Sarah Shelton of Ellsworth joined a short list of Maine high school volleyball players going to play at the NCAA Division I level on Wednesday.

Shelton signed a national letter of intent with the University of New Hampshire.

The last Maine player to play Division I was Woodland High’s Ashley Marble in 2002 at UMaine.

Shelton, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, made an impression on the UNH coaching staff this winter with 296 kills in 103 games and a 96 serving percentage on her club team.

“Sarah has worked incredibly hard to get to the level she is playing,” said UNH Coach Jill Hirschinger in a press release.

“She had limited opportunities to develop as a player and has taken advantage of every single one. The state of Maine has really come a long way in volleyball and we are thrilled to add Sarah and her family to our family.”

Greely Coach Kelvin Hasch said one of the reasons so few Maine high school players make a Division I squad is because the sport is relatively new here. The first state championship match was played in 1997. And UMaine no longer has a volleyball program.

“Maine has never been a hot spot for volleyball so college coaches never looked here,” said Hasch, who has won nine Class A state titles.

Shelton, the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2014, has the skills to make an impact at UNH, Hasch said.

“She is very driven to always improve. I believe if she does well, that will help promote volleyball in Maine in the future,” he said.

Shelton has the size to play Division I, said Andy Pohl, her coach on the Maine Juniors 18 volleyball club team.

“She doesn’t make many errors,” Pohl said. “She never comes out of the game. She’s our primary offensive weapon.”

Shelton is motivated to make the starting lineup, said her mother, Brenda Shelton.

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