Heckelman to join roster at semester

FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas volleyball team will welcome a new addition as Kasey Heckelman will join the roster in January and begin her Razorback career with the upcoming spring season. With two seasons of eligibility remaining, the 6-1 attacker comes to Arkansas as a junior after spending the previous two years at the University of Louisville.

"Adding a player the caliber of Kasey speaks volumes for the direction our program is going," Arkansas head coach Robert Pulliza said. "We expect her to contribute immediately."

The Bloomington, Ill., native played her prep career at Bloomington High School and was named the No. 71 player in the country on the 2009 Senior Aces list by PrepVolleyball.com. She was a three-time selection to the all-area and all-conference teams. Playing for Illini Elite Club, Heckelman was a member of the 2008 AAU national championship team and earned AAU All-America honors in the process.

During the 2010 season with the Cardinals, Heckelman appeared in 18 matches with two starts as an outside hitter. She averaged 1.24 kills per set and 1.50 points per set as a sophomore attacker and, in a career-best effort, tallied 11 kills against CSU-Bakersfield. Her previous best came in a 10-kill performance as a freshman against Toledo.

Heckelman also brings postseason experience to Fayetteville as Louisville has advanced to the previous two NCAA Championships. In 2009, she posted three kills and three total blocks in a first-round matchup against Minnesota..