Penn State women’s volleyball commits Izzy Starck and Ava Falduto are planning to enroll a semester early in January 2024, skipping their final club season to begin training with their new college teammates next spring.
Starck and Falduto confirmed the news to DigNittanyVolleyball earlier this weekend and agreed to answer a few questions about their enrollment decision, the upcoming U19 Pan American Cup, and their club campaigns this spring. The transcripts of their exclusive interviews can be found below.
Two-time All-American setter Gabby Blossom was the last Penn State women’s volleyball player to enroll a semester early. Blossom was a member of the program’s top-ranked 2018 recruiting class. She led San Diego to the Final Four as a fifth-year graduate transfer last fall.
Falduto and Starck verbally committed to the Nittany Lions’ 2024 recruiting class within two days of each other in June 2022, before beginning their junior seasons at IC Catholic Prep and Rampart High School, respectively.
Falduto led the Knights to an Illinois 2A state runner-up finish in 2022. Starck, the reigning Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year, recently said she’s transferring to Viera High School in Melbourne, Florida, for her senior season. The Hawks placed second in the state at the 6A level last fall.
Falduto, who normally plays for 1st Alliance VBC’s 17 Gold team, is playing up a level at this weekend’s USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship in Columbus, Ohio, with 18 Gold, because their libero couldn’t make it, per Falduto. Starck and her Colorado Juniors 17 Kevin teammates are in Reno, Nevada, this weekend for the Far Western National Qualifier. Both are scheduled to compete in this year’s 17s GJNC June 28-July 6 in Chicago, Illinois.
Starck and Falduto are among 20 players who will soon travel to Anaheim, California, for a week of training April 30-May 6 in anticipation of a final 12-player roster being named for the 2023 NORCECA U19 Pan American Cup May 9-14 in Ciudad de Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico. Starck helped the U.S. win gold at the 2022 U19 Pan American Cup last July in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in her age-group youth national team debut.
Starck has already earned an invite to the Under Armour All-America Volleyball Match later this year, doing so at the first UA Next camp stop in Louisville, Kentucky. Falduto said she’s planning to participate in the July 7 camp in her home city of Chicago in hopes of receiving her golden ticket to join Starck in Orlando, Florida. Starck was elevated to the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class in Prep Dig’s latest rankings update.
Why did you ultimately decide it was in your best interest to enroll early? How excited are you to get to campus in January?
Starck: “I decided to come early to really get a head start in the college volleyball world. The coaches were very open to me coming early when I committed, and I took some time to really consider it, but I couldn’t turn down a chance to train with the team sooner. I am very excited, because I think that us doing it together will be a lot more fun and a better experience. I was the first one to make the decision to come early, and once I did some convincing, Ava wanted to join me, and I couldn’t be happier with that.”
Falduto: “I decided it was in my best interest to enroll early because of the opportunity to get to work with the team and coaches before the fall, and the ability to ease into the college life and schedule before summer and the fall season. I am so beyond excited that Izzy and I are both going early, and I’m looking forward to training with her and the rest of the team.”
What are you most looking forward to about competing for a spot on the U19 Pan American Cup team in a few days?
Starck: “I am the most excited to be around the best in the country. All the girls in this training are driven and want the same thing, so it’s a rare atmosphere to be in, but I love it. I am also very excited to train with Ava, because we don’t get a lot of chances to play with each other, so I am excited to play with her for a week.”
Falduto: “I am most looking forward to being able to train with 20 studs for a week and getting better and learning as a player. I am looking forward to the challenging competition and gutting it out for a spot on the roster. I am also really looking forward to training with Izzy and getting a preview of college playing with her.”
What does the rest of your club schedule look like? What are your goals before nationals in Chicago this summer?
Starck: “We have a qualifier in Reno this weekend, where I think we have a really good shot at placing. At nationals, I think we have a great shot to get in the top five. We have had one of our best seasons and we are constantly getting better, so I think we have a great shot.”
Falduto: “We have two local tournaments left and then we have nationals in July. I am really excited, and the goal is to finish my club career on a win and win the whole thing.”