The Idaho volleyball team finished revamping its roster by signing three more players to the roster as the fall season approaches.
The Vandals lost six seniors to graduation last season, many of whom were four-year starters. In an effort to reload the roster, Idaho coach Debbie Buchanan recently signed 6-foot-3 outside hitter Tineke Bierma, 5-foot-8 defensive specialist Terra Varney and 6-foot-4 middle blocker Stephanie Hagins, who joined the team this spring after transferring from Hawaii.
Bierma is a junior transfer from the College of Southern Idaho, where she led her team to the school’s 10th NJCAA National Championship. Before CSI, Bierma played at Portland State. During her sophomore season, she hit .199 on the season with 210 kills.
Buchanan said Bierma was exactly what she was looking for.
“We really wanted to find another outside hitter who has some experience and a good arm,” Buchanan said. “We will have her here this summer and she will have that opportunity to train and get on campus and get a feel for things. She is a kid who has got some experience and that’s what we need, that’s going to help our team.”
Defensive specialist Varney had an impressive career at Vista Murrieta High School in Murrieta, Calif., where she received all-league, all-valley and all-CIF honors. Idaho needed another defensive specialist after losing libero Janelle Chow last season and Buchanan is pleased to have signed her.
“She can be an attacking DS,” Buchanan said. “She could compete to be a libero down the road. She plays for a great club, a high level, she is very competitive. Playing high level volleyball all summer is going to be a good thing for her. She definitely fits into that mold of a ball-control kid and a competitive one who knows how to fight and knows how to win.”
Hagins has been at Idaho since January after transferring from the University of Hawai’i. Before Hawai’i, she played at Washington State, where she was the only freshman to rank in the top 10 in blocks in the Pac-12. This is another big signing for Idaho, as Hagins comes from a Hawai’i program that has been a national powerhouse for more than a decade. Hawai’i has made it to the NCAA Tournament every year since 1993 and has made it to the Final Four four separate times in that span and was the national runner-up once.
Buchanan said Hagins has been impressive thus far.
“We’re excited that she’s finally here,” Buchanan said. “She is a big kid with a great block and is great offensively. She is doing some things in the gym right now that make you say ‘holy cow.’ She just plays big. It’s been great to have her here because she is getting back into the swing of things. You can tell she has been working out, it’s showing in the gym.”
The three signees will help boost Idaho’s roster, which has been low in numbers this spring.
Idaho will conclude the spring season at 6:30 p.m. on Friday in Memorial Gym when the Vandals host Eastern Washington. Idaho was originally scheduled to travel to Portland over the weekend, but the tournament was cancelled.
Kevin Bingaman can be reached at arg-sports@uidaho.edu