Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Volleyball Signs Three in 2023 Recruiting Class
11/17/2022 1:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana Volleyball head coach Steve Aird announced the addition of three recruits in the 2023 class on Thursday (Nov. 17) afternoon.
The Hoosiers welcome Ramsey Gary (Libero/Pendleton, Ind.), Ava Vickers (Middle Blocker/Fishers, Ind.) and Luca Fickell (Setter/Cincinnati, Ohio) to the program as a part of the early signing period.
"I wanted to continue to recruit high-character kids," Aird said. "I thought that I wanted people that were great teammates, that would come early and stay late. Do the right things that are required at this level."
Playing against elite competition, Gary and helped lead Munciana Volleyball Club to the 2022 AAU 18U Open National Championship last summer.
She is a two-time club All-American and was named a 2022 Under Armour All-American, the second in the program's 48-year history.
Vickers won her second-consecutive national title with Munciana Volleyball Club after winning in 2021 alongside current IU players Carly Mills and Camryn Haworth.
She and Haworth were high school teammates at Fishers High School where Vickers recorded 736 career kills and set the school's all-time block record with 317.
Gary and Vickers will help comprise a contingent of five Indiana natives on next year's roster (Mills, Haworth and Kenzie Daffinee), all of which played for Munciana.
Fickell, the daughter of University of Cincinnati Football Coach Luke Fickell, comes from an athletic family with elite ties to college athletics.
She played club volleyball for Tri-State Elite and high school ball at St. Ursula Academy where she recorded 698 assists, 249 digs and 253 kills in her career.
"We have a really strong group that's coming back so I felt that it was about adding some depth in some key position," Aird said. "To me, it all came back to how hard these kids work. Their priorities are in the right places, and they come from great families.
The 2023 Recruiting Class
Ramsey Gary • Libero • 5-5 • Pendleton, Ind. (Pendleton Heights High School) (Munciana)
Why IU?
"I chose IU because of the culture, the competitiveness and the amazing players and coaching staff."
Coach Aird on Ramsey Gary
"I think she's one of the premier players at that position in the entire country. It's obviously a crucial position for any program but we've seen time and time again that having a high-end libero can positively affect the program. She'll have the opportunity to compete to start from day one."
Career Highlights
• 2022 Under Armour All-American
• 2022 IHSVCA 3A/4A All-Star
• 4x County Champions
• 1,000+ career digs
• 4x All County, All-State, All-Academic
• 2x Club All-American
• 2022 AAU 18 Open National Champion
• 2022 Club Triple Crown Champions
High School Stats
• 1369 Digs
• 234 Aces
• 139 Kills
Personal
• Daughter of Mark and Kasey Gary
• Intends to Major in Business
Luca Fickell • Setter • 6-1 • Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Ursula Academy) (Tri-State Elite)
Why IU?
"I chose IU because I loved the competitive atmosphere in the gym and the family-like culture that Coach Aird, his staff and the players have created."
Coach Aird on Luca Fickell
"Over the past year, she's come a really long way. She's trained by some people that I trust at a really high level. She comes from an extraordinary family that understands college athletics. I think she's a really bright kid and is making the choice to jump into the deep end to compete at the highest level in the country."
Career Highlights
• 2022 First Team All-Conference
• 2022 First Team All-Region
• 2022 First Team All-State
High School Stats
• 698 Assists
• 253 Kills
• 249 Digs
• 82 Blocks
• 54 Aces
Personal
• Daughter of Luke and Amy Fickell
• Has five siblings: Landon, Laykon, Aydon, Ashton and Lucian
• Intends to Major in Business
Ava Vickers • Middle Blocker • 6-0 • Fishers, Ind. (Fishers) (Munciana)
Why IU?
"I chose IU because it was somewhere that felt like home from the people in the volleyball program, to the people on campus. I loved everything about the school the second I stepped foot on campus. I can really see myself growing as an athlete and student at IU."
Coach Aird on Ava Vickers
"She's an extraordinarily hard worker with a lot of untapped potential. She's still young in the game but competes very hard. Her work rate in training and in matches Is extremely impressive. She isn't scared to compete at the highest level."
Career Highlights
• No. 3 Ranked Player in Indiana (2023 Class)
• First Team All-Conference (2021, 2022)
• First Team All-District (2021, 2022)
• First Team All-State (2022)
• IHSVCA 4A All-Star Team (2022)
• Second Team All-State (2021)
• 2022 AVCA All-American Watch List
• 2021 Sectional Champion
• Holds Career Block Record at Fishers HS
• 2022 and 2021 AAU 18 Open National Champions
• 2022 Club Triple Crown Champions
High School Stats
• 736 Kills
• .345 Hitting Percentage
• 317 Blocks
• 140 Digs
• 86 Aces
• 10 Assists
Personal
• Daughter of Vince and Amy Vickers
• Intends to Major in Business
The Hoosiers welcome Ramsey Gary (Libero/Pendleton, Ind.), Ava Vickers (Middle Blocker/Fishers, Ind.) and Luca Fickell (Setter/Cincinnati, Ohio) to the program as a part of the early signing period.
