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The University of Alaska Fairbanks    

UAF hopes recruiting class will set up spike in GNAC standings

by RICHARD LARSON, Staff Writer, Fairbanks Daily News Miner

With a signed Czech in hand, the University of Alaska Fairbanks volleyball team is set for success, hoping to challenge for the 2003 Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship and an NCAA berth.

The Nanooks completed a heralded recruiting class by inking Czech Republic setter Dagmar Capova to a letter of intent, UAF coach Phil Shoemaker announced on Wednesday.

"Dagmar's signing is a big exclamation point on what has been a great recruiting season for us," Shoemaker said. "Of course, only time will tell, but I think the next four years are going to be a blast."

Capova was recruited by several Division I universities and had signed with Drexel University in Philadelphia. Drexel dropped its volleyball program, however, and the Nanooks were able to sign the much-sought-after international recruit.

"She signed to go to Drexel, but in May they decided to discontinue their volleyball program. At that point, the Dagmar derby began and we were very, very fortunate," Shoemaker said.

Danielle Hitzeman, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter from Vacaville, Calif.; 6-1 middle blocker Katie Tobiasz of Rocky River, Ohio; and 5-11 setter/outside hitter Jessica Clemons of San Jacinto, Calif. join Capova in the Nanooks' 2003 recruiting class.

Hitzeman was courted by Division I schools St. Mary's, Oregon, Washington, Santa Barbara and Portland before committing to UAF. Tobiasz was named one of Ohio's top 12 volleyball players and visited Division I schools Cleveland State, Southern Illinois, Central Florida and Drexel before coming to Fairbanks.

"We've signed three kids this year that most would've thought for sure would be going to Division I schools, not Division II," Shoemaker said. "But you don't know if you can get those players if you don't try. We feel great about all four of our incoming players."

The Nanooks were 16-7 overall last year and placed second in the GNAC with a 13-5 mark.

Shoemaker has not watched Capova play in person, but he did receive a DVD from her club team.

"The level of competition she has been playing at is not bad at all," Shoemaker said. "And the fact that she was recruited by 10 Division I schools is a good indication of her talent level."

Capova played high school volleyball at Nad Aleji High School then went to the University of Economics in Prague last year. Because that school does not sponsor athletic teams she will still have four years of eligibility at UAF. She has played for the past 11 years with the TJ Tatran Stresovice Club team in Prague, including the past four years in the highest junior league in the Czech Republic.

Returning from last year's UAF team are senior outside hitters Michelle Hanson and Candice Smith, junior outside hitter Mallory Bergstrom, junior middle blocker Carlin Smith, sophomore outside hitters Jessica Peters, Crystal Wheelock and Meggie Haydu, and sophomore middle blocker April Blandford. Kayleen Stenehjem, a setter/outside hitter will be a freshman on the team after red-shirting last year.

"I am excited about our returning student-athletes, and with the signings of Dagmar Capova, Jessica Clemons, Katie Tobiasz and Danielle Hitzeman, I think we are poised to take another big step forward as a team. I can't wait to start practice," Shoemaker said.

Recruiting international students is not new for UAF, but it does involve doing additional paperwork to get an athlete eligible to travel to the U.S. and compete on an athletic team.

"She's a very good student, so admission is not a problem," Shoemaker said. "The biggest challenge is going to be getting a student visa done so she can be here by Aug. 10 when we start practice. She already has her plane tickets bought."

Volleyball schedule

The Nanooks begin practice for the 2003 season on Aug. 10. Three-time Olympic volleyball coach Bill Neville will join the Nanooks in the gym Aug. 12-15.

The season begins at the Cal Poly Pomona Invitational from Aug. 29-30. UAF will play Florida Southern and Cal State-Los Angeles on the 29th and then meet host Pomona and Chaminade on the 30th. On Sept. 1, the Nanooks will play at Cal State-Domingez Hills.

The Nanooks will then play exhibition games against the Fairbanks Flyers on Sept. 5 and the UAF Alumni on Sept. 6 before opening conference play.

The first conference match of the season will be a big one for the Nanooks as they host Western Washington on Sept. 12. Western Washington was 23-3 last year and won the GNAC with a perfect 18-0 record.

The Nanooks host UA Anchorage on Sept. 20 and play at Anchorage on Oct. 18.

The final regular-season match of the year is on Nov. 15 at Western Washington. The NCAA Regionals are scheduled for Nov. 20-22.