Fresno State Athletics
Volleyball Signs Three Recruits for 2004 Season
11/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 18, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. -
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Fresno State volleyball head coach Lindy Vivas has announced the signing of three freshmen recruits, two of which are listed among Prep Volleyball's Top 250, who will join the Bulldogs next fall.
Donning the Bulldog Red and Blue for the 2004 season will be Ilima Sam Fong (Hurricane, Utah), Christianna Reneau (Corona, Calif.) and Alisha McKee (Goodland, Kan.).
Sam Fong, a 5-8 setter out of Hurricane High School, is a highly touted prospect coming out of the high school ranks after being recruited by Arizona State, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Hawaii, Long Beach State, Miami, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Ohio State, Oregon State, Pacific, Penn State, Stanford and Utah.
A four-sport letterwinner in basketball, softball, track and field and volleyball, Sam Fong is a four-year varsity starter at setter after splitting time at Pine View High School (freshman and sophomore) and HHS. At Pine View she helped their team to a first place regional finish as well as a fifth place showing in state as a freshman. At Hurricane she guided her squad to a regional title and HHS finished third in the state her junior year.
Named Region 9's Most Valuable Player last season, Sam Fong garnered first team all-State honors in 2003 in volleyball. In track, she has been the state champion in shot put the last two years while collecting a state title in the javelin as a junior.
Outside of the prep ranks, Sam Fong has played club volleyball for Ikaika, in which she has been the setter and five-time MVP (1999-2003), and High Performance. Also competing in the Intermountain Volleyball Association, she was the setter for the 16-under High Performance team that captured the World Tournament Championship title in 2000 while touring Europe and playing in Croatia and the Netherlands in 2001. In 2003 she was the setter for the 18-under High Performance squad that placed second at the Moscow-Utah Games.
Reneau, a 5-11 outside hitter from Corona High School who is listed among the top 250 prep volleyball players by Prep Volleyball, excelled in soccer, track and field and volleyball all four years as a varsity letterwinner. Finishing no worse than fourth place in Mountain View League play, she helped her team to a league championship in 2003 and a runner-up title as a sophomore.
Recruited by Alabama, CS Fullerton, CS Northridge, Idaho, Indiana, San Francisco and Northern Arizona, Reneau and her prep team have participated in the CIF playoffs her last two seasons. She also has garnered first team all-league and all-county accolades the past two years.
Having set a school record in the 100 high hurdles and being a CIF qualifier, she also has led her soccer teams to a pair of league championship crowns while capturing first team all-league and all-county accolades.
In club ball, Reneau played for the Southern California Beach organization where she helped the 18-under team win the AAU Junior Long Beach Classic and Western Zone Championship in 2003. She also played club volleyball for the Mavericks and Impact.
McKee, a 6-1 middle blocker out of Goodland High School School who is listed among the top 250 prep volleyball players by Prep Volleyball, had been a three-year varsity starter on the outside and middle as she has helped her teams to an 89-20 record the last three seasons while being a two-time All-North West Kansas League pick.
Also lettering in basketball and track and field, McKee is the first Bulldog to sign out of Kansas as well as being named one of the top 250 prep players coming out of the prep ranks after being recruited by Arizona, Baylor, Cincinnati, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri and Purdue.
Tallying 795 kills, 46 service aces, 226 blocks and hitting .337, McKee also has been a Rocky Mountain All-Region honoree in volleyball while qualifying for state in the shot put her last two seasons at GHS.
A two-year member of the High Performance National Team, McKee also has been an USA A-2 National Team player. In club ball, she played for the Colorado Juniors.
"We have a tremendous group coming in," said head volleyball coach Lindy Vivas, who is taking the Bulldogs to their sixth straight trip to the Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament this weekend in Reno, Nev. "All three are very good students and athletes. They will compliment the returning class for next season very well.
"Ilima brings athleticism, leadership and very good overall skills. With a good understanding of the game, she has seen action against high-caliber teams, especially by playing overseas with junior regional teams. Her physical strength will help us in all phases of the game. In addition, Ilima just led her high school team to a sixth place finish at state, which is one of the best finishes ever for her high school.
"Christy will be very exciting to watch as we feel she can follow in the footsteps of Kristen Fenton. With a very good knowledge of the game, Christy is a complete player who has very good ball control as well as a variety of shots. She also has a very good background in beach volleyball that has allowed her to develop her overall game. Christy helped her high school team make some history this season as they reached the quarterfinal round of the Southern Division 1-A section playoffs.
"Alisha is very quick who can hit any set along the net. A very fiery and competitive player, she has had a tradition of winning on the prep level and we expect her to bring that mentality with her next fall. Alisha just directed her high school team to a state title this fall and they only lost one game in the five matches played. With her explosiveness and ability to read, she will be another exciting player to watch."
