Four Lady Sharks Receive Volleyball Scholarships
The Miami Dade College volleyball team had an impressive season. With a 26-1 record, the Lady Sharks finished third at the National Junior College Athletic Association National Tournament for the second season in a row.
Now, four players on the Lady Sharks’ roster will continue their collegiate journeys after receiving athletic scholarships. The group includes sophomores Paola Pimentel, Ana Araujo and Camila de la Rosa, and freshman Hannah Kemerer.
Pimentel, a defensive specialist from Brazil, will continue her studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, Georgia. Last season, the Yellow Jackets reached the second round of the National College Athletic Association Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship and finished with a 14-5 record.
During her tenure at MDC, Pimentel totaled 1,187 digs and was named to the Florida College System Athletics Association All-Tournament Team and First-Team All-Southern Conference after her sophomore campaign. She also received the Most Outstanding Player Award during this year’s State Tournament.
“It will definitely be a challenge but I’m super excited for this new experience,” Pimentel said. “GT is a great school that will add a lot to my business career and I’m sure I’ll be able to grow a lot as a person and as a player.”
Camila de la Rosa, who received second-team All-America honors in her two seasons at MDC, will transfer to Florida International University. Last season, the Panthers had a 3-10 record. They last appeared in the NCAA National Tournament in 2009.
The setter will reunite with former MDC teammate Yaniris Miller-Green. In two years with the Lady Sharks, De la Rosa totaled 2,066 assists and 458 digs. She was also named to the FCSAA All-State team and first-team All-Southern Conference in her sophomore year.
Ana Araujo, who is also from Brazil, will attend Webber International University, a private school in Babson Park, in Central Florida. The Warriors compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). They finished the 2020 season with a 6-14 record.
The setter averaged 4.82 assists and 1.36 digs per set in 24 matches during her sophomore campaign. She had a season-high 23 assists during the Lady Sharks’ 3-0 victory against State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota on Feb. 20.
Freshman middle blocker/right-side hitter Hannah Kemmerer is transferring to Stonehill College, a private school in Easton, Massachusetts. The Skyhawks compete in the NCAA DII level and only played three games (2-1) during the 2020-21 season. Kemmerer, a dual-sport athlete in high school, averaged 2.17 digs per set for the Lady Sharks’ this year in limited playing time.
Sophomores Kaylon Cruickshank and Sara Da Silva have yet to commit to a transfer school.
