National recruiting distinguishes Rutgers

Through a quick look at the Rutgers volleyball team, it appears to have a similar makeup to any other squad in Division 1 athletics.

But if one takes a closer look, they will find that the Scarlet Knights (6-5) are different from most teams in just about every way.

The Knights feature only one player from the state of New Jersey, for one. They are also the only Rutgers team that does not have multiple New Jersey natives on the team.

Most college athletics programs, like Rutgers, rely on homegrown talent and recruiting in their backyard to find quality players to fill out the roster.

For the volleyball team, the coaching staff has a number of challenges when it comes to recruiting.

“Volleyball is not rich in the Northeast, so it puts limitations on finding and developing homegrown players and forces us to look outside the region, which brings us to other parts of the country,” said head coach CJ Werneke.

Besides junior middle blocker Lea Williams, who is from Plainsboro, New Jersey, the next closest player is from Ohio.

The Knights also feature seven players from California, including junior libero Ali Schroeter.

“I came to Rutgers because it had everything I wanted,” Schroeter said. “Its academic standing and location is great for my major, moving out to the East Coast has been a great change, and I get to play the sport I love with a great group of girls.”

Recruiting players from all around the nation requires a specific focus and evaluation process, according to Werneke. He and his coaching staff have developed a standard for what they look for in every play they come across.

“We look at a number of different qualities in all of our players,” Werneke said. “The physical tools such as size and athletic ability are important, and we look at specific skill sets to see how each recruit would fit in here. We try to find the right balance between the different personalities and traits of each player to shape the team to how we see fit.”

So far, the recruiting strategy has worked out well for the Knights.

Rutgers has started the season 6-5, a record most did not expect through 11 games.

The Knights have continued to win for a number of reasons and have gotten contributions from different players.

One of those players is true freshman setter Talia Holze. The Illinois native has frequently played for the Knights in the early season and established herself as a key member of the starting rotation.

Her decision to commit to Rutgers came from a number of factors.

“The number one reason I came here was how much I liked the team and this group of girls,”Holze said. “When I came on a visit here, I was impressed with how the coaching staff ran everything, and they really pitched me on being part of the process to grow volleyball here at Rutgers and develop the program as a whole.”

With an added emphasis on the product on the court, the Knights should continue to see recruits from around the nation express interest in coming to Rutgers.

Werneke knows the continued development of the program will only help increase the exposure for his team in the coming years.

“The Rutgers brand has helped us recruit across all parts of the country,” Werneke said. “I think the academic reputation here, the athletic branding and the Rutgers name really attracts people here.”

For updates on the Rutgers volleyball team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.