivia O’Keefe, OPP/DS, 5-10, Jr., Scottsdale, Ariz. (Tusculum)
Exclusively played beach volleyball for two seasons under head coach Jason Morris at Tusculum University, a NCAA Division II institution located in Greeneville, Tenn….Helped the Pioneers to their best season in school history in 2022 as the team went 22-11 and had a bronze finish at the AVCA Small College Beach Championship…Ranked first in school history in career wins at the No. 1 position (22 – five more than second place) and also ranked sixth all-time in overall victories (26) and winning percentage (.542)…Went 20-13 playing solely out of the No. 1 slot in 2022, earning the most victories out of the top position in school history (fifth-most overall)…Scored a 23-21, 21-13 victory alongside partner Charlyn Miller over NCAA Division I opponent Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 26…Produced three winning streaks of at least four matches, including five consecutive victories to start the spring…Went 6-9 as a true freshman while competing in the top two spots in the lineup…Won two of her three decisions at No. 1 in 2021…Pieced together a three-match winning streak to close out her debut collegiate season…Prepped at Chaparral High School, where she excelled under head coach Chad Speer…Captured all-conference accolades during her senior season, posting 290 digs, 120 kills, 30 blocks and 28 service aces…Claimed All-American status at AAU Nationals while playing for the Sports Performance Volleyball Club…Comes from an athletic family as her father played football at the University of Kentucky and her mother played volleyball at Aurora University.
“We are super excited about Olivia’s athleticism and work ethic,” Wilson said. “She is a solid utility indoor player who is able to play several different positions, which creates more opportunity for her. She is ready to work which will undoubtedly make our team better having someone like her in the gym. As far as the beach roster goes, she is going to be a top tier player in our program.”
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information