Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Field Hockey Welcomes Six NLI Signees To 2019 Roster
December 05, 2018 | Field Hockey
MUNCIE, Ind. – Six student-athletes signed national letters of intent to join the Ball State field hockey program for the 2019 season. The announcement was made today by head coach Stephanie Bernthal.
Gina Caravaglia (Glen Allen, Va./Glen Allen), Sarah Fondel (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West), Caitlyn Grodzicki (Lancaster, Pa./Warwick), Alexis Kansky (Vista, Calif./Rancho Buena Vista), Libby Kraus (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) and Jessica Scheper (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown).
"We are so grateful for the young ladies that are joining our Cardinal Field Hockey family," Bernthal said. "Each of these ladies has a neat recruiting story with us, the common denominator being their excitement to bring this Ball State program to new heights. They are talented on the field and, even more important, they each share the values we continue to make the trademark of BSUFH: mental toughness, extra effort, and being family first."
Gina Caravaglia, a four-year varsity letterwinner for Glen Allen High School, ended her senior year with 16 goals and 13 assists, which ranked first amongst her teammates. She earned All-Region First Team honors as a senior and received second-team accolades during her junior year. As a sophomore and freshman, Caravaglia earned all-conference honorable mention honors. Academically, she is a member of the National Honor Society and a four-year honor roll member.
"Our staff has had the opportunity to coach Gina for years through the club and USA Field Hockey Futures system," Bernthal said. "She is incredibly coachable, hard-working and driven. She has the ability to play multiple positions, and we will certainly count on that from her next year. We are thrilled that our journey to Ball State from the Richmond, Virginia, area also brought Gina here."
Sarah Fondel captained Glenbard West High School in her senior season and earned the Illinois High School Field Hockey Association (IHSFHA) Sportsmanship Award. She helped Glenbard West to a third-place finish at the state championships three years in a row. Academically, Fondel was named to the All-Academic Team as a senior and is a four-year honor roll student.
"Sarah was a big part of building a championship culture in her high school program," Bernthal said. "She and her teammates became a force to be reckoned with for the traditional Chicago powerhouses. She is no stranger to the hard work of putting a program 'on the map,' and we are excited for her to bring that to our Ball State program."
Caitlyn Grodzicki is a three-year varsity letter winner for Warwick High School. She was named to the 2018 Lancaster Lebanon League All-Star Team. The 2018 team captain, Grodzicki registered 12 goals, eight assists and one defensive save for her career as a Warrior. She was also a member of the club team Sutters Brigade, helping the squad to a first-place finish at the 2017 U19 National Hockey Tournament. Academically, Grodzicki is a four-time honor roll recipient and a member of the National Honor Society.
"Caitlyn is from a fantastic high school program at Warwick," Bernthal said. "She knows the importance of being team-first and brings that to the midfield. She was coached by a BSU alumnus and knows the tradition within the program. We are thrilled for Caitlyn to join our Cardinal family."
Alexis Kansky was an All-Avocado East North First Team honoree her senior year for Rancho Buena Vista High School. She earned her team's Best Offensive Player Award as a sophomore and junior. As a senior, Kansky was named Co-Offensive Most Valuable Player for the Longhorn's. For her career, Kansky collected 57 goals and 23 assists. She was the Longhorns' top scorer as a junior, sophomore and freshman. Kansky also earned All-Academic accolades four years in a row.
"Alexis is a playmaker and a serious offensive threat," Bernthal said. "She has goal scoring ability that you cannot teach; she is creative and will shoot from anywhere. What's neat about Alexis is she is just starting to refine her skill set. We are excited to take her game to new heights and for her offensive firepower to bolster our squad."
Libby Kraus will become the third player on Ball State's current roster from Assumption High School. She will join teammates Jenna McKune and Hannah Bohn for the 2019 season. Kraus earned All-State First Team and All-Tournament honors as a senior. She helped her team to the semi-state finals her senior year and a state title her sophomore season. She was a nominee for Defensive Player of the Year for the state of Kentucky. Kraus was selected to play in the Kentucky All-Star game as a senior and a junior.
"Libby has a knack for timely tackles and distributing out of the backfield," Bernthal said. "We look forward to her carrying on our Louisville, Kentucky, connection. She was our staff's first recruiting commitment, and her early ability to catch our vision for championships here is something we will always be grateful for."
Jessica Scheper, a four-year varsity letterwinner and senior captain, reigns from Hackettstown High School. She finished her career for the Tigers with 17 goals and eight assists. Scheper was also selected to play in the Senior North Jersey All-Star game. Scheper helped the Tigers to four straight New Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division championships. In 2018, Hackettstown earned tournament titles at the Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex championships. Scheper also helped the Tigers to second-place finishes at the sectional championships her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. She earned All-County First Team honors as a senior and garnered second-team honors as a sophomore.
"JJ is a hard-nosed defender who you immediately notice on the field," Bernthal said. "She is strong and fearless, with the ability to immediately impact our backfield. She sees the game well and will bring that maturity to our squad next fall."
