Pitt Volleyball Announces 2016 Recruiting Class
11/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
PITTSBURGH – University of Pittsburgh Volleyball coach Dan Fisher has announced the signing of four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. The Panthers will add Alix Dreier, Zoi Faki, Kylee Levers and Layne Van Buskirk in the fall of 2016.
"We are excited to welcome these young ladies to the Pitt volleyball family," said Fisher. "The 2016 class brings in depth at every position, which will of course increase competition. It will be fun to get them in the gym and watch this group battle."
Alix Dreier | Palm Desert, California
Alix Dreier is a student at Xavier College Prep School in Palm Desert, Calif., and will join the Panthers in 2016. A four-year starter for the Saints, Dreier was named to the All-Desert Valley League first-team in her first three seasons before earning second-team honors her senior year. In Dreier's final season, she served as team captain and led the Saints to win the 21st annual Dan Quam Memorial Tournament, where she was named MVP.
"Alix is a versatile pin hitter, who is able to play six rotations and score in both zones two and four," said Fisher. "She has a powerful arm and we think she can be in the mix for playing time immediately."
Dreier also experienced success with her club team, SCVA High Performance, throughout her high school years. As a sophomore with the club, she contributed to the team's third-place finish at the Junior National Championship-17 Open.
Off the court, Dreier was named Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a junior.
"From the second I arrived on campus, I was in love with Pitt," said Dreier. "The team and coaches immediately made me like I was already a part of the program. By the end of my visit, I could not imagine going to school anywhere else. I can't wait to be a part of the program next year and be able to make an impact representing the Panthers."
Zoi Faki | Athens, Greece
Hailing from Athens, Greece, Zoi Faki will also join Pitt's recruiting class for the 2016 season. Faki, a standout outside hitter, is a three-time Greek Junior National Team selection. Faki plays for the Moraitis School in Athens, where she led her team to a second-place finish at the Moraitis Championship in 2013.
"Zoi will bring in a lot of experience to our team, having played the last few years in the Greek National team system," said Fisher. "She is a powerful attacker who has the ability to score on both pins and will give us another option in the back row as well. Zoi is a committed student-athlete who will fit in well with our team culture. We expect her to compete immediately."
Faki currently plays club for Panionios Volleyball, but was a two-time participant at the CEV Women's Challenge Cup with AEK Volleyball, another club team.
"I am thrilled to have the chance to play volleyball with such a wonderful team and to be able to study business at such a respected University," said Faki.
Kylee Levers | Washington, Pennsylvania
Kylee Levers will join the Panthers for the 2016 season from Chartiers-Houston High School in Washington, Pa. As a senior, she helped lead Chartiers-Houston to its first section championship in 24 years. As a junior, Levers was forced to sit out most of the season due to injury but was able to secure a spot as a Section 6A first-team honoree for her efforts in her freshman, sophomore and senior campaigns.
"Kylee is one of the top setters in the area and it is great to keep a local girl home," said Fisher. "She has the tools to be a solid collegiate player and we expect big things from her in the future."
Levers also enjoyed a prosperous career with her club team, Renaissance Volleyball Club, where she was the starting setter and team captain in each of her first three seasons. As a junior, she helped lead the team to its third appearance at Girls' Junior Nationals.
In the classroom, Levers has made Highest Honor Roll every year and has been a member of the National Honor Society for the last two years.
"I chose to come to Pitt because I am prepared to work very hard to play great volleyball," said Levers. "I want to further my education and I just really love the city of Pittsburgh."
Layne Van Buskirk | Windsor, Ontario
Layne Van Buskirk will head to Pitt in 2016 from Holy Names Catholic High School in Windsor, Ontario. As a junior, Van Buskirk was named First Team All-County, and she won the Royal Arcanum award for Windsor-Essex County Outstanding Female High School Athlete. Additionally, she was the 2014 recipient of the WESPY Award for outstanding female volleyball player in Essex County.
"Layne is a throwback type, multi-sport athlete," said Fisher. "She competes in tennis, basketball, volleyball, badminton and softball. Last summer she made the Canadian Junior National Team in volleyball and is coming on strong. With her committed to volleyball full time, we believe she will turn into a dominant college player. We are thrilled she chose Pitt and happy to re-establish a Pitt-Ontario connection."
In addition to her high school success, Van Buskirk played for her club team, the South County Bandits, for three seasons. In her first year with the club she helped lead her team to an Eastern Canada National Championship, a tournament in which she was named MVP. Van Buskirk also played for Team Ontario Junior Team and Team Canada Junior Team last year.
"My main reasons for choosing Pitt are the great coaches, conference, city and campus," said Van Buskirk."
The Panthers' season is winding down, with just four games left this season. Pitt currently sits at No. 40 in the RPI and will look to earn a bid to the 2015 NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004, after just missing the cut last season.
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Be sure to follow the Pitt volleyball team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the squad. Live, in-game updates will be available through the team's Twitter account, @PittVolleyball.
