Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Volleyball Announces 2021 Signing Class
11/11/2020 4:27:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– Coming off the No. 15 ranked 2020 signing class, IU head coach Steve Aird and his staff have put together another solid class with four signees.
Coming to Bloomington in the fall of 2021 will be: Kenzie Daffinee (6-0, Outside/Right Side Hitter, Westfield, Ind.), Camryn Haworth (5-10, Setter, Fishers, Ind.), Carly Mills (5-7, Libero/Defensive Specialist, Fishers, Ind.) and Mady Saris (6-1, Outside Hitter, Burlington, Ontario, Canada).
"Coming off the top ranked class in program history, we wanted to continue the momentum and add pieces that could complement our current roster," IU head coach Steve Aird said. "Building a team is much different than building a program, so we wanted to make sure we found athletes that fit this culture and were extraordinarily competitive. With this class we have added skill and depth at key positions but more importantly added grit. These are tough kids that are not afraid to mix it up and exactly the kind of athletes I want to coach."
"We believe that adding players with this level of big match experience and skill will make our gym highly competitive and provide competition across the board," Aird added. "It will be hard to find a lineup and that is exactly the kind of problem our staff wants."
Kenzie Daffinee
6-0 | Outside/Right Side Hitter | Westfield, Ind. | Westfield High School
Daffinee On The Court Accolades
• Under Armour All-American Nominee
• AVCA All-Region Honoree
• #60 on PrepVolleyball.com's 2021 Top 150
• First Team All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference and All-District in 2020
• 2017 AAU All-American
• 1,147 kills, 279 aces, 671 digs and 106 blocks in high school career
• School records for aces in a match (9), aces in a season (84) and aces in career (279)
• Member of Munciana Volleyball Club earned third-place at AAU nationals in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
Daffinee Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Cindy and Jim Daffinee
• Hobbies include hiking, drawing and kayaking
• Has a brother Camden Daffinee
Daffinee on coming to IU
"As soon as I visited IU I knew this was where I needed to be! The coaching staff is amazing, and I love the culture of the program. I also love that IU is close to home so that my family and friends can come to games."
IU Head Coach Steve Aird on Kenzie Daffinee
"Kenzie is a well-rounded player that has played in big matches for years. Her experience in high school and club has more than prepared her for life in the Big Ten. She has exceptional arm talent and will be someone we feel can score points quickly. Her ability to serve the ball is something that we are very excited about as she can alter a match with just that one skill. We are proud that she is staying home and we know she is ready to proudly wear the cream and crimson."
Camryn Haworth
5-10 | Setter | Fishers, Ind. | Fishers High School
Haworth On The Court Accolades
• #75 on PrepVolleyball.com's 2021 Top 150
• 2018 Under Armour Watch List
• 2019 AAU All-American
• 2020 First Team All-State
• 2018 All-State Second Team
• First Team All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference and All-District in 2020
• High school stats: 648 kills, 1180 assists, 149 aces, 176 blocks and 749 digs
• Member of Munciana Volleyball Club, which took third in 16 open division in 2019
Haworth Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Jack and Dianne Haworth
• Siblings, Audrey and Grant
• Has been friends with fellow IU signee Carly Mills since preschool
• Intended major at IU is health science
Haworth on coming to IU
"I chose IU because of the culture and tradition that the school has and I couldn't be more excited to compete at the highest collegiate level. Something that excites me about the future is all the talent that is coming in from the younger grades. I think that we will be really good and I am excited for how well we are going to do in conference and tournament play."
IU head coach Steve Aird on Camryn Haworth
"Cam is a different type of athlete. She is as competitive as any player I have ever coached and plays the game angry. A left-handed setter with an elite jump serve, we feel she will add an entirely different dimension to our program. We have seen her adapt to different roles and attack them, so I am not sure how we will use her skills but I am certain she will find a way on the court. She is another athlete that had a variety of options to pursue her collegiate goals and was proud to stay home and rep IU."
Carly Mills
5-7 | Libero/Defensive Specialist | Fishers, Ind. | Hamilton Southeastern
Mills On The Court Accolades
• Under Armour All-American
• AVCA All-Region Honoree
• Indiana All-State First Team in 2019 and 2020 and Second Team in 2018
• First Team All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference and All-District in 2020
• Helped Hamilton Southeastern to Runner-Up finish in 2019 and Final 8 in 2020
• Team record of 104-21 in four-year career at Hamilton Southeastern
• Hamilton Southeastern school record holder for career digs with over 1,700
Mills Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Jessica and Tracy Mills, who both attended IU
• Siblings Natalie and John
• Intended major at IU Entrepreneurship and Finance in the Kelley School of Business
• Aunt was a two-time Big Ten Champion on the IU women's golf team
• AAU Academic All-American and Indiana Academic All-State
Mills on coming to IU
"I have always grown up a Hoosier since both of my parents went there, but what really made me choose IU was the amazing coaching staff and the opportunity to play in the Big Ten. I love the caring and competitive culture this program brings. IU is a program on the rise and I can't wait to be part of this team."
