Volleyball and Head Coach Ali Skayhan Completes Signing Class, Welcoming Three Transfers for 2025 Season
6/4/2025 3:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – As the 2024-25 academic year has come to a close and the 2025-26 academic year fast approaching, USC Upstate volleyball head coach excitedly announces three additions to her third signing class, creating an eight-player class of newcomers for the 2025 season.
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Below are player capsules for the program's newcomers: Emma DeSensi (Louisville, Ky.; Colorado), Cora Hamilton (Enterprise, Fla.; Daytona State), and Katia Nikolic (Saint John, Ind.; UAB).
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Emma DeSensi | Libero/Defensive Specialist | 5-6 | R-Jr. | Louisville, Ky. | Colorado
Transferred to USC Upstate after spending three seasons (2022-24) at Colorado … As a redshirt sophomore, appeared in two matches, playing in three sets … As a redshirt freshman, named to the Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll … Did not appear in any matches … As a freshman, did not appear in any matches, taking a redshirt … Attended Assumption High School (Louisville, Ky.) … Helped AHS to 46 wins during her interscholastic career … Helped the Rockets to a Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Tournament Quarterfinal appearance as a junior in 2020 … Helped AHS to a KHSAA Region 7 Championship as a junior in 2020 … Accrued 280 digs, 58 service aces, five assists, three kills, and one total block during her interscholastic career … Collected a career-high 209 digs (2.30 per set) as a senior in 2021 … Landed a career-best 43 service aces (0.47 per set) as a senior in 2021 … Named KHSAA All-District 26 as a senior in 2021 … Named to the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association All-State Watch list as a junior in 2020 and a senior in 2021 … Earned KHSAA Academic Honors as a junior in 2020 and a senior in 2021 … A member of the Assumption program that captured consecutive KHSAA State Tournament titles in 2018 (43-0) and 2019 (undefeated versus KHSAA competition) … Competed for KIVA at the club level … Helped KIVA to the AAU National Championship in 2018 … Helped KIVA to three straight JVA World Challenge titles from 2017-19 … Helped KIVA to seven additional major tournament championships … Her father, Craig, played baseball at Notre Dame (1992-95) and her grandfather, William, played football at Kentucky (1968-70).
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Cora Hamilton | Middle Blocker | 5-11 | Jr. | Enterprise, Fla. | Daytona State
Transferred to USC Upstate after spending two seasons (2023-24) at Daytona State … As a sophomore, appeared in 16 matches, playing in 51 sets … Recorded 58 kills (1.14 per set) on the season … Posted a .268 hitting efficiency … Registered 50 total blocks (0.98 per set; four solo blocks and 46 block assists) … Added 18 digs, seven service aces, and six assists on the season … Recorded a season-high eight kills on three occasions: versus Missouri State-West Plains on 8/23/24; versus Utah State Eastern on 8/24/24; and versus Polk State College on 10/5/24 … Recorded a season-high six total blocks on four occasions: versus Missouri State-West Plains on 8/23/24; versus Utah State Eastern on 8/24/24; versus Miami Dade College on 10/2/24; and versus Hillsborough CC on 11/2/24 … Recorded four-plus total blocks in eight matches … As a freshman, appeared in 31 matches, playing in 114 sets … Recorded 19 kills (0.80 per set) on the season … Posted a .330 hitting efficiency …Registered 95 total blocks (0.88 per set; nine solo blocks and 86 block assists) … Added 18 digs and six assists on the season … Recorded a season-high seven kills on two occasions: versus Snow College on 8/19/23 and versus Utah State Eastern on 8/25/23 ... Recorded a season-high eight total blocks, two solo blocks and six block assists, versus Monroe College on 9/8/23 … Recorded four-plus total blocks in 13 matches … Attended Deland (Fla.) High School … Two-sport letterwinner, competing in volleyball and beach volleyball ... Helped DHS to three straight Florida High School Athletic Association 7A Sweet 16 appearances … Helped the Bulldogs to 56 wins during her interscholastic career … Accrued 261 kills, 177 total blocks, 168 digs, and 39 service aces over 236 sets during her interscholastic career … Collected a career-high 132 kills (1.63 per set) as a senior in 2022 … Totaled a career-high 81 total blocks (1.00 per set) as a senior in 2021 … Competed for DME and Top Select on the club level.
