Women's Volleyball Signs Two to NLI
11/10/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
MALIBU, Calif. — The Pepperdine women's volleyball team signed Rosie Ballo and Savana Greene to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday afternoon, as announced by Head Coach Scott Wong and the Waves' coaching staff.
"Savana and Rosie are gifted volleyball athletes that are a great fit for the Pepperdine community," said Wong. "Rosie is a strong middle blocker that already has the ability to take over the net as a blocker and will be someone that won't be able to be overlooked as an attacker. Savana is a well-rounded and skilled outside hitter that will be able to contribute in many aspects of the game. Savana's desire to become great is what caught my attention while recruiting her and I believe that will fuel her continued development as a great volleyball player."
Rosie Ballo is from Laguna Niguel, Calif. and will graduate from Dana Hills High School in 2018. She played club for 949 Volleyball Club in 14's and 15's and TStreet Volleyball Club for 17's and 18's. While playing with TStreet, she and the team earned a USA Volleyball Girls 18's Junior National Championships Bronze medal in 2017. She was also voted Track and Field most Improved in 2015 and Most Valuable Player in 2016.
She was an AP Scholar and earned Superintendent's/Principal's Honor Roll accolades in 2015, 2016 and 2017. She recently went on a school mission trip to Thailand with the DHHS Peace Corps Club, where she and her group helped paint and irrigate a local school in the village of Mai Sariang. She stated the trip "sparked an interest in traveling to less fortunate areas and providing them with service they need."
She said an interesting fact about herself is that she is the only person from her family not born in the United States. Her mother was born in Poland and father in Africa, while her older brother and sister were also born in Poland.
"I chose Pepperdine because of how welcoming the coaches and staff were and the family feeling they proved," stated Ballo. "When I first visited the campus, I felt more comfortable than I had on any other campus and I got the feeling I was home. That's when I knew Pepperdine was the place for me."
Savana Greene joins the Waves from Kaneohe, Hawai'i and will graduate from Punahou School in 2018. While at Punahou, she was named Division II All-Conference first team in 2014 and earned the 2017 Dodge Parker Most Outstanding Player award and a spot on the 2017 Ann Kang Invitational All-Tournament Team. She was also named to the PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces 150 lists and PrepVolleyball Frosh 59 Highest honorable mention team. She earned first place at the 2014 Hawai'i Prep Sand Volleyball Championships and 2nd place finishes at the AAU Beach Nationals in 2015 and Hawai'i Prep Beach Volleyball Championships in 2015 and 2016.
Greene played club for Ka Ulukoa from 2010-12, Jammers Volleyball Club in 2013, Kevin Wong's Spike and Serve Volleyball Club from 2014-15, Imi'Ike 18's under coach Robyn Ah Mow-Santos in 2016, Ku'Ikahi 18's in 2017 and Manoa Beach Club in 2018 for 18's. She earned fifth at Beach Nationals in 2013, third in 2014 and ninth in 2015 and garnered a CBVA AAA Beach rating in 2016, while finishing 11th at the AAU Open in 2016 and 2017 and 15th and 8th place at the 2017 NIT Triple Crown. In 2017, she ranked No. 1 in the state of Hawai'i on the beach.
She was born in Heidelberg, Germany and her sister Sierra was born in Seoul, South Korea due to her father's active military duty. Her father Ian played for Norwich University Rugby and Ski Teams and was born in Orleans, France as his parents worked for the U.S. State Department and her mother was born in Phoenix, Arizona.
"I chose Pepperdine because the school embodies everything I value," stated Greene. "A close-knit community, high academic standards, the focus on Christian faith, a competitive volleyball team, and a beautiful environment. For those reasons, I believe Pepperdine is the perfect fit for me."
Follow the Waves on Facebook and Twitter @WavesVolleyball for immediate updates, recaps and more.
