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UL – Louisiana head volleyball coach Heather Mazeitis announced the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2009-10 academic year Tuesday.
Beth Fogler of Fort Wayne, Ind., Amanda Gavin of Arlington, Texas, and Ariel Krolikowski of Alda, Neb., make up the highly decorated class, the second of Mazeitis’ career at UL.
“This is a very solid recruiting class,” Mazeitis said. “We have brought size, power, leadership and athleticism in this class, and I am extremely excited about them.
“More importantly, all three of these young ladies excel in the classroom. All three are 4.0 students or are very close, and have earned very high test scores. They are the epitome of the term student-athlete.”
Fogler, a 6-3 middle hitter, led her Bishop Dwenger High School team to the regionals in Indiana’s Class 3A state tournament on her way to becoming Indiana’s No. 1 hitter, leading all classes statewide in hitting percentage with a phenomenal .442 season mark. She earned Second Team All-Summit Athletic Conference honors in two consecutive years, and was named first team all-state in Class 3A. She also picked up her team’s Most Improved Player award in 2007. Off the court, Fogler is a member of the National Honor Society and is a BD Scholar.
“Beth Fogler will bring size and a big block,” Mazeitis said. “I think that her best years of volleyball are in front of her and she will develop into a fantastic player.”
Gavin, a 6-2 setter and middle blocker, helped her Nolan Catholic High team to their first postseason in five years in 2007 with a run to the state finals and an individual spot on Texas’ all-tournament team. A three-year varsity starter and team captain the last two seasons, her individual awards are numerous. They include five all-tournament nods between 2007 and 2008, All-Texas honors in 2007 (first team) and 2008 (second team), 2007 district setter of the year, all-district honors in 2006 (second team), 2007 (first team) and 2008 (first team), and Fort Worth Star-Telegram Private School Player of the Year in 2007. She holds the Nolan Catholic High record for career assists, and ranks in the top five in sets played, kill percentage and digs.
“She is a solid setter and a talented middle,” Mazeitis said. “We have not fully decided how she will help our program best, maybe as both. Mandi is an athletic player with great tenacity and excellent court intelligence.”
Off the court, Gavin has logged over 200 hours of community service, is a four-year member of the National Honor Society, was named to Texas’ academic all-state team, and is a member of the Viking Council, Nolan’s student-athlete leadership organization.
Krolikowski is a 5-9 outside hitter who is a three-sport athlete at Grand Island Senior High, excelling in volleyball, basketball and track and field. She currently leads her volleyball team in kills with 415 on the season, among tough competition from teammates with 323 and 215 kills. She led her team to the state Class-A finals in 2006 and 2007, and led them back to the tournament in 2008. Though they lost in the first round, she still earned the match MVP title. She led the Grand Island basketball team to a district championship in 2007, led her track team to a state Class-A championship in 2007 and runner-up title in 2008, and her club volleyball team to a national championship in 2007. Individually, she was named all-conference and All-Heartland Super Squad in 2007, and crowned the year with first-team All-Junior All-Nebraska honors from both the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star. In track and field, Krolikowski is a three-time selection for the All-Nebraska Junior Olympic Team, winning two national high jump championships and finishing as national runner-up in the long jump, while placing second in both the long and high jumps in the Nebraska high school Class-A championships in 2008.
“Ariel is a superb athlete,” Mazeitis said. “I expect her to come in and make an impact in our conference from the minute she gets here. Being a two-time national high jump champion speaks a lot about her athleticism, but also her determination.”
Academically, Krolikowski’s credentials are no less impressive. In a graduating class of over 400 students she will finish in the top five percent, maintaining a 4.0 GPA while enrolled in several Advanced Placement courses. She is an officer in Grand Island’s chapter of the National Honor Society, and has been named to the academic all-state volleyball, basketball and track teams. She is also involved in numerous student and volunteer organizations, such as Student Council and United Way.
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