IU head coach Steve Aird on Carly Mills
"Carly can handle the ball and she competes like crazy. Another product of fantastic high school and club programs, she is a die-hard Hoosier and is thrilled to stay home and play at IU. We believe she will battle for the libero position and add great ball control, leadership, toughness and stability to our back court. She has been the captain of teams that have played in meaningful matches and is not afraid of the moment. Adding Mills to the core of our back court players is another great step forward for our program."
Mady Saris
6-1 | Outside Hitter | Burlington, Ontario, Canada | Notre Dame Catholic Secondary
Saris On The Court Accolades
• Current member of Canadian Junior National Team
• Member of Canadian Youth National Team that got Silver Medal at NORECECA in Honduras and qualified for the World Championships in Egypt in 2019
• 2018 Canadian National Championships All-Star
• Training with the Canadian National Excellence Program top 16 junior volleyball players in British Columbia
Saris Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Matt and Carla Saris
• Parents both played basketball at University
• Siblings Braedon and Carter
• Brother Braedon plays Lacrosse at Princeton
• Intended major at IU is exercise science
Saris on coming to IU
"When I first set foot on the beautiful campus of IU and met the coaching staff I knew I wanted to be part of an amazing school and volleyball program. The energy around the program and the amazing coaching staff and players makes me excited to start my volleyball career at Indiana."
IU head coach Steve Aird on Mady Saris
"Mady is a physical, well-trained prototypical Big Ten outside hitter. A product of an elite club program and the Canadian National Team pipeline, we expect Mady to be a six-rotation player that can do all the skills at a high level. With vast club and international experience, we feel she is prepared to contribute from day one. She has good ball control, can block, defend and has an arm that can hit you out of trouble. When added to the stable of other young arms in our program, we are excited to see how this offense will develop over the next few years."
Coming to Bloomington in the fall of 2021 will be: Kenzie Daffinee (6-0, Outside/Right Side Hitter, Westfield, Ind.), Camryn Haworth (5-10, Setter, Fishers, Ind.), Carly Mills (5-7, Libero/Defensive Specialist, Fishers, Ind.) and Mady Saris (6-1, Outside Hitter, Burlington, Ontario, Canada).
"Coming off the top ranked class in program history, we wanted to continue the momentum and add pieces that could complement our current roster," IU head coach Steve Aird said. "Building a team is much different than building a program, so we wanted to make sure we found athletes that fit this culture and were extraordinarily competitive. With this class we have added skill and depth at key positions but more importantly added grit. These are tough kids that are not afraid to mix it up and exactly the kind of athletes I want to coach."
"We believe that adding players with this level of big match experience and skill will make our gym highly competitive and provide competition across the board," Aird added. "It will be hard to find a lineup and that is exactly the kind of problem our staff wants."
Kenzie Daffinee
6-0 | Outside/Right Side Hitter | Westfield, Ind. | Westfield High School
Daffinee On The Court Accolades
• Under Armour All-American Nominee
• AVCA All-Region Honoree
• #60 on PrepVolleyball.com's 2021 Top 150
• First Team All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference and All-District in 2020
• 2017 AAU All-American
• 1,147 kills, 279 aces, 671 digs and 106 blocks in high school career
• School records for aces in a match (9), aces in a season (84) and aces in career (279)
• Member of Munciana Volleyball Club earned third-place at AAU nationals in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
Daffinee Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Cindy and Jim Daffinee
• Hobbies include hiking, drawing and kayaking
• Has a brother Camden Daffinee
An outside/right side hitter from Westfield, Ind., @kenzie_Daffinee
— Indiana Volleyball (@IndianaVB) November 11, 2020
?? Under Armour All-American Nominee
?? @AVCAVolleyball All-Region
?? School record for career aces (279)
?? No. 60 on @PrepVolleyball 2021 top 150 pic.twitter.com/Wc0dEAKOVJ
Daffinee on coming to IU
"As soon as I visited IU I knew this was where I needed to be! The coaching staff is amazing, and I love the culture of the program. I also love that IU is close to home so that my family and friends can come to games."
IU Head Coach Steve Aird on Kenzie Daffinee
"Kenzie is a well-rounded player that has played in big matches for years. Her experience in high school and club has more than prepared her for life in the Big Ten. She has exceptional arm talent and will be someone we feel can score points quickly. Her ability to serve the ball is something that we are very excited about as she can alter a match with just that one skill. We are proud that she is staying home and we know she is ready to proudly wear the cream and crimson."
