HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY

Head coach Jason Oliver has announced Michelle Chakirelis will join the High Point University volleyball team in 2010. The middle hitter from Bay Village, Ohio has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Panthers in the fall of 2010.

“Michelle is the explosive type of athlete we are looking for here at HPU,” Oliver said. “She possesses everything that it will take to be a successful player here. The things that I am most impressed with are her quickness and her heart. She plays with such emotion and I know I will love coaching her for the next four years.”

Chakirelis was a three-year varsity starter and two-year captain for Magnificat high school and helped the team to two final four appearances at the state tournament. As a senior she was named first team All-District and second team All-Ohio. She was also selected to the 2009 All-Sun Newspapers All-Star volleyball team.

Chakirelis was named to the Northeast Ohio All-Tournament team in 2008 and 2009 and was a second team All-District honoree in 2008.

With the Cleveland Volleyball Company club team, Chakirelis won first place in the 2009 National Junior Olympic Championship and was named to the National Junior Olympics All-Tournament team.

Chikarelis earned a spot on the prepvolleyball.com Senior Aces Top 150 as a senior and was a 2007 Soph 79 which lists the best sophomores in the country.

High Point completed the 2009 season with a 17-17 record, ending the season with a 2-3 loss in the quarterfinals of the Big South tournament to eventual champion Coastal Carolina. The Panthers will return 12 players in 2010.