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Katia Nikolic | Outside Hitter/Right-Side Hitter | 6-0 | Jr. | Saint John, Ind. | UAB
Transferred to USC Upstate after spending two seasons (2023-24) at UAB … As a sophomore, appeared in 24 matches, playing in 72 sets … Recorded one kill on the season … Posted a 1.000 hitting efficiency … Added 27 digs and 18 service aces on the season … Recorded a season-high one kill versus Tulsa on 9/27/24 … Dug up a career-high six balls versus Tulsa on 9/27/24 … Landed a career-high three service aces on two occasions: versus Samford on 9/21/24 and versus Florida Atlantic on 11/15/24 … As a freshman, appeared in four matches, playing in nine sets … Recorded 13 kills (1.44 per set) on the season … Added six digs, three total blocks, and one assist on the season … Recorded a career-high nine kills and 10.0 points versus Memphis on 10/13/23 … Dug up a season-high four digs versus Memphis on 10/13/23 … Attended Lake Central High School (Saint John, Ind.) … Helped LCHS to an Indiana High School Athletic Association 4A State Tournament Final Four appearance … Helped the Indians to 87 wins during her interscholastic career … Accrued 525 kills, 165 digs, 85 total blocks, 45 service aces, and 14 assists during her interscholastic career … Collected a career-high 301 kills (2.71 per set) as a senior in 2022 … Dug up a career-high 109 digs (0.98 per set) as a senior in 2022 … Named to the Indiana 3A/4A All-Star North Team as a senior in 2022 … Named All-Conference, All-District, and All-Area during her interscholastic career … Competed for Michio Volleyball Academy on the club level.
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Connect with the SpartansÂ
Facebook.com/UpstateAthleticsÂ
Twitter | @UpstateVB | @UpstateSpartansÂ
Instagram | @UpstateVB | @UpstateSpartansÂ
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
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INVEST IN CHAMPIONS - Join the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF) and enjoy enhanced benefits for your support of all USC Upstate programs! Make your gift today, click here!
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Below are player capsules for the program's newcomers: Emma DeSensi (Louisville, Ky.; Colorado), Cora Hamilton (Enterprise, Fla.; Daytona State), and Katia Nikolic (Saint John, Ind.; UAB).
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Emma DeSensi | Libero/Defensive Specialist | 5-6 | R-Jr. | Louisville, Ky. | Colorado
Transferred to USC Upstate after spending three seasons (2022-24) at Colorado … As a redshirt sophomore, appeared in two matches, playing in three sets … As a redshirt freshman, named to the Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll … Did not appear in any matches … As a freshman, did not appear in any matches, taking a redshirt … Attended Assumption High School (Louisville, Ky.) … Helped AHS to 46 wins during her interscholastic career … Helped the Rockets to a Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Tournament Quarterfinal appearance as a junior in 2020 … Helped AHS to a KHSAA Region 7 Championship as a junior in 2020 … Accrued 280 digs, 58 service aces, five assists, three kills, and one total block during her interscholastic career … Collected a career-high 209 digs (2.30 per set) as a senior in 2021 … Landed a career-best 43 service aces (0.47 per set) as a senior in 2021 … Named KHSAA All-District 26 as a senior in 2021 … Named to the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association All-State Watch list as a junior in 2020 and a senior in 2021 … Earned KHSAA Academic Honors as a junior in 2020 and a senior in 2021 … A member of the Assumption program that captured consecutive KHSAA State Tournament titles in 2018 (43-0) and 2019 (undefeated versus KHSAA competition) … Competed for KIVA at the club level … Helped KIVA to the AAU National Championship in 2018 … Helped KIVA to three straight JVA World Challenge titles from 2017-19 … Helped KIVA to seven additional major tournament championships … Her father, Craig, played baseball at Notre Dame (1992-95) and her grandfather, William, played football at Kentucky (1968-70).
