Texas Tech University Athletics
Volleyball Team Receives Six-foot-Seven Transfer
July 13, 1999 | Women's Volleyball
July 13, 1999
LUBBOCK, Texas - When Jeff Nelson's 1999 Texas Tech volleyball team opens its season against New Mexico State on September 1, the team will sport height never before seen at the school. Along with a top-flight recruiting class that includes two Volleyball Magazine Top-50 recruits, the Red Raiders have added Colleen Smith, a six-foot-seven transfer from Washington State.
Smith will replace current six-foot-three junior Janelle Jones as the tallest player to ever play volleyball at Texas Tech. She is currently spending her summer as one 18 student-athletes training with the Pan American Games team at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
"Colleen will make an immediate impact on our team," Texas Tech head coach Jeff Nelson said. "Her size makes her a dominating force at the net and her backcourt play has improved from her high school days to the point that she could be in a passing role for us as well. She is also an outstanding competitor and will be imposing at the net and has the ability to put up huge numbers both in hitting and blocking."
Smith, who will enter Texas Tech as a junior, completed her freshman and sophomore seasons at Washington State. In her two seasons, she hit a combined .213 (305 kills-774 attempts) and finished with 123 total blocks in 162 games played as a Cougar. Last year she finished with 207 kills and 70 total blocks with a .212 hitting percentage in 92 games played. A former Volleyball Magazine Fab-50 recruit in 1997, Smith was a two-time Gatorade Circle of Champions New Mexico volleyball player of the year at Sandia High School in Albuquerque. She is a two-time All State volleyball player who also competed in basketball and softball at Sandia. In fact, she pitched three no-hitters as a sophomore softball player. SEE BIO BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Along with Smith, Texas Tech welcomes six heralded new players to its 1999 team including five freshmen- Ann Romjue (Papillion, Neb./LaVista H.S.), Jenny Donohoo (Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa H.S.), Melissa McGehee (Kerrville, Texas/Tivy H.S.), Bonny Smith (Lubbock/Coronado H.S.) and Stacey Poole (Las Cruces, N.M./Onate H.S.). Nelson says it's the best recruiting class that he's ever assembled at Texas Tech.
Smith played club volleyball on the same team as Texas Tech setter Skydra Orzen. Orzen is slated as the starting setter for this season after the departure of four-year starter and letterwinner Lisa Hilgers.
COLLEEN SMITH'S BIO
Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker
6-7, Jr-TR
Albuquerque, N.M./Washington State/Sandia
Major: Graphic Design
QUOTING NELSON: "Colleen brings with her two years of Pac-10 experience after having transferred from Washington State. Her size makes her a dominating force at the net and her backcourt play has improved from her high school days to the point that she could be in a passing role for us as well. She's looking to either play the left or right side for us depending on who we're playing against and what we need. She can be an imposing for at the net and has the ability to put up some huge numbers both hitting and blocking. We're looking for her to have a huge impact on the team right away. She's wants to play good volleyball and she's extremely serious about it. We had Colleen as a camper and we're excited to have her at Texas Tech as a player and we think she'll do some great things for us. She's training this summer with the Pan-American Games team at the Olympic Training Center. That will give her great experience in playing against some of the best players in the United States. I look for her to be in a leadership role even though she's new. She's got outstanding leadership qualities."
1999 USA Volleyball: Spent the summer practicing with the USA Volleyball team one of 18 athletes trained in Colorado Springs, Colo. in preparation of the Pan-American Games in Winnipeg, Canada (end of July).
1998 at Washington State: Ended season by being named to Disney SEC-Pac-10 Challenge all tournament team in Orlando, Fla. alternated as a starter as a right side hitter for the Cougars as a sophomore hit .500 and slammed career-high 16 kills at Oregon averaged 2.25 kills per game and 0.76 blocks per game finished with season-high eight digs at Arizona helped lead Washington State to a 12-14 overall and 8-10 Pac-10 record home crowd favorite.
1997 at Washington State: Came on strong in first season of play saw first substantial action on Pac-10 desert swing hit .471 and rammed home career-high 11 kills at Arizona State tallied seven blocks at Arizona had career-high nine blocks vs. California selected to play with the USA Volleyball National Team during summer in Colorado Springs, Colo.
High School: A 1997 graduate of Sandia High School in Albuquerque, N.M. where she played basketball, softball and volleyball for head coach Pat Velarde named one of Volleyball Magazine's Fabulous 50 recruits two-time Gatorade Circle of Champions New Mexico volleyball player of the year (junior/senior) two-time All State volleyball player led school to district title as a junior earned First Team All State, All District, All City, All City Tournament and APS/Coca Cola Female Athlete of the Week award as a senior selected to play in the senior North-South All Star Volleyball Game following her senior year led basketball team to fourth place finish at state tournament received several Academic Letters for consecutive semesters of over 3.5 GPA as a junior, earned All District, All City First Team volleyball honors earned APS/Coca Cola Female Athlete of the Week Award honors two times as a junior led team to second place in district final as a junior earned All District and All City Second Team honors in softball as a sophomore, played varsity on all three squads named to the All City and All District team in volleyball as a sophomore named to All District team after pitching three no-hitters as a sophomore as a freshman, led the JV volleyball squad to public school title, played center on the varsity basketball team, pitched for the varsity softball team.
Junior Experiences: Played two seasons with the Albuquerque Juniors Volleyball Club team played on Somo Suave Club Under-16 team that placed fifth at the Junior Nationals in Orlando, Fla. named to all-tournament team after tournament in Florida.
Personal: Born Colleen Maria Smith on August 12, 1978 in Albuquerque, N.M. daughter of Steve and Judy Smith of Albuquerque has two older brothers- Dan (30) and Andy (28) father attended Pomona College (Calif.) while mother attended UCLA brother Dan played baseball at Coe College in Iowa member of National Junior Honor Society also could've attended college on softball scholarship won Academic Star for continuous 3.5 or higher grade point average served in the Junior House majoring in communications with a broadcast emphasis hobbies include photography and coaching softball coached the Pullman (Wash.) High School freshman softball team last spring considered several schools out of high school father is a cousin of Don Drysdale played club volleyball with fellow Texas Tech player/setter Skydra Orzen attended Texas Tech's volleyball camps during her high school summers.
SMITH'S CAREER STATISTICS Overall Career Statistics Year GP Kills Err TA Pct. Ast. SA SE Digs BS BA TB *1997 70 98 47 237 .215 0 0 0 8 6 47 53 *1998 92 207 93 537 .212 27 15 36 83 3 67 70 Career 162 305 140 774 .213 27 15 36 91 9 114 123 *at Washington State
--TTU--
