Rice University Athletics
Owls Ink California's Schamun
11/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 8, 2006
HOUSTON -- The Rice volleyball team signed California's Meredith Schamun to a national letter of intent on Wednesday, head coach Genny Volpe announced.
Schamun is a 5-11 setter from Murrieta, Calif., and currently plays for Club West out of LaVerne, Calif. She played one year of high school volleyball, breaking the school record for assists as a sophomore at Vista Murrieta High School. That year, she led her squad to the second round of the CIF Division 1A championships.
"From day one I think Meredith will elevate the level of our team," said Volpe. "She is very strong and has a natural ability to set the ball. She's got great hands, and she knows the game very well."
In club volleyball, Schamun has played and started for six years for four different top level teams in Southern California. She played for High Performance during her sophomore and junior years, and was named the starting setter and team captain both years. Her first year with the program, her team advanced to the quarterfinals of the Global Challenge in Salt Lake City, Utah, which included teams from Russia, China, Slovenia and Italy. Last year, the team continued to take on international competition, traveling to Italy and Slovenia.
Additionally, Schamun was invited to play for the A2 USA National team.
"What we liked about her is she takes a lot of risks, has really good court vision and tries to set against the flow," noted Volpe. "Meredith definitely has the fundamental tools. She's a good blocker and a very nice defender. We're really excited to add her to our team."
Schamun also excels in the classroom, and is a member of both the National Honor Society and the California Scholarship Federation. She has been a member of the Honor Roll every year in high school, carrying a 4.0 grade point average, and was named the Math Student of the Year as a sophomore.
The Owls close out the 2006 regular season this weekend at Tulsa (Friday at 7 pm) and SMU (Sunday at 1 pm). Rice then returns to Houston for the Conference USA volleyball championship beginning Nov. 16 at Hofheinz Pavilion.
