DAVIS, Calif. -- Prospective student-athletes Bailey Herdman and Megan Luly each submitted their National Letters of Intent to compete for UC Davis beach volleyball, announced new head coach Ali McCollloch during the November signing period. These are the first two NLI signees for the program, which begins its inaugural season in March 2019.
Herdman, of Leesburg, Virginia; and Luly, of Encinitas, California; are seniors at their respective high schools and will enroll at the university in the fall of 2019.
Herdman helped the Oakton, Virginia-based Flint Hill School to back-to-back Independent School League championships before boarding at the Club Med NVL Volleyball Academy in Port St. Lucie, Florida for her junior and senior years. On the sand, she currently plays as her team's top seed, while in the classroom, she remains on pace for a 4.0 grade-point average and the nod of class valedictorian.
Luly will graduate from Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, California, where she competed in three years of indoor volleyball and enters her fourth season on the beach scene. She led her indoor team in kills as a junior, garnering team MVP accolades while helping the Firebirds to a third-place San Diego Section finish and a berth in the CIF state tourney. Luly also has 12 combined volleyball seasons – five indoors, seven in beach – for the Del Mar-based Wave VBC. She currently owns 11 first-place finishes plus 38 second- and third-place performances in beach volleyball. Luly also placed fifth at the AVP First and AAU Pan Pacific 18U national tourneys last summer.
McColloch will also conduct a tryout for current UC Davis students on December 29. Interested players may contact her directly at alimccolloch@ucdavis.edu. The Aggies begin their inaugural season of beach volleyball on March 2 with duals against San Francisco and host Sacramento State. The team's opener will be on Saturday, April 13 as part of the university's Picnic Day festivities.
ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
