Kritza Announces Four Roster Additions

BOULDER- After a successful spring practice season since taking over the volleyball program, University of Colorado coach Liz Kritza has announced the addition of four student-athletes, three transfers and one prep, to play volleyball and continue their education at CU.

Lydia Blaha, Michelle Miller and Anicia Santos all transferred to CU at the semester break, and Hannah Walker graduated early from high school to enroll at CU in January. All four participated in spring drills during March and April, which included some well-received cross training in the sand.

"The spring season is extremely valuable because it is when physical and skill improvement happens in the greatest amount," Kritza said. "We are in a different training cycle and we are not in a competition preparation mode, but rather individual skill improvement and systems training, both areas we have prioritized for improvement in preparation for significant improvement in the fall."

"Adding new players to the training environment was a positive step for this program and the way these young women worked diligently in this spring season is a sure sign of good things to come."

LYDIA BLAHA

Blaha, a 6-0 middle blocker from Colorado Springs, Colo., comes to CU after playing one season at Boise State (2008) and one at St. Louis University (2009). At BSU, Blaha ranked third in the Western Athletic Conference and ranked 44^th in the nation with 1.17 blocks per set. She put up 111 blocks in 95 sets to lead the Broncos and was fifth on the team with 91 kills. Blaha started in 25 of 27 matches and averaged .96 kills and hit .162. The Broncos finished the 2008 season with a 9-19 overall record and were 5-11 in the WAC. While at SLU, Blaha started in 21 matches; playing in 62 sets. She averaged .97 kills and .66 blocks per set and hit .265. The Billiens compiled a 24-8 record and was 14-1 in the Atlantic-10 Conference.

"Lydia is a welcomed addition to the Buffs' volleyball family," Kritza said. "She is a stellar athlete with good jumping ability and a competitive drive that is great to see every day. She has taken a very mature approach to deciding her next step in pursuing her academic and athletic goals, and I am very optimistic that she will reach those goals here at CU. We are happy to welcome her back to her home state."

The Classical Academy graduate led her team to a runner-up finish at the state championship in 2007 and a third place title in 2006. Blaha was first team all-state in 2007 and second team all-state in 2006. She is the school record-holder in career blocks (315) and single season blocks (142). The three-year starter was the team MVP in 2007, as well as an all-league honoree in 2006 and '07. Blaha played for the Colorado Juniors.

"Lydia is tough minded and will be a great fit at CU. Transferring is always difficult, but she knows that coming home will be a great thing for her. We are happy to have her back in Colorado," said Bill and Judy Peer, cofounders and coaches for the Colorado Juniors.

MICHELLE MILLER

Miller hails from Round Rock, Texas and is a 5-8 setter. She transfers to CU after one season at Sam Houston State. The Bearkats posted a 20-14 record and were 12-4 in the Southland Conference. Miller started in 25 matches and played in 108 sets. She handed out 1,059 assists, which was the second best total in SHSU history for a freshman. Miller had 11 double-doubles on the year. The Bearkats put together an 11-match win streak, which was the most for SHSU since 1996. She was named an all-conference honorable mention as she ranked second in the league in assists. Miller also ranked third on the team with 245 digs.

"Michelle will add great depth in the setting position and will compete as hard as she can every day, that is for certain," Kritza said. "She is a highly decorated prep player in Texas and has played on one of the best club teams in the nation (Austin Juniors), so she has very high expectations for herself and her teammates- a perfect fit for this program as we work to rejuvenate this program to the upper echelon of college volleyball."

In high school, Miller was a three-time All-District 16-5A first team selection. She led RRHS to a 44-1 record in three years, which included 14-0 seasons her sophomore and senior seasons. The Dragons finished 13-1 her junior year. Miller was an all-district selection her sophomore, junior and senior seasons and was second team as a freshman. She was selected to play on the AJU European team in Global Challenge in Pula, Croatia. Her Austin Junior 17 club team won U.S. Junior Nationals.

