The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Gilmour junior libero commits to Pittsburgh
Gilmour junior libero Emmy Klika has committed to continuing her volleyball career collegiately at Pittsburgh. Klika is part of a young returning squad that advanced to the 2018 D-II elite eight.
Emmy Klika attended a camp at Pittsburgh during the summer, where she needed only one day to impress the Panthers’ coaching staff.
Klika received a phone call later that night, when Pitt informed her of its interest based on Klika’s passing and defensive ability. Aug. 1, the junior committed to play volleyball for the Panthers.
“That’s the one thing they saw,” Klika said, “was my consistency with getting passes to target no matter what my form was like. I fought off balls and got them to target as much as I could. I think that’s what stood out about me, and my effort on defense, I think.”
Klika, a two-year starter for Coach Dan Coughlin at Gilmour, said she chose the Panthers over opportunities at West Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth, William and Mary and Hofstra. Pitt’s roster currently includes a pair of former area players in redshirt senior Stephanie Williams, a Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin alumnus, and freshman Ashley Browske — the 2018 News-Herald Player of the Year from Lake Catholic. Klika chose Pitt for its prowess in volleyball and academics. Head coach Dan Fisher led the Panthers to a 30-2 record, their first outright Atlantic Coast Conference championship, the program’s first top-five coaches poll ranking and Pitt’s third straight NCAA Tournament berth in 2018.
Klika was also drawn to Pitt’s urban campus located in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, a few miles away from downtown.
“I think Pitt has a very high academic reputation, and their program is ranked 14th in the country right now,” Klika said. “I was looking for something that had both. They’re really well-known.”
Klika ranked second among the Lancers last season with 4.3 digs per set, behind senior libero Kenzie O’Connor. Next to her sister, freshman Lainey, and sophomore Brooke Clair, Klika will lead a back row that will rank among Ohio’s most formidable in 2019.
Klika expects to be prepared for the college level when she concludes her career at Gilmour in Coughlin’s elite program.
“She had a lot of choices and she made the best one for her,” Coughlin said. “She wanted the education level that Pitt offers, she wanted the challenge of going into an established program that’s successful and earning whatever she gets.”
The Lancers finished 2018 14-13 and fell to Lake Catholic in the Division II Stow Regional final. Gilmour counts two seniors on its rosters, but returns a wealth of experienced underclassmen.
Klika looks forward to the 2019 season based on her team’s camaraderie and depth.
“We’re all so close, and we’re all like best friends,” Klika said. “So I think the chemistry this season is going to be amazing. I think that’s what’s going to bring us above anybody else. We’ll do anything for each other, and I think that the chemistry will really help our play improve, too.”