CHICAGO — When Allison Dennemann left New Palestine High School as one of the all-time great Dragon volleyball players, the University of Pacific was exactly what she was looking for.
A third-team MaxPreps All-American following her 2017 senior season, Dennemann was a three-time all-state selection after collecting 2,184 kills, 1,351 digs and 235 service aces for the Dragons.
She chose playing at Pacific, located in Northern California, a member of one of the nation’s top collegiate volleyball leagues, the West Coast Conference. She picked UOP over Florida Gulf Coast, Louisville, Missouri and Minnesota, just to name a few.
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It offered great volleyball, great education and great weather. It was just too far from home.
After Christmas break, she informed the school, located in the city of Stockton, she would be transferring closer to her Indiana home. Earlier this year, she selected DePaul University in Chicago, a member of the Big East Conference.
“No regrets,” Dennemann answered on her initial choice to play for the Tigers. “Pacific had its challenges, but it helped mold me into the person I am today, the volleyball player I am and I made a lot of lifelong friends.
“Looking back, it would be hard to pass up that opportunity. It was an incredible experience. It was just time for change.”
Dennemann, an outside hitter, played in 15 matches during her freshman year at Pacific, getting 10 kills three times and 10 digs twice. In her 2019 sophomore campaign, she started 29 matches and had a career-best 21 kills in a WCC match at San Francisco last October. It was the fifth-highest single-match total in the WCC in a five-set match.
She ranked in the top three on the team in kills (338), digs (294) and service aces (27).
DePaul is getting a quite a talent.
Blue Demons head coach Marie Zidek knew that ahead of time. She was a former assistant coach at the University of San Diego, also a member of the WCC, before being named to take the reins at DePaul in December.
“We are thrilled to add Allison to our 2020 roster,” Zidek said. “She will add some veteran experience to a hungry returning group and big incoming squad. She brings with her a wealth of experience at the club, high school and collegiate level that will translate very well to BIG EAST play — specifically in her attacking and defensive touches.
“What stands out the most about her game is how hard she works to create opportunities. She works hard on the details. Couldn’t be more thrilled to add another high character, others focused, highly motivated, and hungry student-athlete to our Blue Demon family.”
Dennemann said her parents, Brett and Kristen, were able to come out a few times, but other family and friends rarely, if ever, had a chance to come see her play.
Now they have just a three-to-four hour drive north to Chicago to see her home matches. It’ll be even a quicker trip for those on Kristen’s side of the family that reside in the Chicago area. They will have shorter trips to watch Allison play on the road with Butler (Indianapolis), Xavier (located in Cincinnati) and Marquette (Milwaukee) also members of the Big East.
“Being in Chicago is very exciting,” Dennemann, a Health Science major, said. “With internships in the summer, networking and being connected to the city of Chicago will be a good opportunity for my future, but the main reason for me is DePaul is closer to home.
“This is an opportunity for family to see me play more.”
Dennemann chose DePaul over Northern Illinois, located in DeKalb, Ill. She also had offers from UNLV and College of Charleston.
The recruitment process, Dennemann, said was much easier the second time around.
“It was much quicker,” she said. “I committed within a month. I knew what I was looking for. I knew what questions to ask and the answers I was looking for. I had a better idea of what college is about and what college athletics are about.”
With COVID-19 dictating life in 2020, the process of getting started at DePaul has been slow for the New Pal newcomer. She is currently in Chicago, living with a couple of other players that are transferring in, but campus is still closed. It’s scheduled to reopen next week with hopes of getting back in the gym on July 20.
She’s eager to get back to the place she selected to be her new closer-to-home home for studies and volleyball.
“I fell in love with the volleyball program,” Dennemann said of her visit to DePaul this winter. “They have a very family-like culture.”
A family-like culture and being closer to family sounds like a great fit for the former New Pal star.
