GNAC Sports

2012 Recruits

Alaska Anchorage

Seawolves Sign Two In Early Period (11/21/11)

On the heels of his program's third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, Alaska Anchorage has already added his first two recruits for the 2012 campaign with the signing of Alaska prep starts Julia Mackey and Katelynn Zanders to National Letters of Intent.

Mackey, from Fairbanks, will become a Seawolf after leading West Valley High School to consecutive fifth-place finishes at the ASAA Class 4A State Tournament the past two seasons.

The 5-10 outside hitter averaged 3.5 kills per set as a senior, boosted by a 21-kill performance against Lathrop in September and back-to-back 20-kill outings against Lathrop and Kodiak in November. She also helped the Wolfpack earn the last two Mid-Alaska Conference titles.

Zanders, from South Anchorage High School, recently helped her team capture the 4A state title and an unbeaten 14-0 record in Cook Inlet Conference play.

Standing 5-8, she ranked third on the Wolverines with 98 kills and second with 75 blocks. Although she played middle blocker during her prep career at South and Service high schools, Zanders projects as an outside hitter for the Seawolves, according to head coach Chris Green.

“We couldn't be happier to add a pair of incoming freshman with great potential,” said Green, who is 74-39 in four years at the Seawolf helm. “Julia and Katelynn both have great athletic ability and could help us right away on the outside. I'm thrilled we could continue the tradition of bringing Alaska's best high school players to UAA.”

Coming off its second consecutive 18-9 campaign, the Seawolves lose two seniors – outside hitter Jackie Matthisen and OH/defensive specialist McKenzie Moss (both Anchorage natives) – to graduation. Matthisen was the 2011 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Alaska Fairbanks

Nanooks Ink Pair of Outside Hitters (11/14/11)

Outside hitters Sam Harthun (6-0, Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City) and Ixchlle Oleson (5-11, Mead, Wash./Mt. Spokane) have signed national letters of intentwith the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Harthun was a first team All-Three Rivers League selection the last two seasons and was an all-state honorable mention choice in 2010. She was also all-league in 2009.

She brings five years of club experience, having played for the Canby Volleyball Club (2007-09) as a middle blocker and is currently playing for the Oregon Junior Volleyball Academy (2010-12) as a six-rotation outside hitter.

“Sam is a young lady we've watched for two years,” UAF coach Phil Shoemaker said. “One of the first notes we had was that we were pretty certain she was going to go Division and we probably wouldn't be in the hunt with her.

"We stayed in contact and as time went on, things went our way and we're really excited about that. She's a six-rotation player, has good size and is a very efficient player. She brings a great attitude to the court and to the team and we're very excited and looking forward to having Samantha with us.”

Oleson, a 5-11 outside hitter, is a four-year letter winner for the Mt. Spokane High School Wildcats. She was a two-time first team All-Greater Spokane League selection in 2009 and 2010 and is likely to repeat again in 2011.

“Ixchlle adds another nice strong, athletic body to our team dynamic,” Shoemaker said. "We had a chance to watch her play at the Washington State Championships and it was pretty exciting to watch her and her team perform. We've been watching her for quite some time and it was exciting to go through the entire recruiting process with her. We think Ixchlle, over the course of her career, is really going to make her mark.”

Central Washington

Wildcats Sign Five Prep Standouts (11/15/11)

Five high school seniors, including four from the state of Washington, have signed letters of intent to attend Central Washington University and play volleyball for the Wildcats.

Signing to join the Wildcats next year are Linden Firethorne (Clinton, Wash./South Whidbey HS), Sarah Joffs (Yakima, Wash./West Valley HS), Kiah Jones (Port Angeles, Wash.), Kelsi Kemper (Prineville, Ore./Crook County HS), and Erika Waldner (Olympia, Wash./Tumwater HS).

"We addressed our needs to be a more physical, competitive, and intelligent team with this year's recruiting class," CWU coach Mario Andaya said. "All five of these players have the character to represent CWU at the highest level, and their talents on the court will make our volleyball program better right away."

Firethorne, from Clinton and South Whidbey High School, stands six feet tall. She was selected to the all-Cascade Conference team three times, including first-team selections each of her final two seasons with the Falcons. An outstanding hitter at the high school level, Andaya expects her to be a versatile player once she joins the Wildcats.

"After watching Linden play a couple of times, I knew we had to sign her," Andaya described. "She is very quick off the floor, has a tremendous reach, and has a good arm. Linden plays at full throttle all the time, but she has good vision and shows great control. All of these elements will enable her to acclimate to the speed of play at this level and process things very quickly. She is a personable and likeable person, but has a strong competitive spirit, and she has all the dynamics to be a great team player."

Joffs , a 6-foot middle blocker from nearby Yakima and West Valley High School, helped lead the Rams to the WIAA Class 3A state championship last weekend. She was a two-time all-Columbia Basin Big Nine League selection for head coach Katie (Orgill) Hinckley, a former standout outside hitter at CWU.

"We saw Sarah singlehandedly dominate the net at the state tournament her junior year and felt she could be a special player for us," Andaya said. "She has size, a tremendous reach, and very good balance and vision on the block. Offensively, Sarah hits at a high contact point and snaps the ball down at a high velocity. She will be a force in the GNAC, and as she gets stronger, her presence will be recognized beyond that."

Jones , a 5-foot-11 outside hitter from Port Angeles, was a four-time all-Olympic League selection, including a first-team honoree each of her final three seasons with the Roughriders. Also a 4.0 student in the classroom, she earned Olympic League Most Valuable Player honors this fall and was also a two-year team captain for Port Angeles.

