Seaholm Volleyball Players, Swimmers Sign Letters of Intent

There were a lot of smiles in the media center Thursday as five Seaholm students signed National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers as college freshman next fall.

Paige Neuenfeldt signed to play volleyball at the University of North Carolina while teammate Sara Olivova signed to play beach volleyball at Georgia State University.

The other three athletes all signed national letters of intent for swimming. Seaholm girls varsity captain Chelsea Abbot signed with Michigan State University as did Emily Parsons. Charlotte Yaw signed with the University of South Dakota. 

All the girls were very excited to share the day with their teammates.

“We’re like volleyball sisters,” Neuenfeldt said of Olivova. “I couldn’t have asked to sign with a better person.” 

Neuenfeldt and Olivova were on the varsity team together as freshman. They’ve dealt with the highs and lows of high school athletics together for four years.

“She was the first person I knew when I moved her from the Czech Republic,” Olivova said.

Now, they will both be headed south. Olivova is going to be a part of GSU’s first-ever sand volleyball team next season. Neuenfeldt visited nine schools and decided UNC was the perfect fit for her. 

“I went on a lot of visits my sophomore year and I visited North Carolina near the beginning and I just knew,” Neuenfeldt. “It was just the place for me. The atmosphere, (I) loved the coaches and team, just being down south too. It’s so warm!”

The girls volleyball season ended last week with a loss to Marian in the district finals. Both girls had hoped to be playing in regionals this week, but the signing day helped erase some of the disappointment over a season that ended a little earlier than they would’ve liked.

With swimming finals next weekend, the Maples swimmers weren’t able to savor the moment as much as Neuenfeldt and Olivova. Shortly after signing on the dotted line they had to get back to practice.

Seaholm swimming is looking to improve on its fifth place finish in Division 2 last season. Abbot, a scholastic All-American, finished fifth place in the 500-yard freestyle and sixth place in the 200-yard individual medley last year.

Both Abbott and Parsons had always dreamed of swimming for a Big Ten school

“Being a Big Ten athlete has always been a dream of mine,” Abbott said. “Once I visited MSU I could tell it was the place for me.”

Yaw was drawn to the University of South Dakota because of the school’s education program.

She is looking to major in elementary or special education and is excited at the prospect of being able to continue her swimming career while establishing her future career in education.