On Friday, the University of Alaska Fairbanks announced the final additions to its 2024 volleyball freshman class. Eva Cronenberg, a 6-foot middle blocker from Ankeny, Iowa, will begin her college career in Fairbanks this fall.
Kronenberg joins five players signed for next season: libero Tessa Onaga, setter Ashlyn White, and outside hitters Hayley Lyons, Rachel Pierce and Larissa Barreiros Skatambourg. Onaga and Pierce are both Division I transfers, but Barreiros Scatamboul spent last season at a junior college in Iowa, just over an hour from where Cronenberg played in high school. White and Lyons, like Cronenberg, are freshmen.
“We feel very fortunate to have players like Eva and the rest of our freshmen on our team,” UAF head coach Brian Scott said in a release. “Eva is a skilled middle blocker with good lateral speed and someone who works very hard in transition. She has played at a very high level from a great high school and club program. I wish all of her teammates great success.”
Cronenberg played at Ankeny Centennial High School, finishing 31-7 in 2023 and reaching the 5A state tournament semifinals. She was second on the team in both blocked assists (57) and total blocks (64) on the season, according to MaxPreps stats.
Other middle blockers expected to join the Nanooks' 2024 roster include seniors Elizabeth Jackson, Josie Jansen, Christina Head and sophomore-to-be Presley Engelauf. Cronenberg plans to major in biological sciences at UAF. Her older sister Izzy is a Division I volleyball player at the University of Southern Mississippi.
UAF finished last season 14-18 overall and 7-11 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play after back-to-back 18-12 seasons in 2021 and 2022.