Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs add two transfers for 2019 season
1/25/2019 10:48:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
FRESNO, Calif. – Fresno State head coach Jonathan Winder has announced two more additions to the 2019 Bulldog volleyball team.
Winder now has seven incoming recruits in his first full signing class after the 'Dogs lost seven seniors following the 2018 season. Desiree Sukhov (Murrieta, Calif./CSU Bakersfield) and Amilya Thompson (Stockton, Calif./San Joaquin Delta College) are both outside hitters and will both remain in the central valley, joining Fresno State as juniors for the 2019 season. They join five newcomers announced in November.
"We are thrilled to add Des and Amilya to our team for this upcoming season," Winder said. "With losing a few pins to graduation we knew we needed to strengthen those positions. The level of our gym and competitiveness every day will greatly increase with the addition of both these student-athletes."
Desiree Sukhov
Position: OH
Height: 5-11
Hometown: Murrieta, Calif.
Last School: CSU Bakersfield
High School: Murrieta Valley HS
Winder: "With Des joining our team this semester, she has already made a tremendously positive impact on the group. She has a contagious love of the game and always plays hard. She is a good athlete who will be able to contribute right away to the team's success with her all-around skills. Her experiences of the last two seasons will allow her to come in here right away to compete at the outside hitter position. Des has a great desire to continue to push this program and her teammates forward in our growth. We are blessed to have her be a part of Bulldog Volleyball."
Sukhov was a two-year starter at CSU Bakersfield and helped lead the Roadrunners to a WAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance as a freshman in 2017. She started 28 matches and played in 102 sets as a freshman, totaling 192 kills, 22 aces, 192 digs, and 34 total blocks, recording a team-high four service aces in the WAC Tournament championship match to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.
As a sophomore Sukhov started all 30 CSUB matches and led the team with 2.91 points per set and ranked second with 2.33 kills per set and 2.22 digs per set with 11 double-doubles. She also led the WAC with 0.41 service aces per set and ranked 34th in NCAA Div. I with 46 total aces while totaling 66 blocks. Sokhov also played beach volleyball last spring for the Roadrunners and won nine matches at the No. 2 position while qualifying for the Big West tournament.
Sukhov played four seasons at Murrieta Valley HS where she earned second team all-league and offensive team all-league honors and was team MVP as a junior and senior. She says she chose to transfer to Fresno State because it felt like home right away and the team and coaching staff felt so welcoming like family that she instantly wanted to be a part of the program.
Amilya Thompson
Position: OH/OPP
Height: 5-10
Hometown: Stockton, Calif.
Last School: San Joaquin Delta College
High School: Lincoln HS
Winder: "Amilya is one of the best all-around players across the country over the last couple years at the Junior College level. She has played nearly every position throughout high school and college, and played them really well. She does a lot of skills really well, so we look forward to narrowing her position and helping her continue to excel in our program. Amilya is a hard-working kid that has earned her way here. Being from the Valley, she is passionate to continue the trajectory of Bulldog Volleyball."
Thompson was a two-time AVCA Junior College All-American, earning first team honors in her first season and third team honors last year. She was a two-time All-State and All-NorCal selection and was as Big 8 MVP in each of her two seasons at San Joaquin Delta. She led the Mustangs with 4.81 kills and 3.54 digs per set as a freshman while hitting .328 as the squad finished second in the state with a 25-5 record. She also contributed a team-high 57 service aces and was second with 69 blocks.
In 2018 she hit .434 with 3.43 kills and 3.53 digs per set. Thompson also played as a setter during her sophomore season, averaging 4.91 assists per set, and chipped in 56 blocks and 31 service aces. She also played one season of beach volleyball at the No. 1 position at San Joaquin Delta and was a two-time first team All-Conference selection at Lincoln high school while being named the Stockton Record Player of the Year in 2015.
Thompson says she chose to transfer to Fresno State because the coaching staff was amazing and she and her family loved the environment and the energy it gave off when she came on her visit.
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
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Winder now has seven incoming recruits in his first full signing class after the 'Dogs lost seven seniors following the 2018 season. Desiree Sukhov (Murrieta, Calif./CSU Bakersfield) and Amilya Thompson (Stockton, Calif./San Joaquin Delta College) are both outside hitters and will both remain in the central valley, joining Fresno State as juniors for the 2019 season. They join five newcomers announced in November.
