Russ Rose Then (2001): “Ashley is a player who we need to do some things as a freshman. She was the player of the year in South Dakota a couple of times, and is athletic and quick. I think her athleticism is something we may call on as a freshman and find some more opportunities fo her to use it to the team’s advantage. She’ll develop as she gets comfortable with the speed and physical nature of the college game. We hnow she has the physical tools.”
Russ Rose Now (2025): “Ashley was an incredible athlete at Roosevelt High School in South Dakota. She could have been a college basketball player as well. She was kind of a unicorn at that time. She was an outside hitter, and in warm ups, she would hit a one-ball and she would bounce it. It’s hard to know what you’re gonna get with people when you recruit them — it’s easy to just look at some physical attributes. Ashley was very physical, she had a great arm, and she had a great jump. She carried us in a lot of matches and I never had to worry about her playing hard. Ashley and Syndie Nadeau were great pals, and always had smiles on their faces. And they were mischievous, which I liked. I was really pleased with what Ashley could do on the court and with her willingness to change positions to help the team. She was an outside, but on serve-reception you have to hit middle. Some players come out of club and are apprehensive to expand their horizons to help the team. But Ashley was somebody who was willing to do that. She coached in college after playing pro ball. Ashley was a great talent and she was tough. I’ve always been a big fan.”
2001 Season (Freshman) Season Recap: Played in 69 of 108 sets … ranked 5th on the team with 2.04 kills/set … averaged 1.54 digs/set … saw the first action of her career vs. Villanova (8/31) totaling 3 kills and 3 digs … sparked Penn State to a five-set, reverse-sweep upset of No. 5 Wisconsin (10/27), with 8 kills, 6 of which came in the fourth and fifth sets of the Lions’ come-from-behind victory … started match vs. Purdue (11/2) and responded with 10 kills and .350 hitting percentage … totaled 12 kills, 10 digs, and 4 blocks in 4-set win at Indiana (11/10), the first double-double of her career … had 12 kills, 6 digs, and 4 blocks in loss to Michigan State (11/17) … recorded career-high 5 aces in 5-set win at Minnesota (11/24).
NCAA Tournament: Tallied 7 digs and 5 kills in 3-set win over Fairfield in 1st round of the NCAA Tournament (11/30) … had 5 kills and 4 digs in 3-set loss to UCLA (12/1) in NCAA Tournament 2nd Round.
Before Penn State: A four-year starter at Roosevelt High; led the team to the South Dakota State Championship in 2000; earned first-team All-State honors in each of her last three seasons; ended her prep career as Roosevelt’s all-time leader in kills and aces; also posted the highest hitting percentage in the schools history at .452; was chosen to participate in the 1998 Colorado Olympic Training and was a Youth National Team alternate in 1998 and 1999; also enjoyed a highly successful basketball career as she led the Roosevelt hoops squad to 83-consecutive wins and four-straight state titles; Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection; honored as the 2001 South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year.
“Penn State hitter picks up milestone,” The Daily Collegian, Sept. 13, 2004