Players signed for 2010-11 season include KV's Newcomb, Rensselaer's Hayes, and JUCO transfer Annalisha Turner

"We didn't know we were going to get this many recruits," Vazquez said during a recent signing at the IU Northwest Savannah Center. Parents and families came out to watch student-athletes from all corners of Northwest Indiana sign letters of intent to play for the Lady RedHawks next fall.

"We started with five. All of a sudden, there was a domino effect because of the good players who signed and wanted to be here," the coach said.

Players who signed letters of intent for IU Northwest included:

Veronica Gonzalez, 5'9" setter, East Chicago Central, majoring in nursing;

Petra Faught, 5'10" outside hitter/middle blocker, Hammond Morton, majoring in elementary education;

Annalisha Turner, 5'7" outside hitter, Portage/Parkland Junior College, majoring in business;

Tabitha Newcomb, 5'11" outside hitter, Kankakee Valley, majoring in criminal justice;

Renee Hayes, 6'1" middle blocker, Rensselaer, majoring in dental education;

Amber Wilson, 5'6" setter/defensive specialist, E.C. Central, majoring in secondary education and math;

Courtney Bird, 5'8" outside hitter/defensive specialist, Portage, majoring in elementary education;

And, Emily Kurczynski, 5'6" setter, Merrillville, majoring in elementary education.

Vazquez said this year's recruiting class represents years of quality volleyball experience both in high school and club play. The coach said he specifically recruited players with club experience this year.

"That's something we weren't actually able to get during the last four years. We weren't able to get the club girls," he said. "This year, five of our recruits are club players."

Two of those club players, Hayes and Newcomb, were a package deal of sorts for the Lady RedHawks. Once Hayes committed to IU Northwest, Newcomb followed. It was a double coup for the program.

"She's a middle blocker, but she's going to play outside hitter here," Vazquez said of Newcomb. "She's a very strong player. She doesn't quit."

In Hayes, Vazquez found a coveted six-foot-plus middle hitter and all-around team leader, someone he described as being a hard worker, a great athlete, and a "very humble kid."

"Enjoy the pressure of trying to lead us to a championship," Vazquez told Hayes.

"I chose to come to Indiana University Northwest because I want to pursue my career in dental hygiene, and they are one of the few schools in Indiana with that program," Hayes said after signing her letter. "I also wanted to keep playing volleyball. Here, I get to play volleyball and pursue my career."

Vazquez emphasized the program's focus on recruiting quality student-athletes, saying he tried to pursue players whose grade-point averages were 3.0 or higher.

That effort paid off. Faught, for example, is a Presidential Academic Award winner, as well as president of her class, editor-in-chief of Morton's yearbook, and a perennial principal's honor roll student.

"Petra was here for summer workouts, and I knew she was a good fit with our kids," Vazquez said. "In volleyball, you've got to have chemistry. She fit in right away. She is a very smart kid."

One of Vazquez's recruits, Portage grad Turner, began her collegiate career at Parkland Junior College in Illinois. Turner led Portage to a sectional title in 2007 and has improved her game since then.

"She's a Division I junior college player at one of the top 10 programs in the country at that level," Vazquez said.

Wilson secured a spot on the roster via open tryouts, a first for the Lady RedHawk squad, according to the coach. Wilson played at three different schools in three years, including a school in Florida, where she was an all-conference selection.

"Amber is very versatile," Vazquez said. "She has good hands and plays good defense. We worked her hard for about 20 minutes at tryouts. I liked what I saw, and we decided to offer her a spot."

Wilson is a defensive specialist who also has setter skills and may fill that role as needed. But Vazquez also brought two other setters to his team, E.C.'s Gonzalez and Merrillville's Kurczynski.

"We have good hitters. We need somebody to put the ball in front of them," Vazquez said. "It will be interesting to see what we can come up with."

Of course, the most important reason for any of this year's volleyball recruits to attend IU Northwest is for a college education. Outside hitter Byrd, another club player, is one of four recruits who will study at IU Northwest's School of Education.

"I am majoring in elementary education. I want to be a kindergarten teacher," she said.

"Courtney is one of those players who can help us in a lot of areas," Vazquez said.