Nov. 17, 2007
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara volleyball head coach Jon Wallace announced the signing of a triplet of talented student-athletes to national letters of intent today. The three players who will join the Broncos in 2008 are Dana Knudsen, Tanya Schmidt and Samantha Selsky.
"We are truly excited for this recruiting class," said Wallace. "I believe all three signees will make an immediate and tremendous impact on our program. They are three student-athletes that can be starters in the program from the very beginning. They bring with them vast experience that will help us up hold our level of play."
Knudsen, a 6-3 middle blocker at St. Francis in Sacramento, aided the Troubadours run at three consecutive Delta River League championships. Last season, she was an all-league honoree and was named to the All-Metro second team by The Sacramento Bee. This season, she is ranked No. 115 on PrepVolleyball.com's Senior Aces list.
"Dana's size is a huge asset for us," said Wallace. "She has incredible strength and power, and will be a key component in our middle next season."
Schmidt, a 6-3 middle hitter at Harker High School in Palo Alto, Calif., is a two-time San Jose Mercury News Athlete of the Week and a three time All-West Bay Athletic League first team honoree. She has led the Eagles to two Central Coast Section IV quarterfinal appearances and the 2006 CCS IV semifinals. As a junior, Schmidt was named MVP of the WBAL and of her varsity team. She was named one of the Top-50 junior recruits in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com, is ranked No. 52 on their Senior Ace list and helped the Vision 18 Gold team to a fifth place finish at the 2007 Junior Olympics.
"Tanya is a very fluid athlete," said Wallace. "She has developed great skill at the high school and club level that will help lead us in the future."
Selsky, a 5-11 setter at Marymount High School in Los Angeles, has played an integral role in helping her team to conference and state success. In 2006, the Sailors were Sunshine League Champions and advanced to the State Championship where they defeated Christian Brothers High, 3-0, for their sixth state title. Selsky received MVP of the State Tournament honors while also receiving the state's sportsmanship award. She is a three team All-Sunshine League first team selection and has helped her team to three straight California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section championships, where she received first team honors as a sophomore and second team accolades as a junior.
"Sam has some big shoes to fill as she will become our new setter," said Wallace. "But with that said, she is a seasoned player that has the mental ability to make the right plays. She has played club volleyball from a young age, both her parents have coached the sport and she has been a four year starter at Marymount."
