MOSCOW, Idaho -- University of Idaho volleyball head coach Chris Gonzalez and his staff announced the signing of 14 future student-athletes to a national letter of intent. The 2022 signing class includes representatives from six different states and two international newcomers from Turkey.  

"We are excited to welcome an exceptional group of student-athletes to Moscow," Gonzalez said. "With our first class we wanted to meet two requirements - first, we wanted to have more compositional balance and flexibility, and we wanted to add players with multiple skill sets that possessed the ability to play multiple positions. Second, we wanted to build the roster from the wing positions. We have added quality in attack and reception giving us that element of matchup flexibility that we were looking for."

Kate Doorn, Marissa Drange, Olivia Gloeckner and Madison Wilson were a part of the early signing period back in November 2021. 

Kate Doorn | 5-11 | Setter | Bend, Ore. 

Doorn, a native of Bend, Oregon, wrapped up her senior year at Summit High School. She helped lead her team to the Co-League Championship in 2019 while registering a top-25 rank in the state of Oregon.

"Kate has excellent technical ability and plays with a nice blend of intensity and intelligence," Gonzalez said. "She has terrific dexterity and touch in first tempo combinations, and also has the power to play higher, longer distance sets when necessary. Kate has a very calming demeanor and we think she will flourish in our system."

Individually, Doorn was awarded first-team All-League and first-team All-State in her junior season.

Doorn helped guide the NPJ Bend National team to a third-place finish at the Triple Crown in 2021. Pre Dig has ranked her as the fourth-highest recruit in the state of Oregon for 2022.

Marissa Drange | 5-11 | Outside Hitter | Boerne, Texas

Drange, an outside hitter from Boerne, Texas makes her way to Moscow after finishing an impressive high school career in the Lone Star State. During her sophomore campaign, Drange led the district in kills with over 500 while notching the second most in all of San Antonio. She broke the school record with over 1,000 kills and helped lead the team to 28 wins in her senior season. 

"Marissa is a great competitor, calm, and technically sound," Gonzalez stated. "We anticipate her adding to the depth at either of the wing positions. We believe she has the potential to add new elements to her game, more specifically in blocking and defending. We look forward to her growth in our program."

In addition to her success on the court, Drange excels in the classroom as she has been selected to the Academic All-State and Academic All-District teams. 

Olivia Gloeckner | 6-2 | Outside Hitter | Salt Lake City, Utah

Gloeckner finished up her senior season at Skyline High School where she was selected to the first-team All-State team and AVCA Phenom List in 2019. Her exceptional individual performance has her rated No. 12 in the state of Utah on MaxPreps.

"Liv is a uniquely versatile athlete, she has great power from both wing positions, and has the potential to be a top receiver and defender," Gonzalez said. "Liv plays with great demeanor and is highly intelligent. We believe she will be one of the top blockers from day one."

She has also found success on the national circuit competing with Club V Volleyball, where she helped guide the team to the 17U Open title at Triple Crown in 2021. 

Gloeckner carried a 4.0 GPA and was a member of the Academic All-State team.

Madison Wilson | 6-1 | Middle Blocker | Colorado Springs, Colo.

Wilson, a 6-1 middle blocker, played high school competition at Palmer Ridge High School in Colorado Springs. During her career, Wilson helped lead the program to a 4A State Championship in 2021 while also being selected to the first-team All-State team that same season.

"Madison possesses a very unique skill set," Gonzalez stated. "She plays with great body control, intelligence, and is a very easy jumper from both the wing and center positions. Madison also has developed an exceptional one-leg attack. We believe she also has the potential to be a top second-line attacker. We are excited about her versatility."

In the state of Colorado, Wilson ranks No. 8 all-time in hitting percentage and is rated as the fifth-best volleyball player by MaxPreps.

Christian Blake | 6-5 | Middle Blocker | Boise, Idaho

Middle blocker Christian Blake comes to the Palouse from Laramie County Community College, where she played one season at the junior college level. Blake is a native Idahoan that attended high school at Bishop Kelly in Boise. She went on to earn honorable mention honors during her high school career. Her 7-foot wingspan will add much-needed length in the middle to protect the net for Idaho.  

"Christian has exceptional feet and a quick jump," Gonzalez stated. "She also possesses a 7-foot wingspan and has very good eye-to-hand coordination. Because of her quickness, we see Christian being able to run a variety of playsets as well as being an effective blocker."

Taylor Brickey | 5-11 | Outside Hitter | Bend, Ore.

Outside hitter Taylor Brickey joins the Vandal family after competing at Summit High School in Bend, Oregon. She was named team captain in her senior season, where she went on to earn first-team All-Conference honors. A three varsity letter winner, Brickey helped lead the Storm to two State tournaments while earning a sixth-place finish her sophomore year. 

"Taylor is an exceptional athlete, touching 10'1, we believe she will be able to attack from both wing positions and has the ability to be a quality attacker from the second line," Gonzalez said. "Taylor is an exceptional student and plays with similar intelligence. We are excited about her growth in our system."