"We are thrilled to add Des and Amilya to our team for this upcoming season," Winder said. "With losing a few pins to graduation we knew we needed to strengthen those positions. The level of our gym and competitiveness every day will greatly increase with the addition of both these student-athletes."
Meet the Newcomers
Signed! 🖊 Help us officially welcome Desiree Sukhov to the Bulldogs! She joins the 'Dogs after two seasons as a starter at CSU Bakersfield, helping lead the Roadrunners to the 2017 NCAA Tournament #GoDogs pic.twitter.com/MzgAxtJVYd
— Fresno State VB (@FresnoStateVB) January 23, 2019
Desiree Sukhov
Position: OH
Height: 5-11
Hometown: Murrieta, Calif.
Last School: CSU Bakersfield
High School: Murrieta Valley HS
Winder: "With Des joining our team this semester, she has already made a tremendously positive impact on the group. She has a contagious love of the game and always plays hard. She is a good athlete who will be able to contribute right away to the team's success with her all-around skills. Her experiences of the last two seasons will allow her to come in here right away to compete at the outside hitter position. Des has a great desire to continue to push this program and her teammates forward in our growth. We are blessed to have her be a part of Bulldog Volleyball."
Sukhov was a two-year starter at CSU Bakersfield and helped lead the Roadrunners to a WAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance as a freshman in 2017. She started 28 matches and played in 102 sets as a freshman, totaling 192 kills, 22 aces, 192 digs, and 34 total blocks, recording a team-high four service aces in the WAC Tournament championship match to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.
As a sophomore Sukhov started all 30 CSUB matches and led the team with 2.91 points per set and ranked second with 2.33 kills per set and 2.22 digs per set with 11 double-doubles. She also led the WAC with 0.41 service aces per set and ranked 34th in NCAA Div. I with 46 total aces while totaling 66 blocks. Sokhov also played beach volleyball last spring for the Roadrunners and won nine matches at the No. 2 position while qualifying for the Big West tournament.
Sukhov played four seasons at Murrieta Valley HS where she earned second team all-league and offensive team all-league honors and was team MVP as a junior and senior. She says she chose to transfer to Fresno State because it felt like home right away and the team and coaching staff felt so welcoming like family that she instantly wanted to be a part of the program.
Signed! 🖊 Another new addition to the Bulldogs is two-time Junior College All-American and Valley native Amilya Thompson! #GoDogs pic.twitter.com/9Z8Vtuc1DO
— Fresno State VB (@FresnoStateVB) January 25, 2019
Amilya Thompson
Position: OH/OPP
Height: 5-10
Hometown: Stockton, Calif.
Last School: San Joaquin Delta College
High School: Lincoln HS
Winder: "Amilya is one of the best all-around players across the country over the last couple years at the Junior College level. She has played nearly every position throughout high school and college, and played them really well. She does a lot of skills really well, so we look forward to narrowing her position and helping her continue to excel in our program. Amilya is a hard-working kid that has earned her way here. Being from the Valley, she is passionate to continue the trajectory of Bulldog Volleyball."
Thompson was a two-time AVCA Junior College All-American, earning first team honors in her first season and third team honors last year. She was a two-time All-State and All-NorCal selection and was as Big 8 MVP in each of her two seasons at San Joaquin Delta. She led the Mustangs with 4.81 kills and 3.54 digs per set as a freshman while hitting .328 as the squad finished second in the state with a 25-5 record. She also contributed a team-high 57 service aces and was second with 69 blocks.
In 2018 she hit .434 with 3.43 kills and 3.53 digs per set. Thompson also played as a setter during her sophomore season, averaging 4.91 assists per set, and chipped in 56 blocks and 31 service aces. She also played one season of beach volleyball at the No. 1 position at San Joaquin Delta and was a two-time first team All-Conference selection at Lincoln high school while being named the Stockton Record Player of the Year in 2015.
Thompson says she chose to transfer to Fresno State because the coaching staff was amazing and she and her family loved the environment and the energy it gave off when she came on her visit.
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateVB
Instagram: FresnoStatevball
Facebook: FresnoStateVB
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