"Kiah is just beginning to understand what she is capable of on the court and I am looking forward to being a part of her growth," Andaya said. "She has all of the physical tools -- good length, a tremendous vertical, and a strong arm. Her approach to training at this level will determine how fast she will become a difference-maker for us, and from what I know of her now, that will be sooner than later. Kiah is an intelligent kid with a competitive spirit, and I am very anxious to get her in our gym."

Kemper , a 5-foot-7 setter from Prineville, Ore., and Crook County High School, was a four-time Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) Class 4A state champion for the Cowgirls. She averaged 10.6 assists per set and earned her second consecutive all-Intermountain Conference first-team selection after being a second-team all-IMC pick as a sophomore. She was a second-team all-state honoree in 2010 and she earned all-tournament team honors each of her final two years at the OSAA state tournament.

"Kelsi flat out competes, and wins," Andaya explained. “Kelsi makes good decisions, and her physical strengths are very good, but the intangibles she brings make the people around her winners. She has a very good IQ and knows how to put her team in a position to win. I look forward to training her, but I really look forward to the instinctive part of her game she will bring that can't be coached."

Waldner , a 6-foot middle blocker from Olympia and Tumwater High School, helped the Thunderbirds to a runner-up finish at the WIAA Class 2A State Championships last weekend. Waldner played on a pair of conference championship teams -- at Tumwater High in 2011 and at Olympia High School in 2010. She was a first-team all-Evergreen Conference selection as a senior at Tumwater.

"Erika will be a force wherever we put her," Andaya said. "When she hits, defenders open up and want no part in digging her. She has good size, good control, and crushes the ball, but her overall energy on the court makes her such a positive presence for her teammates, and an intimidating one for her opponents. Erika is versatile and wants to get better. We will look to move her around the front line, to score in various ways for us.

Seattle Pacific

Falcons Sign Players from California, Washington (11/23/11)

With four seniors graduating, Seattle Pacific has some spots to fill on its roster come next fall. Coach Chris Johnson believes he has found the right players to fill at least two of them.

Ellie Britt from Irvine, Calif., and Brielle Van Zonneveld from Lynden, Wash., have signed national letters with the Falcons.

Britt is a 6-foot outside hitter who has starred at Orange Lutheran School in Irvine, and with the T-Street Volleyball Club.

“She's just a solid outside hitter whom we're really excited about,” Johnson said. “She has a good arm, she's getting better in the back row as a passer, has good height and a good jump.

"I think she's going to be a great personality fit for our team, and a good mission fit for our school. It was a really easy decision that I wanted her to play here.”

Van Zonneveld is 6-3 and played primarily middle hitter with Lynden Christian. But Johnson said it's a strong possibility that she could play outside hitter with the Falcons.

“She's very coachable and was able to change her arm swing within about half an hour when we were working with her at our camp,” Johnson said.

“She's agile and athletic for her height, and has a good jump. When she has the ball in the right spot, she can really hammer it. She gets on top of the ball really well and puts up a strong, big block. With some training here, she's going to be really good.”

Van Zonneveld helped the Lyncs place fourth in the Class 1A Washington state high school tournament earlier this month, and take sixth place in last year's state tourney.

Western Oregon

Wolves Sign All-Star From Olympia (12/5/11)

Christie Colasurdo from Olympia High School has signed a National Letter of Intent to played volleyball at Western Oregon University.

Colasurdo, a 5-11 outside hitter, was the MVP of Washington's 4A state tournament and helped lead Olympia to the state title.

She was selected as the Olympian All-Area Volleyball Player of the Year and named to the All-Narrows league first team. Colasurdo also set the Olympia High School record for kills in a match (26) and kills in a career (445) in earning Team MVP honors.

"We are ecstatic with the signing of Christie," said Western Oregon head coach Brad Saindon. "She continues to gain accolades as a volleyball player and as a person. She will come in at a position we saw as a priority in this recruiting class."

Western Washington

Vikings Sign Three Prep Standouts (11/18/11)

Three high school seniors, who were all-stars on teams that reached state tournaments, inked national letters of intent during the early signing period to play volleyball at Western Washington University/

Committing to play for the Vikings were middle blocker/outside hitter Natalie Brundage, middle blocker Sarah Caylor and defensive specialist/libero Bryce Larson.

“I'm really excited about this year's signees,” said WWU coach Diane Flick, who just completed her 12th season at WWU.

“We were looking to get stronger in the middle and continue our emphasis on the defensive end. Natalie, Sarah and Bryce fit those needs to a T."

Brundage was a second-team South Puget Sound League North Division choice as a senior at Curtis High School in Tacoma . She helped the Vikings place third at the Class 4A state tournament, finishing the season with 166 kills on .275 hitting, 26 blocks and 36 service aces. Brundage also played two seasons at Peninsula High School in Gig Harbor .

“Natalie is a great athlete, Flick said. “She is physical, fast and jumps well. She has a fire in her belly when she plays and brings an intensity that drives her to get better every day. Her upside is huge. She has only scratched the surface of her volleyball potential.”

Caylor was a first-team Tacoma News Tribune all-Area and all-Narrows League choice as a senior at Stadium High School in Tacoma, being the Tigers' team captain and MVP. As a junior, she helped the Tigers to the school's first state tournament appearance.

“Sarah is going to add to the long line of physical middles we've had in this program,” said Flick. “She has a live arm hitting and a nose for the ball when she blocks.”

Larson was a first-team all-Western Conference South Division choice as a senior at Kamiak High School , helping the Knights to a trip to state. A two-time team captain, she was a second-team Everett Herald all-Area pick and first-team all-league as a junior.

“We put a premium on defensive players and Bryce fits our mold,” Flick said. “Beyond her great ball control and deadly serve, she is fearless, she is scrappy and brings an infectious personality that can spark the team.”

2012 Recruits

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