DULUTH, Minn. – Head coach Jim Boos and the University of Minnesota Duluth volleyball program have complemented their success on the court this season with the announcement of a quintet of newcomers arriving on campus in the fall of 2020 during the fall signing period.

Four Minnesota high school products and a Wisconsin native make up the group of Bulldog signees inked on National Signing Day 2019.

"We are extremely excited to bring in these five amazing student-athletes," said Boos. "They are an extremely intelligent group of young women who will help continue our tradition of academic excellence. In addition, with the graduation of five seniors, these five will help in replacing what is lost from graduation as they will add tremendous athleticism and physical upside as well as high-level volleyball IQ and experience. We expect great things from this class and look forward to watching each of them learn and grow in our program. We are pleased to welcome these five players to UMD!"



Grace Daak, a 6-foot-3-inch middle blocker from Hutchinson, Minnesota will join UMD next season on the front lines. She has played four seasons of varsity volleyball for Hutchinson High School under head coach Dennis Piechowski. This fall, she represented the Tigers on the Class AAA All-State First Team while also earning All-Wright County Conference honors and an All-State Academic Award from the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Volleyball Coaches Association. 

Daak played her club volleyball for Minnesota Select and Kandi Elite, earning AAU Academic All-American Awards in 2019 and landing on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Phenom Watch List in 2018. Daak also participated in varsity track & field during the spring of 2015 and 2016. Off the court, she served as a member of National Honor Society and a Junior Honor Marshall. Her parents are Lori and Scott Daak. She plans to major in biology with a pre-dental track at UMD.



An outside hitter and defensive specialist, Avery Eckman joins the Bulldogs after a four-year playing career at Brainerd High School for head coach Rick Kuehlwein. The 5-foot-10-inch Eckman earned three consecutive team MVP awards, leading the Warriors in kills during the past season seasons and serving as the team captain.  She is a three-time All-Central Lakes Conference selection who totaled over 1,000 kills in her prep career and earned MSHSL Volleyball Coaches Academic All-State honors in her senior campaign.

Eckman played her club volleyball for the Brainerd Valkyrie. She competed in track & field for four seasons in the high jump and participated in National Honor Society, Warrior Strength Program, and volunteered at the Baxter Elementary School and Women's Center. Her parents are Kari and Nathan Eckman. She is undecided on a major at UMD.



The lone athlete coming from outside the state, Maddi Kealy comes to Bulldog Country from River Falls, Wisconsin. The 5-foot-10-inch setter from River Falls High School led the Wildcats in set assists each of the last two seasons, competing at the varsity level for three seasons for head coach Sara Kealy.  This fall, Kealy earned First Team All-Big Rivers Conference honors and an All-State Honorable Mention while serving as team captain. Last year, she earned All-Conference Second Team honors and the conference Academic honors. 

Kealy played her club volleyball with Kokoro along with fellow signee Cianna Selbitschka. She also played basketball during her prep career, lettering in two seasons as a post player. Off the court, she was a member of student council and pep club. She comes from an athletic background as her mother, Staci Schmidt, played basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Her father is Mike Kealy. She is undecided on a major at UMD.



A 5-foot-10-inch defensive specialist from Eagan, Minnesota, Kaylyn Madison joins the Bulldogs after serving as the starting libero for Eagan High School and head coach Kathy Gillen in the last two seasons, while playing varsity for four. She helped lead the Wildcats to three-consecutive MSHSL Class AAA State championship matches. Serving as team captain this season, she led the team to a 31-1 season, earning All-South Suburban Conference honors and a selection to the Class AAA All-State First Team. She also earned All-State Tournament team honors in her junior campaign.

Madison is the younger sister of former Bulldog Kelly Madison ('17). She played her club volleyball for Northern Lights. Off the court, she participated in student government and played as Pit Captain and Ms. Hospitality. Her parents are Roxanne and John Madison. She plans to major in marketing at UMD.



Rounding out the class, Cianna Selbitschka arrives on campus next fall following a five-year prep career for North Branch Area High School. The 5-foot-10-inch outside hitter from North Branch served as team captain in 2019 for the Vikings under her head coach and father, Michael Selbitschka. She earned Best Defensive Player honors from the Mississippi 8 Conference in 2017 and Best Offensive Player honors the past two years while earning All-Conference selections in each of the last four seasons. She also earned All-State honors in 2018 and 2019 and finished as a finalist for the Ms. Baden award for the top volleyball player in Minnesota. This week, she was one of two student athletes committed to NCAA Division II schools to earn Under Armour Girls' High School All-America honors, landing an Honorable Mention for the national award presented by the AVCA.

Selbitschka also played her club volleyball for Kokoro. She also competed for three seasons of basketball as a point guard, earning team MVP and best offensive player honors during her prep career. She also participated in National Honor Society. Her mother is Carla Selbitschka. She plans to major in exercise science at UMD.

The five student athletes join a Bulldog program that currently ranks fifth in the nation with a 23-3 overall record, 16-2 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in the hunt for the team's 25th conference championship.

Follow UMD Athletics all season long by connecting with the Bulldogs on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribing to the Bulldog Productions channel on YouTube. Tickets for all Bulldog home contests are available by accessing your My Bulldog Account, or clicking here.