Men's Volleyball Signs Four Players For 2013 Season
May 2, 2012
Los Angeles, Calif. - The UCLA men's volleyball team has announced the signing of four student-athletes for the upcoming 2012-2013 season. Joining the Bruins this fall will be quick hitter/outside hitter Danny Demyanenko, outside hitters Nick Porterfield and Sean Gruebner and quick hitter Kyle Palmer.
Demyanenko is a 6'6 quick hitter/outside hitter who attended St. Michael's College School in Toronto, Canada. He helped lead his club team Crush to four consecutive Canadian National Championships and represented Canada twice as a beach volleyball player in both the Youth (U-19) and Junior (U-21) World Championships in 2011, helping Canada to a 5th and 4th place finish respectively. Demyanenko was also named the National MVP at the U-17 National Indoor Championships as a member of Crush in 2010 and led St. Michael's to the OFSAA 'AAAA' provincial championship in 2010 and 2011. For his efforts, he was named St. Michael's College School 2011 Overall Best Student Athlete.
Porterfield is an outside hitter who will be graduating from Loyola High School this June with highest honors. In 2011, he was named to the Junior National Championships U-17 All-Tournament Team and represented the United States in the 2011 U-19 World Beach Championships in Umag, Croatia. In 2012, Porterfield was selected as the MVP of the Best of the West Tournament and was chosen as one of the Men's Junior National High Performance 2012 A2 Program.
An outside hitter from Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, Sean Gruebner was a three-year letterman at Punahou and helped lead the team to an undefeated season and No. 1 ranking in the nation in 2010. He was an All-State Fab 15 selection in 2011 and was selected to the Boys' USA Volleyball 2011 High Performance Youth A2 Program. In 2012, Gruebner was named to the Best of the West All-Tournament Team and was selected as the captain for both Punahou and Outrigger Canoe Club 18.
Kyle Palmer is a middle blocker from Servite and earned an All-League selection for the Friars. He also recorded 38 kills, a .475 hitting percentage and 18 blocks in leading Servite to a second place finish at the 2012 Best of the West Tournament. In addition, Palmer was named third-team All-County in 2011.
The four players will join fellow incoming freshmen Jack Hughson, Steve O'Dell and John Zappia as members of UCLA's volleyball team this fall.