For the most up-to-date news on the Ball State field hockey team, please follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateFH.
Gina Caravaglia (Glen Allen, Va./Glen Allen), Sarah Fondel (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West), Caitlyn Grodzicki (Lancaster, Pa./Warwick), Alexis Kansky (Vista, Calif./Rancho Buena Vista), Libby Kraus (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) and Jessica Scheper (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown).
"We are so grateful for the young ladies that are joining our Cardinal Field Hockey family," Bernthal said. "Each of these ladies has a neat recruiting story with us, the common denominator being their excitement to bring this Ball State program to new heights. They are talented on the field and, even more important, they each share the values we continue to make the trademark of BSUFH: mental toughness, extra effort, and being family first."
Gina Caravaglia, a four-year varsity letterwinner for Glen Allen High School, ended her senior year with 16 goals and 13 assists, which ranked first amongst her teammates. She earned All-Region First Team honors as a senior and received second-team accolades during her junior year. As a sophomore and freshman, Caravaglia earned all-conference honorable mention honors. Academically, she is a member of the National Honor Society and a four-year honor roll member.
"Our staff has had the opportunity to coach Gina for years through the club and USA Field Hockey Futures system," Bernthal said. "She is incredibly coachable, hard-working and driven. She has the ability to play multiple positions, and we will certainly count on that from her next year. We are thrilled that our journey to Ball State from the Richmond, Virginia, area also brought Gina here."
Sarah Fondel captained Glenbard West High School in her senior season and earned the Illinois High School Field Hockey Association (IHSFHA) Sportsmanship Award. She helped Glenbard West to a third-place finish at the state championships three years in a row. Academically, Fondel was named to the All-Academic Team as a senior and is a four-year honor roll student.
"Sarah was a big part of building a championship culture in her high school program," Bernthal said. "She and her teammates became a force to be reckoned with for the traditional Chicago powerhouses. She is no stranger to the hard work of putting a program 'on the map,' and we are excited for her to bring that to our Ball State program."
Caitlyn Grodzicki is a three-year varsity letter winner for Warwick High School. She was named to the 2018 Lancaster Lebanon League All-Star Team. The 2018 team captain, Grodzicki registered 12 goals, eight assists and one defensive save for her career as a Warrior. She was also a member of the club team Sutters Brigade, helping the squad to a first-place finish at the 2017 U19 National Hockey Tournament. Academically, Grodzicki is a four-time honor roll recipient and a member of the National Honor Society.
"Caitlyn is from a fantastic high school program at Warwick," Bernthal said. "She knows the importance of being team-first and brings that to the midfield. She was coached by a BSU alumnus and knows the tradition within the program. We are thrilled for Caitlyn to join our Cardinal family."
Alexis Kansky was an All-Avocado East North First Team honoree her senior year for Rancho Buena Vista High School. She earned her team's Best Offensive Player Award as a sophomore and junior. As a senior, Kansky was named Co-Offensive Most Valuable Player for the Longhorn's. For her career, Kansky collected 57 goals and 23 assists. She was the Longhorns' top scorer as a junior, sophomore and freshman. Kansky also earned All-Academic accolades four years in a row.
"Alexis is a playmaker and a serious offensive threat," Bernthal said. "She has goal scoring ability that you cannot teach; she is creative and will shoot from anywhere. What's neat about Alexis is she is just starting to refine her skill set. We are excited to take her game to new heights and for her offensive firepower to bolster our squad."
Libby Kraus will become the third player on Ball State's current roster from Assumption High School. She will join teammates Jenna McKune and Hannah Bohn for the 2019 season. Kraus earned All-State First Team and All-Tournament honors as a senior. She helped her team to the semi-state finals her senior year and a state title her sophomore season. She was a nominee for Defensive Player of the Year for the state of Kentucky. Kraus was selected to play in the Kentucky All-Star game as a senior and a junior.
"Libby has a knack for timely tackles and distributing out of the backfield," Bernthal said. "We look forward to her carrying on our Louisville, Kentucky, connection. She was our staff's first recruiting commitment, and her early ability to catch our vision for championships here is something we will always be grateful for."
Jessica Scheper, a four-year varsity letterwinner and senior captain, reigns from Hackettstown High School. She finished her career for the Tigers with 17 goals and eight assists. Scheper was also selected to play in the Senior North Jersey All-Star game. Scheper helped the Tigers to four straight New Jersey Athletic Conference Freedom Division championships. In 2018, Hackettstown earned tournament titles at the Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex championships. Scheper also helped the Tigers to second-place finishes at the sectional championships her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. She earned All-County First Team honors as a senior and garnered second-team honors as a sophomore.
"JJ is a hard-nosed defender who you immediately notice on the field," Bernthal said. "She is strong and fearless, with the ability to immediately impact our backfield. She sees the game well and will bring that maturity to our squad next fall."
For the most up-to-date news on the Ball State field hockey team, please follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateFH.
Players Mentioned
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