SPARTANS VOLLEYBALL ANNOUNCES RECRUITING CLASS- TWU Women’s volleyball adding three players for fall 2008

Amy Leschied Attacks

Women's Volleyball (Announcement)
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Recruit Signings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPARTANS VOLLEYBALL ANNOUNCES RECRUITING CLASS
- TWU Women's volleyball adding three players for fall 2008

LANGLEY, British Columbia - Trinity Western University women's volleyball head coach Ryan Hofer is pleased to announce the signings of three players for his 2008-09 recruiting class. The Spartans welcome middle Nicole Bazin (Winnipeg), outside/libero Amber Brown (Three Hills, Alta.), and outside hitter Amy Leschied (Selkirk, Man.).

"I am excited about this years recruiting class with what each player is going to bring to Spartan Volleyball," said Hofer of his three high school recruits. "While they each have different skills and abilities, they are tremendous athletes of character and integrity that will be great additions to our program. They each come from strong families that have been a pleasure to get to know, and we are looking forward to having them as a part of our Spartan Family."

The 6'0" Leschied played middle for most of her high school volleyball with the Selkirk Royals, who have won the past four "AAAA" Manitoba Provincial titles. Her club team won the 2007 Club National championships, and they've also won the past three Manitoba club provincial titles.

"Amy is a player we have been watching for some time and we are thrilled she has chosen TWU," says Hofer. "She comes from an impressive high school program and has received great coaching from Rick Scott over the past three years. Amy not only knows the game of volleyball, she knows how to win and has done so at every level and with every team she has played with. She is a versatile middle blocker who is no stranger to the back row, as she has a variety of shots and hits a heavy ball. Because of this we believe she will be able to make an easy transition to an outside hitter. Amy plays with a passion and we are excited to be adding that to our team."

In 2007 Leschied was named to the All-Manitoba team, and was a tournament all-star and championship player of the game at high school Provincials. She is an honor roll student, and hopes to major in education. She's currently an assistant coach for the Royals U13 club volleyball team, and has volunteered at Royals summer camps in the past.

"I chose Trinity because it was a perfect fit for me. I strongly feel God has lead me and blessed me with the opportunity to attend Trinity because it is a place where I will be able to draw closer to Him," Amy says. "The volleyball team is awesome, they make me feel like I am a part of the family, and I am excited to make new friendships that will last a lifetime. I have also heard nothing but great things from the volleyball players and others about the atmosphere of the University. I am looking forward to an amazing and rewarding experience at TWU."

Leschied has played with current Spartans setter Chelsea Hudson (Winnipeg) on the Provincial Team, and competed against Spartans outside hitter Evelyn Kampen (Winnipeg) throughout her high school career.

Bazin is a 6'1 multi-sport athlete from Vincent Massey high school in Winnipeg who was invited to participate in the National team's training program. A member of the U17 and U16 provincial teams the past two years, she was named a 2007 Manitoba Grad all-star, was a member of the all-Manitoba team, and was a U17 Manitoba club provincial all-star.

"Nicole is a stand out middle blocker not only in the province of Manitoba but also in this country," says Hofer. "She has a natural jumping ability that shows itself with her skills at the net. She is a dynamic attacker with a variety of shots and a tremendous blocker who moves quickly and gets off the ground fast, which are all skills necessary to be a great CIS middle blocker. Nicole has shown that she knows what it takes to compete and train at the highest level with the team's success she has been apart of with Team Manitoba and Cobras volleyball club. She has also shown that she has the discipline to be successful as an individual with her track accomplishments."

Bazin's track accomplishments are as impressive as her volleyball accolades. She's been the top ranked high jumper in Manitoba for her age group for the past three years, and finished first in the high jump, long jump and triple jump at the high school track & field provincials the past two years. Still she's excited about focusing on volleyball for the Spartans.

"When my dream of playing CIS volleyball slowly turned into reality I was immediately interested in exploring the opportunity of playing at TWU from some of the positive things I had heard about the program," says Bazin. "My campus visit convinced me that it was where I wanted to play because of the atmosphere, the academic programs and the close-knit group of girls I would become a part of. I am extremely excited to be a member of the Women's Spartan volleyball team."

Bazin also excels in the classroom as an honors student, and will major in environmental science at TWU. She volunteers as a track and field coach at her former middle school and is a referee for a rec volleyball league. She is Hudson's second cousin and was teammates with Leschied on the U17 provincial team.

Brown is a 5'8" outside hitter who could also see time for the Spartans as a libero. She attended Prairie Christian Academy, where she named the school's 2007 Female Athlete of the Year, and was also named the school's volleyball MVP for both the 2007 and 2006 seasons.

"Amber is one of those players that every team is looking for; she plays and competes with an intensity that is contagious and inspires those around her," says Hofer. "Amber plays and leads with a presence that brings life to her teams and we are thrilled to be bringing that to TWU Volleyball."

In 2007 her Canucks Crew club team won the U17 Alberta Provincials, and went on to finish fifth at Nationals. She was also a member of the Prospects Canadian Team that finished eighth out of 100 teams at Volleyball Festival USA.

"Amber is a great jumper, hits the ball hard and has a variety of shots to draws from. She is going to make a significant contribution to our team - whether that is as an Outside Hitter or as a Libero," commented Hofer. "She has a tremendous ability to play at the net and is an outstanding defender and passer who brings control to the floor both in the front and back row."

An excellent athlete, Brown earned her school's Female Basketball MVP for the 2007 and 2006 seasons, and in her early teens was a competitive swimmer who still holds two ASSA provincial records in the 25m freestyle and the 25m butterfly. She's also an honor roll student who will be enrolling

Trinity Western University, in Langley, B.C. is an independent Christian liberal arts and sciences university enrolling approximately 4000 students. TWU offers undergraduate degrees in 40 major areas of study ranging from biotechnology, education, nursing, theatre and music, to psychology, communications and biblical studies. TWU's 16 graduate degree programs include counseling psychology, business, theology and leadership, and offers interdisciplinary studies in English, philosophy and history. TWU holds Canada Research Chairs in Biblical Studies, Biotechnology and Interpretation, Religion & Culture.

Last Updated: 2008-03-25
Author: Scott Stewart
Email: ssstew@twu.ca