PROVO -- BYU coach Tom Peterson has announced 10 new players and three returned missionaries will join the men's volleyball team for the upcoming 2006 season.
"This is a very good recruiting class," Peterson said. "They'll be good after we get a chance to work with them. It's hard to start as a newcomer, but depending on how hard they work and a few other factors, a few of these guys could earn a spot in the rotation."
This year's crop of recruits have come to BYU through several avenues, including straight out of high school, from the junior college ranks and from overseas.
The top high school recruits come from around the country and include 6-6 middle blocker Ryan Oates from Wheaton, Ill., 5-10 libero Andy Pompei from Fairview Park, Ohio and 6-8 outside hitter Va'a Futi Tavana from Kalaheo, Hawai'i. Oates and Pompei were Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selections. Pompei was a Mizuno High School First-Team All-American while Oates made the second team.
Two talented foreign athletes have made the trip to Provo to suit up for the Cougars, including Rodrigo Gomes, a 6-2 outside hitter from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Yamil Perez, a 6-1 setter from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Gomes will compete for time this season, while Perez will have the chance to learn from senior Rob Neilson, the starting setter.
Jonathan Charette and Joshua Allen are transfer students from junior colleges. Charette, a 6-2 opposite hitter from Fullerton, Calif., played two years at Long Beach City College where he earned state MVP honors as a freshman and conference MVP honors as a sophomore. Allen, a 6-4 middle blocker from Hacienda Heights, Calif., played two years at Golden West Community College, earning all-conference honors both years and player of the year honors last season.
Quentin Smith from Sandy, Utah joins the Cougars after a successful career at Skyline High School. The 6-6 opposite hitter he joins two other players from Utah, Matt Heyes and Bryan Stewart. The final two recruits are Curtis Cohun, a 6-5 outside hitter from Calabasas Hills, Calif., and Christopher Underwood, a 6-3 outside hitter from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Three Cougars who redshirted before serving missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are back. Chip Neff, who served in Chile, is a 6-4 setter from Thousand Oaks, Calif. Shawn Mauina is a 6-1 outside hitter from Henderson, Nev. and served in Argentina. Nick Tauaese, a 6-3 outside hitter, served in Toronto, Canada.
"These players bring a lot of talent to the team," Peterson said. "They will add needed depth and competition in the gym to help us be more prepared for matches."