"I wanted to continue to recruit high-character kids," Aird said. "I thought that I wanted people that were great teammates, that would come early and stay late. Do the right things that are required at this level."
Playing against elite competition, Gary and helped lead Munciana Volleyball Club to the 2022 AAU 18U Open National Championship last summer.
She is a two-time club All-American and was named a 2022 Under Armour All-American, the second in the program's 48-year history.
Vickers won her second-consecutive national title with Munciana Volleyball Club after winning in 2021 alongside current IU players Carly Mills and Camryn Haworth.
She and Haworth were high school teammates at Fishers High School where Vickers recorded 736 career kills and set the school's all-time block record with 317.
Gary and Vickers will help comprise a contingent of five Indiana natives on next year's roster (Mills, Haworth and Kenzie Daffinee), all of which played for Munciana.
Fickell, the daughter of University of Cincinnati Football Coach Luke Fickell, comes from an athletic family with elite ties to college athletics.
She played club volleyball for Tri-State Elite and high school ball at St. Ursula Academy where she recorded 698 assists, 249 digs and 253 kills in her career.
"We have a really strong group that's coming back so I felt that it was about adding some depth in some key position," Aird said. "To me, it all came back to how hard these kids work. Their priorities are in the right places, and they come from great families.
The 2023 Recruiting Class
Ramsey Gary • Libero • 5-5 • Pendleton, Ind. (Pendleton Heights High School) (Munciana)
Why IU?
"I chose IU because of the culture, the competitiveness and the amazing players and coaching staff."
Coach Aird on Ramsey Gary
"I think she's one of the premier players at that position in the entire country. It's obviously a crucial position for any program but we've seen time and time again that having a high-end libero can positively affect the program. She'll have the opportunity to compete to start from day one."
Career Highlights
• 2022 Under Armour All-American
• 2022 IHSVCA 3A/4A All-Star
• 4x County Champions
• 1,000+ career digs
• 4x All County, All-State, All-Academic
• 2x Club All-American
• 2022 AAU 18 Open National Champion
• 2022 Club Triple Crown Champions
High School Stats
• 1369 Digs
• 234 Aces
• 139 Kills
Personal
• Daughter of Mark and Kasey Gary
• Intends to Major in Business
Luca Fickell • Setter • 6-1 • Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Ursula Academy) (Tri-State Elite)
Why IU?
"I chose IU because I loved the competitive atmosphere in the gym and the family-like culture that Coach Aird, his staff and the players have created."
Coach Aird on Luca Fickell
"Over the past year, she's come a really long way. She's trained by some people that I trust at a really high level. She comes from an extraordinary family that understands college athletics. I think she's a really bright kid and is making the choice to jump into the deep end to compete at the highest level in the country."
Career Highlights
• 2022 First Team All-Conference
• 2022 First Team All-Region
• 2022 First Team All-State
High School Stats
• 698 Assists
• 253 Kills
• 249 Digs
• 82 Blocks
• 54 Aces
Personal
• Daughter of Luke and Amy Fickell
• Has five siblings: Landon, Laykon, Aydon, Ashton and Lucian
• Intends to Major in Business
Ava Vickers • Middle Blocker • 6-0 • Fishers, Ind. (Fishers) (Munciana)
Why IU?
"I chose IU because it was somewhere that felt like home from the people in the volleyball program, to the people on campus. I loved everything about the school the second I stepped foot on campus. I can really see myself growing as an athlete and student at IU."
Coach Aird on Ava Vickers
"She's an extraordinarily hard worker with a lot of untapped potential. She's still young in the game but competes very hard. Her work rate in training and in matches Is extremely impressive. She isn't scared to compete at the highest level."
Career Highlights
• No. 3 Ranked Player in Indiana (2023 Class)
• First Team All-Conference (2021, 2022)
• First Team All-District (2021, 2022)
• First Team All-State (2022)
• IHSVCA 4A All-Star Team (2022)
• Second Team All-State (2021)
• 2022 AVCA All-American Watch List
• 2021 Sectional Champion
• Holds Career Block Record at Fishers HS
• 2022 and 2021 AAU 18 Open National Champions
• 2022 Club Triple Crown Champions
High School Stats
• 736 Kills
• .345 Hitting Percentage
• 317 Blocks
• 140 Digs
• 86 Aces
• 10 Assists
Personal
• Daughter of Vince and Amy Vickers
• Intends to Major in Business
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