"Michelle is a special kid and I cannot speak more highly of her leadership abilities on the court and of her ability to find a way to win. She is a winner," said Mike Garcia, Miller's coach from Austin Juniors Volleyball Club.

ANICIA SANTOS

Santos is a 6-1 middle blocker from Frisco, Colo. She comes to CU after two seasons as a member of the Cal Poly Mustangs. Cal Poly compiled a record of 16-13 in 2008 and finished 9-20 in '09. Santos played in 14 sets as a freshman and 54 sets as a sophomore. As a sophomore, she averaged .76 kills, 20 digs and .70 blocks per set. Santos' blocks per set average was fourth on the team.

"Anicia comes home to Colorado where her success in her prep and club career has garnered a strong following," Kritza said. "I remember her as a young recruit and know that her upside is tremendous and look forward to her reaching that potential during her time here a Buffs jersey. Beyond her volleyball ability, she is a brilliant student and is a very driven, ambitious, and mature young woman who is certain to be a success."

The three-time All-Jefferson County League selection was named among prepvolleyball.com's 250 Senior Aces for the Class of 2008. She led the league in blocks and hitting percentage as a junior and senior and earned MVP honors both seasons. SHS won the league championship in 2006, and Santos was named all-state in the process. Santos was one of 30 players to be named to the 2008 U.S. Women's Junior A2 National Team and was a three-year participant with the USAV High Performance Program. She was a member of the Colorado Juniors club team, one of the premier clubs in the region and top 5 in the nation in players earning college scholarships.

"Anicia is one of the hardest workers we have had the pleasure to coach. She is a great kid, a highly intelligent player and nobody will work harder for the team," Bill and Judy Peer said.

HANNAH WALKER

Walker is a four-year letterwinner for Colorado Springs Christian. The 5-5 libero helped the Lions to a 25-0 record to date (state championship is Saturday, November 14). Walker has been a starter all four years for CSCHS. In that time, the Lions have accumulated a 107-10 record (.915 winning percentage). They were the Tri-Peaks League Champions, Colorado High School district and region champions from 2006-09 and won the state championship 2006-08. Walker was named first team all-conference and was an all-state honorable mention selection as a junior (team will be named for her senior year later this November). She is a two-time team co-captain and was named a Prep Volleyball Senior Ace.

"Hannah is a tough minded player who we will look to provide stability to the court as one of our strongest ball control players," Kritza said. "Her prep experience has proven that she knows how to win and that is important for this program moving forward. She plays her club ball for one of the most reputable clubs around, Colorado Juniors, which lends itself to Hannah being ready to have a very successful career here at CU. Her quest for self improvement and her diligent approach to training and preparation, along with her intense enthusiasm and passion for playing this game well, bode well for Hannah's development as a high level defensive player.

"Hannah's opportunity to join the team this spring was an important one for her development as a complete student-athlete. We were happy to get her on campus to get a jump on her college career and to have her in the gym to start her volleyball training this semester."

2010 Recruiting Class

Name Pos. Ht. Hometown/School/Volleyball Club/Previous School

Emily Alexis OH/RS 5-11 Brighton, Colo./Prairie View/Front Range

Megan Beckwith L/DS 5-10 Leesburg, Va./Heritage/Virginia Elite

Nichole Lindow MB 6-2 Erie, Colo./Centaurus/Front Range

Elysse Richardson L/S 5-3 Vienna, Va./Langley/Virginia Elite

Morgan Tholen RS/OH 5-10 Lake Quivira, Kan./St. James Academy/K.C. Extreme

Hannah Walker L/DS 5-5 Peyton, Colo./Colorado Springs Christian/Colorado Juniors

2010 Transfers

Name Pos. Ht. Hometown/High School/Previous School

Lydia Blaha MB 6-0 Colorado Springs, Colo./The Classical Academy/Boise State & St. Louis University

Michelle Miller S 5-7 Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock/ Sam Houston State