Colorado Inks Three Spikers For 2008 Season

BOULDER ?Colorado Head Volleyball Coach Pi’i Aiu has announced the signing of three athletes to the 2008 roster. Devon Dykstra (Redondo, Calif.), Rebecah Fogle (Cedar Park, Texas) and Melanie Naber (Holland, Mich.) have committed to play volleyball for the Buffaloes in 2008.

Dykstra, an outside hitter at Redondo Union, helped her squad win the Southern Section Division I-AA Championship in 2006. The Sea Hawks were the only team to defeat Mira Costa, one of the top teams in the country. As a senior, she played for the ?Blue’ team at the South Bay Athletic Club All-Star Girls’ Volleyball Classic in early December. Dykstra won the Amateur Athletic Union Girls’ U17-U18 National Beach Championship with her younger sister Lara. Her brother, Joey, plays volleyball for USC and played on the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.

“Devon Dykstra is going to be a great player,” Aiu said. “She is one of the top outside hitters in California and we plan to play her exclusively as a defensive specialist. If we run into injuries like we did this year, then she could play some outside for us too. She is a real versatile player. We (the coaching staff) think she is one of the top defenders in the country. I am really excited about her.”

Fogle is a 5’11” outside hitter. She recorded 387 kills and 355 digs her senior season as she helped the Rangers to the district and area championships. Fogle also recorded over 300 kills her junior year as she hammered 326. Vista Ridge High School was the state high school runner-up that year. She was a four-year letterwinner for the Rangers and also recorded 281 kills as a sophomore and 210 as a freshman. Fogle was a first team all-district selection all four years as well as academic all-district.

“Rebecah Fogle is a kid we are really excited about,” Aiu said. “She has got really nice ball control for a kid her size. She is a six-foot outside hitter who came to camp this summer, so we got to work with her a little bit and we are excited about working with her when she gets here in the fall.

Naber, a 6’3’ middle blocker, was an all-conference, all-region and all-state selection as a junior and helped the Panthers make the Class A regional final. Naber averaged 10 kills per match her senior year and was an all-conference honorable mention selection. She earned three letters as a Panther under head coach Katie Hall. Naber played for the Far Out Club in Grand Rapids, Mich., under Jeff Butler. Naber was also recruited by Virginia, Michigan, Colorado State, Grand Valley State and Hope College.

“Melanie Naber is a kid we are also really excited about,” Aiu explained. “We think that she has a great upside. She is a tall middle blocker/right side. She has good quickness as a jumper. She is going to take a year or so of arm-swing work, but with her size and ability to block, she could see some time next year in blocking roles right away for us.”

Colorado finished the 2007 campaign with a 6-22 overall record and was 1-19 in the Big 12. The Buffaloes missed the NCAA tournament for just the second time in 16 years.

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