WMU News

Volleyball Broncos sign top recruit Malone

Feb. 10, 2000

KALAMAZOO -- Carman Malone, a 5-foot, 10-inch middle blocker from Muncie (Ind.) Central High School has signed a national letter of intent to join the WMU volleyball Broncos for the 2000 season.

Head coach Cathy George says Malone is an explosive and powerful player with an exceptional vertical leap. George also cites Malone's experience on championship teams as among the reason's Malone was the Bronco's top choice for this year's recruiting class.

Malone led Muncie Central to three Class Quad-A state volleyball championships and was an All-State selection in both her junior and senior seasons.

Cindy Kizer, a defensive specialist who started as a freshman for WMU in 1999, is also a graduate of Muncie Central.

The Broncos, who were 25-7 overall and 15-3 in the Mid-American Conference in 1999, lost only two seniors to graduation, Traci Morin and Mandy Whitfield, but both were All-Conference First Team selections. Morin, a 6-2 middle blocker was fourth in the nation in hitting percentage as a senior and finished her career with the second-highest hitting percentage in Bronco history. Whitfield, a 6-1 outside hitter, ranks among the top 10 Broncos all-time in both career digs and career kills. She recently signed to play in the new U.S. professional volleyball league.

Coach George elected to award the second of two available scholarships to Toni Krizinski, a 6-foot, 2-inch redshirt freshman for the Broncos in 1999. Krizinski, from Dowagiac, Mich., has played at both the middle blocker and outside hitter positions.

For the 2000 season, the Broncos return six players who started during 1999 and eight letter-winners.

In other volleyball news, Colleen Farrell, an assistant under Cathy George the past three seasons, has resigned to accept the head volleyball coaching duties at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. Farrell served as defensive coach for the Broncos in 1999. George expects to name a replacement for Farrell within a few weeks.

Media contact: Geoff Brown; 616 387-4138; geoffrey.brown@wmich.edu


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