CHAMPAIGN, IL (CHAMBANA TODAY)- Sierrah Downey will be signing her National Letter of Intent to continue her academic and athletic career in volleyball at Greenville University, an NCAA Division III Institution. Greenville University is a private university in Greenville, Illinois. Greenville University, as an institution, is a Christian academic community that intends to meet the emotional, intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual needs of its members. Established as Greenville College in 1892, the institution was renamed Greenville University in 2017. Students attending Greenville University are expected to adhere to a lifestyle that is codified and
asks that the student agrees to certain principles that the school calls “Christ-honoring”, outlined in a document known as the Lifestyle Statement. The mission of the Greenville University athletic department is to foster Christian character, athletic development, and academic achievement in a Christ-centered community.

The Greenville University Panthers are a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC). The Panthers also compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Sierrah will be joining the Panthers program which has been under the direction of Head Coach Tom Ackerman since 2002. During Ackerman’s tenure as head women’s volleyball coach, the volleyball team has experienced a formidable amount of success. The accomplishments of Ackerman’s teams have included 12 of the last 13 SLIAC regular season championships; NCAA tournament bids in 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021; and 14 consecutive seasons with 18 or more wins which included an abbreviated 2020-21 season in which the program was
ranked in the NCAA Division III top 25. Coach Ackerman is also a six-time SLIAC “Coach of the Year” award recipient.

At MHS, Sierrah is a valuable member of the volleyball program. She has been a member of the varsity team since her freshman season and has earned three varsity letters, with her senior year remaining. As a sophomore, she was named to the Illini Prairie All-Conference Honorable Mention Team, and following her junior season, she earned 1st Team All-Conference and News Gazette All-Area Honorable Mention. Some of her other accolades include: most aces on the team in 2021, All-Tournament Team at Mattoon 2022, Best Offensive Player at MHS in 2022 and 2023, and she won Nationals at AAU in 2022. According to Coach Allison, “Sierrah is a strong, fierce competitor. She has the abilities and knowledge to make the great plays to seal the deal. Because of all the years she has played and watched volleyball, she has a very high volleyball IQ and is extremely versatile as a player. Her love of the game is contagious. She always goes all out on the court whether it is practice or a game.

She has been a varsity player since her freshman season here at MHS. For the past two seasons she has earned the award “Best Offensive Player” leading the team for kills in both seasons. She has been selected for the All-Conference Team for the last two years. Currently, she is 6th for career kills at 382 and 7th for career digs at 515. We are excited to have Sierrah for one more season. We wish Sierrah the best as she continues her education and volleyball career at Greenville.” Sierrah selected Greenville University because when she walked into Greenville she felt welcomed instantly. The coaches are amazing, they are caring and genuine. The girls took her in and made her feel welcome. The classroom size is small and that is what she was looking for. The main reason why she chose Greenville is because she felt she was there as herself and not just a volleyball player. Her favorite memory from high school volleyball was when she got hurt her junior year and she went through all the physical therapy, and her first game back she felt very supported by the team. That day it felt like she had a family standing behind her and supporting her. Sierrah wants to thank Coach Allison for pushing her every single practice because she believed
in Sierrah. Coach Allison gave her love and support and knew she could make it this far and she wants to thank her for getting her to where she is today. Sierrah has one sister, Samantha Sierrah is the daughter of Ann and Erick Downey, and she plans to major in education to be a physical education teacher and coach.