Colorado University Athletics
Volleyball Adds Three For 2004 Campaign
March 01, 2004 | Volleyball
BOULDER - Alex Buth of East Grand Rapids, Mich., and Amber Sutherland of Glenwood Springs, Colo., have signed national letters of intent to play volleyball and continue their education at the University of Colorado in 2004-05. The Buffaloes also announce that Therese Vinal of Santa Clara, Calif., has confirmed admission to the university with the intent join the volleyball team in the fall.
"We are very excited about this class," CU head coach Pi'i Aiu said. "This class fills some long-term needs for us. We're very excited about having them in Boulder."
Colorado, the most improved team in the Big 12 in terms of league wins (+4 from 2002), is expected to return five starters and 10 letterwinners from its 2003 squad which finished 21-10 overall and tied for third place in the Big 12 at 13-7. CU also advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in 13 seasons.
A look at the class of 2004:
Alex Buth, 5-10, Right Side Hitter, East Grand Rapids, Mich. (East Grand Rapids)
Buth is one of 12 finalists for Michigan's Miss Volleyball Award, which will be announced in mid-March. She is currently enjoying her senior season at East Grand Rapids High School where the Pioneers are ranked third in Class B. As a junior, she led East Grand Rapids to a district title and a berth in the regional championship match. Buth earned first team all-conference, all-region and all-state honors after the 2002-03 season. She was named first team all-conference and second team all-region as a sophomore. Buth started as a freshman for the Pioneers, gaining honorable mention to the all-conference team. She played club volleyball for the F.A.R. Out team out of Grand Rapids and participated in the Junior Olympics in Atlanta in 2003. An accomplished prep tennis player, Buth led East Grand Rapids to four Michigan Division 3 State championships. She won the No. 3 singles state title as a sophomore and the No. 4 singles crown as a freshman. A two-time all-state selection, she was the No. 1 singles runner up as a senior and reached the No. 1 singles semi-finals as a junior. She also earned a letter in golf, helping the Pioneers to a fifth place state finish.
Aiu on Buth: "Buth is a very physical opposite. She is left-handed and could certainly make a big impact on our team in the next year or two."
Amber Sutherland, 5-10, Outside Hitter, Glenwood Springs, Colo. (Glenwood Springs)
Sutherland was named the 2003 Colorado Class 4A Player of the Year by both the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post after leading Glenwood Springs High School to a 29-1 overall record and a spot in the state semifinals. She was also named to the All-Colorado volleyball team by the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post and was the only non-Class 5A (big school) selection on the Rocky Mountain News' team. She was selected as one of the top 100 high school volleyball players in the country by PrepVolleyball.com. She topped Class 4A in kills (385) and attacks as a senior while hitting .382. A four-time Western Slope League selection, she was tabbed the Western Slope Player of the Year in 2003. She was a second-team all-state selection as a sophomore. Sutherland led the Demons to an overall record of 82-17 during her four-year varsity career. She lettered in both track & field and basketball as well. She was the 2003 Colorado Class 4A state champion in the discus and runner-up in the shot put. She holds school records in the discus at 130-7 and freshman records for shot put (35-10), long jump (15-11) and discus (120-11). She was the leading scorer for the Demons' basketball squad last winter.
Aiu on Sutherland: "Amber is a great player. She has a great nose for the game. She will need some seasoning, but is going to be a good player. She has a natural ability to play volleyball."
Therese Vinal, 5-8, Defensive Specialist/Libero, Santa Clara, Calif. (Presentation)
Vinal was a first-team All-West Catholic Athletic League selection as a senior for Presentation High School in San Jose, Calif., in 2003. She was named to the All-Central Coast Section second team. She earned All-WCAL second team honors as a junior while helping the Panthers to the Central Coast Section and Northern California State titles. Given honorable mention to the All-Central Coast Section team as a junior. Vinal plays club volleyball for Club Yahoo! out of San Jose where she is coached by Shelly Wolfe who played for the Buffs in 1995. Club Yahoo! is currently ranked fifth in the Northern California Volleyball Association and recently placed 17th out of 240 teams at the Las Vegas Invitational with a 9-1 record. Her club team earned the Bronze Medal at Junior Olympics for 16 Club as a sophomore. She also lettered in basketball as a forward and track & field as a jumper in high school. She hit the game-winning bucket to send the Panthers to the Northern California State finals as a junior. She was named the MVP of Presentation's freshman basketball team in 2001.
Aiu on Vinal: "Therese is a very talented player. She comes from a hot-bed of volleyball, where some of the top club teams are located. We're hoping she can make an impact right away as a libero."