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Cora Hamilton | Middle Blocker | 5-11 | Jr. | Enterprise, Fla. | Daytona State
Transferred to USC Upstate after spending two seasons (2023-24) at Daytona State … As a sophomore, appeared in 16 matches, playing in 51 sets … Recorded 58 kills (1.14 per set) on the season … Posted a .268 hitting efficiency … Registered 50 total blocks (0.98 per set; four solo blocks and 46 block assists) … Added 18 digs, seven service aces, and six assists on the season … Recorded a season-high eight kills on three occasions: versus Missouri State-West Plains on 8/23/24; versus Utah State Eastern on 8/24/24; and versus Polk State College on 10/5/24 … Recorded a season-high six total blocks on four occasions: versus Missouri State-West Plains on 8/23/24; versus Utah State Eastern on 8/24/24; versus Miami Dade College on 10/2/24; and versus Hillsborough CC on 11/2/24 … Recorded four-plus total blocks in eight matches … As a freshman, appeared in 31 matches, playing in 114 sets … Recorded 19 kills (0.80 per set) on the season … Posted a .330 hitting efficiency …Registered 95 total blocks (0.88 per set; nine solo blocks and 86 block assists) … Added 18 digs and six assists on the season … Recorded a season-high seven kills on two occasions: versus Snow College on 8/19/23 and versus Utah State Eastern on 8/25/23 ... Recorded a season-high eight total blocks, two solo blocks and six block assists, versus Monroe College on 9/8/23 … Recorded four-plus total blocks in 13 matches … Attended Deland (Fla.) High School … Two-sport letterwinner, competing in volleyball and beach volleyball ... Helped DHS to three straight Florida High School Athletic Association 7A Sweet 16 appearances … Helped the Bulldogs to 56 wins during her interscholastic career … Accrued 261 kills, 177 total blocks, 168 digs, and 39 service aces over 236 sets during her interscholastic career … Collected a career-high 132 kills (1.63 per set) as a senior in 2022 … Totaled a career-high 81 total blocks (1.00 per set) as a senior in 2021 … Competed for DME and Top Select on the club level.
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Katia Nikolic | Outside Hitter/Right-Side Hitter | 6-0 | Jr. | Saint John, Ind. | UAB
Transferred to USC Upstate after spending two seasons (2023-24) at UAB … As a sophomore, appeared in 24 matches, playing in 72 sets … Recorded one kill on the season … Posted a 1.000 hitting efficiency … Added 27 digs and 18 service aces on the season … Recorded a season-high one kill versus Tulsa on 9/27/24 … Dug up a career-high six balls versus Tulsa on 9/27/24 … Landed a career-high three service aces on two occasions: versus Samford on 9/21/24 and versus Florida Atlantic on 11/15/24 … As a freshman, appeared in four matches, playing in nine sets … Recorded 13 kills (1.44 per set) on the season … Added six digs, three total blocks, and one assist on the season … Recorded a career-high nine kills and 10.0 points versus Memphis on 10/13/23 … Dug up a season-high four digs versus Memphis on 10/13/23 … Attended Lake Central High School (Saint John, Ind.) … Helped LCHS to an Indiana High School Athletic Association 4A State Tournament Final Four appearance … Helped the Indians to 87 wins during her interscholastic career … Accrued 525 kills, 165 digs, 85 total blocks, 45 service aces, and 14 assists during her interscholastic career … Collected a career-high 301 kills (2.71 per set) as a senior in 2022 … Dug up a career-high 109 digs (0.98 per set) as a senior in 2022 … Named to the Indiana 3A/4A All-Star North Team as a senior in 2022 … Named All-Conference, All-District, and All-Area during her interscholastic career … Competed for Michio Volleyball Academy on the club level.
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Connect with the SpartansÂ
Facebook.com/UpstateAthleticsÂ
Twitter | @UpstateVB | @UpstateSpartansÂ
Instagram | @UpstateVB | @UpstateSpartansÂ
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
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INVEST IN CHAMPIONS - Join the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF) and enjoy enhanced benefits for your support of all USC Upstate programs! Make your gift today, click here!
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