Camryn Haworth
5-10 | Setter | Fishers, Ind. | Fishers High School
Haworth On The Court Accolades
• #75 on PrepVolleyball.com's 2021 Top 150
• 2018 Under Armour Watch List
• 2019 AAU All-American
• 2020 First Team All-State
• 2018 All-State Second Team
• First Team All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference and All-District in 2020
• High school stats: 648 kills, 1180 assists, 149 aces, 176 blocks and 749 digs
• Member of Munciana Volleyball Club, which took third in 16 open division in 2019
Haworth Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Jack and Dianne Haworth
• Siblings, Audrey and Grant
• Has been friends with fellow IU signee Carly Mills since preschool
• Intended major at IU is health science
A setter from Fishers, Ind., @CamrynHaworth
— Indiana Volleyball (@IndianaVB) November 11, 2020
?? No. 75 on @PrepVolleyball 2021 Top 150
?? 2019 AAU All-American
?? 2020 First Team All-State
?? High school stats: 648 kills, 1180 assists, 149 aces, 176 blocks and 749 digs pic.twitter.com/DaHUstm09a
Haworth on coming to IU
"I chose IU because of the culture and tradition that the school has and I couldn't be more excited to compete at the highest collegiate level. Something that excites me about the future is all the talent that is coming in from the younger grades. I think that we will be really good and I am excited for how well we are going to do in conference and tournament play."
IU head coach Steve Aird on Camryn Haworth
"Cam is a different type of athlete. She is as competitive as any player I have ever coached and plays the game angry. A left-handed setter with an elite jump serve, we feel she will add an entirely different dimension to our program. We have seen her adapt to different roles and attack them, so I am not sure how we will use her skills but I am certain she will find a way on the court. She is another athlete that had a variety of options to pursue her collegiate goals and was proud to stay home and rep IU."
Carly Mills
5-7 | Libero/Defensive Specialist | Fishers, Ind. | Hamilton Southeastern
Mills On The Court Accolades
• Under Armour All-American
• AVCA All-Region Honoree
• Indiana All-State First Team in 2019 and 2020 and Second Team in 2018
• First Team All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference and All-District in 2020
• Helped Hamilton Southeastern to Runner-Up finish in 2019 and Final 8 in 2020
• Team record of 104-21 in four-year career at Hamilton Southeastern
• Hamilton Southeastern school record holder for career digs with over 1,700
Mills Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Jessica and Tracy Mills, who both attended IU
• Siblings Natalie and John
• Intended major at IU Entrepreneurship and Finance in the Kelley School of Business
• Aunt was a two-time Big Ten Champion on the IU women's golf team
• AAU Academic All-American and Indiana Academic All-State
A libero from Fishers, Ind., Carly Mills.
— Indiana Volleyball (@IndianaVB) November 11, 2020
?? Under Armour All-American
?? @AVCAVolleyball All-Region
?? 2X First Team All-State
?? HSE school record for career digs with over 1, 700 pic.twitter.com/ysOZKTkUT0
Mills on coming to IU
"I have always grown up a Hoosier since both of my parents went there, but what really made me choose IU was the amazing coaching staff and the opportunity to play in the Big Ten. I love the caring and competitive culture this program brings. IU is a program on the rise and I can't wait to be part of this team."
IU head coach Steve Aird on Carly Mills
"Carly can handle the ball and she competes like crazy. Another product of fantastic high school and club programs, she is a die-hard Hoosier and is thrilled to stay home and play at IU. We believe she will battle for the libero position and add great ball control, leadership, toughness and stability to our back court. She has been the captain of teams that have played in meaningful matches and is not afraid of the moment. Adding Mills to the core of our back court players is another great step forward for our program."
Mady Saris
6-1 | Outside Hitter | Burlington, Ontario, Canada | Notre Dame Catholic Secondary
Saris On The Court Accolades
• Current member of Canadian Junior National Team
• Member of Canadian Youth National Team that got Silver Medal at NORECECA in Honduras and qualified for the World Championships in Egypt in 2019
• 2018 Canadian National Championships All-Star
• Training with the Canadian National Excellence Program top 16 junior volleyball players in British Columbia
Saris Off The Court Notables
• Daughter of Matt and Carla Saris
• Parents both played basketball at University
• Siblings Braedon and Carter
• Brother Braedon plays Lacrosse at Princeton
• Intended major at IU is exercise science
An outside hitter from Ontario, Canada @SarisMady
— Indiana Volleyball (@IndianaVB) November 11, 2020
?? Current member of Canadian Junior National Team
?? 2018 Canadian National Championships All-Star
?? Training with Canadian National Excellence Program with top 16 junior players pic.twitter.com/7GYfBrTjMu
Saris on coming to IU
"When I first set foot on the beautiful campus of IU and met the coaching staff I knew I wanted to be part of an amazing school and volleyball program. The energy around the program and the amazing coaching staff and players makes me excited to start my volleyball career at Indiana."
IU head coach Steve Aird on Mady Saris
"Mady is a physical, well-trained prototypical Big Ten outside hitter. A product of an elite club program and the Canadian National Team pipeline, we expect Mady to be a six-rotation player that can do all the skills at a high level. With vast club and international experience, we feel she is prepared to contribute from day one. She has good ball control, can block, defend and has an arm that can hit you out of trouble. When added to the stable of other young arms in our program, we are excited to see how this offense will develop over the next few years."
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