Julia Dickeson | 6-0 | Middle Blocker | Lewiston, Idaho 

Julia Dickeson makes a short commute to Moscow from Lewiston, where she played at Lewiston High School. She was a force in the middle for the Bengals, recording the most blocks in school history. Dickeson received a varsity letter in all four seasons at LHS, in addition to being named team captain in her senior season. She will provide depth in the middle for the Idaho defense. 

"Julia has a great spirit and an incredible motor as a blocker," Gonzalez said. "Along with her ability to hit behind the setter in both FBSO and transition, we believe she will add depth and match-up flexibility. Julia has excellent eye-to-hand coordination, and we believe she will be able to add a number of new elements to her game offensively."  

Olivia Dixon | 5-5 | Libero | Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Libero Olivia Dixon makes the short trek south to the Palouse from Coeur d'Alene, where she was a three-year varsity contributor at Coeur d'Alene High School. A two-sport athlete, Dixon excelled on the women's golf team in addition to volleyball and was named Athlete of the Month for both sports. 

"Liv is a highly intelligent and fierce competitor who plays with great concentration," Gonzalez stated. "She possesses the ability to make the people around her better. Liv is an excellent receiver, a very determined defender, and a selfless teammate. She is a perfect fit for our program."

Aine Doty | 5-7 | Libero | Colorado Springs, Colo. 

Libero Aine Doty comes to Moscow from Colorado after competing at Doherty High School. The four-year letter winner at the 5A division level was named honorable mention in the 2019 and 2022 seasons. She racked up 814 digs, 1142 service receptions, 76 aces and 107 kills over the course of three seasons (2019-2022). Doty was an integral piece in leading Doherty to the regional tournament on three separate occasions. 

Doty also competed for Team Colorado Volleyball from 2019-22, where she earned the respect of her peers by being named team captain all three seasons.

"Aine is a highly intelligent player," Gonzalez stated. "She has excellent reception feel and terrific closing speed on defense. She sees the game a possession ahead and she is a true student of the game. Aine is selfless and will undoubtedly be one of our leaders from day one." 

Emmy Green | 5-5 | Libero | Boise, Idaho

Libero Emmy Green is one of two newcomers to come from Boise. The 5-5 defensive specialist played at Mountain View, where she competed for four seasons on the varsity team and went on to earn second-team All-Conference in two seasons. She totaled 1,129 digs and 157 aces in 278 sets played during her high school career, including a personal best of 30 digs in a match against Eagle High School (10/21/21). 

"Emmy plays with a very high motor, intelligence, selflessness, and determination, all of the qualities that position requires," Gonzalez said. "We believe she has the potential to receive and defend at a very high level. She will without question add depth to our team."

Green's family lineage at the University of Idaho runs back to the 1940s when her great uncle Leon Green played football for UI and eventually earned the title of Idaho's athletic director. Over seven of her family members went on to attend and earn degrees at Idaho. 

Ezgi Nil Küçük| 5-11 | Outside Hitter | Ankara, Turkey

Outside hitter Ezgi Nil Küçük joins Budak as the second representative from Turkey. The 5-11 attacker played one season each at Kerem Aygün College and Ufuf Arslan School during her prep career. Küçük helped guide her respective clubs to a bronze and silver medal in 2016-2017, in addition to a gold medal in 2018. 

"Ezgi is a very well-rounded athlete," Gonzalez stated. "She not only possesses the ability to attack with equal quality from both the first and second lines, but she is also a very efficient receiver and has an excellent serve. Ezgi understands the international style we are starting to install, she plays with a great spirit, intelligence and intensity."

Anna Pelluer | 6-0 | Outside Hitter | Redmond, Wash. 

Outside hitter Anna Pelluer comes from the Pacific Northwest, where she prepped at Lake Washington High School in Kirkland. She was a three-year varsity letter winner and a team captain in 2021 for the Kangaroos. Pelluer helped lead Lake Washington to an All-Area championship and undefeated season in 2020, while also earning All-Kingco First Team honors (2021). 

"Anna is also a uniquely versatile athlete with the ability to receive and attack from both wing positions," Gonzalez said. "Anna is a very determined athlete and has the potential to be an excellent defender and receiver. We also think she has the ability to develop a very good jump serve. We are excited to see her growth in our gym." 

Taryn Vrieling | 6-0 | Outside Hitter | Kennewick, Wash.

Outside hitter Taryn Vreiling is one of two newcomers from the state of Washington, as she comes from Kennewick to compete for the Vandals. Vreiling played at Kamiakin High School, where she helped lead the Braves to a conference championship and a berth to the state tournament in 2021-22. The four-year varsity winner earned first-team All-Conference honors in her senior year after posting 472 kills, 70 aces, and a .339 hitting percentage. 
 
"Taryn plays with a high level of intelligence," Gonzalez stated. "She can attack for power from the first and second line with equal quality and is also a very efficient receiver. We will look to Taryn to help stabilize the team in critical moments with her demeanor."

Idaho will make their first appearance of the 2022 season at the Youngstown State Tournament from Aug. 26-27, with three matches against Youngstown State, Valparaiso and Delaware State.

Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho volleyball by visiting GoVandals.com or by following the team on Twitter and Instagram, @IdahoVolleyball.

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