Bartlett's Hayers gets scholarship at Radford

Bartlett outside hitter Emily Hayes doesn't back down when faced with competition, and she has a college scholarship to show for it.

First-year Radford University coach Marci Jenkins invited Hayes and another recruit to compete at an east coast volleyball camp in July in order to decide which girl would land a Division-I scholarship to play for the Highlanders, who compete in the Big South Conference.

Jenkins liked what she saw from the 6-foot-2 senior, who last season was selected to the Daily Herald All-Area team and was named All-Upstate Eight Conference honorable mention. Hayes was offered a full ride shortly after she returned home to Bartlett in late July.

"(Jenkins) chose me over the other girl and I verbally committed," said Hayes, who will sign with the Virginia school in November. "Ever since it's been like a dream."

Hayes helped her own recruitment by e-mailing Jenkins with a link to her skills video, which was produced by Sports Performance, the club volleyball organization with which she has competed for four years.

The video piqued Jenkins' interest, and the coach followed up by watching Hayes compete with her Sports Performance team at summer tournaments in Florida and Kentucky. Hayes will play right side at Radford, a university with an enrollment of 9,132 that suits her athletically and academically.

"It's the perfect fit for me in every way," Hayes said. "I always wanted to go to college in a place like Virginia. I love that the whole population is about 12,000. That's perfect for me. I didn't want to go to a (small) school.

"I want to go into education as a major. I want to be a high-school guidance counselor, and they have this whole department dedicated to counselors. You can get your Master's in five years there, and I'll probably do that."

Hayes switched last season from middle blocker to outside hitter and posted 149 kills with a .306 hitting efficiency, 30 block kills and 21 service aces.

Football

Zelinsky offered: Bartlett middle linebacker Kyle Zelinsky has drawn big interest from Mid-American Conference schools. The senior has been offered by Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Ball State and Akron, as well as the Air Force.

A third-year starter, Zelinsky (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) will lead the Bartlett defense against Northwestern-bound quarterback Evan Watkins when the Hawks host Class 2007 Class 8A state runner-up Glenbard North next Friday at Millennium Field at 7:30 p.m.