Reagan Karlin and Remi Vargas headline 2020 Broncbuster volleyball signing class
By Mike Pilosof
Garden City, KS-In just his second season, Head Volleyball Coach Patrick Hiltz has done a masterful job in recruiting. His latest signing class is no exception, and it's anchored by one of the best players in the state of Kansas.
All-State outside hitter and former Garden City star, Reagan Karlin headlines one of the strongest classes in recent memory. She is one of four Buffaloes that inked a national letter of intent, joining outside hitter, Alli Meng, libero, Kelbi Richter, and setter, Remi Vargas. Those home-grown players are teaming up with Alandra (Blaise) LaCaze, a middle blocker from Monroe, LA., setter Emmah Sultz from Winfield, KS., Australian-native Jesse Lawton, Sara Ramirez-a middle blocker from Dodge City, and Tauja Durham, an outside hitter, who played at Fountain Ft. Carson High School in Fountain, CO.
"Obviously the goal is to get better each year," Hiltz said. "We want to find players who make us better at each position. We have two returners that we will rely on heavily for leadership. As for the class coming in, we have a really good group. And with our Garden City girls; plus one player from Dodge City, we feel it gives us a great regional representation in Southwest Kansas. We are very excited about what this group can accomplish."
ALI MENG (OUTSIDE HITTER)-GARDEN CITY HIGH SCHOOL | GARDEN CITY, KS
3.1 GPA…Played basketball and ran track in high school…Was also a member of Peer Leadership group…record 141 kills, 33 digs and 37 blocks as a senior…239 kills, 256 digs, 35 blocks and 36 aces as a junior…207 kills as a sophomore, 107 digs and 25 blocks her sophomore year and 198 kills, 45 digs, 12 blocks and 15 aces as a freshman…Began her high school career at Holcomb before transferring to Garden City in 2019…Dad, Matt is a state police agent; mom, Becky is a registered nurse…Named to the GWAC All-Conference team as a junior as well as the 2018 All-Area Garden City Telegram squad…All-Conference as a freshman and sophomore…Started all four years in high school…Moved from outside hitter to opposite hitter…Plans on studying secondary education with a minor in English and leadership; wants to pursue her Masters' in special education…Learned how to overhand serve when she was 6 with a cast on her arm…Has played every position on the floor since middle school…Sports Icon: Don Haskins—coach of the Texas Western Miners (1965-66)…favorite team: Kansas City Chiefs and Penn State
Coach Hiltz on Meng: She's a workhorse. I love her worth ethic. She wants to be perfect in everything. On top of that, she is going to be a great team-first person. She's extremely versatile.
ALANDRA (BLAISE) LACAZE (MIDDLE)-WEST MONROE HIGH SCHOOL | WEST MONROE, LA
3.0 GPA…She will compete in both volleyball and track at Garden City…high jumper, long jumper, javelin thrower and sprinter in high school…Moved from Hamburg, AR to Neville, LA; then to West Monroe after parents got divorced…Recorded 277 kills her senior year with 133 blocks and 178 digs…105 kills and 232 digs as a junior…Led West Monroe to the bi-district playoffs her senior year…All-District selection as a senior…Led the area in kills as a senior
Coach Hiltz on Lacaze: This kid is a real treat. I really enjoyed talking to her on the phone. She comes highly recommended from people who I respect. She's a super athlete. Her story is amazing; she's a really good kid. She fits everything that we wanted from being good in the classroom, the community and the court.
EMMA SULTZ (SETTER) WINFIELD HIGH SCHOOL | WINFIELD, KS
3.8 GPA…Played basketball for four years, softball for three and was a team manager for one in high school…As a senior, had 450 assists, 28 aces, 12 total blocks and 176 digs…Junior year-301 assists, 21 aces, 14 total blocks and 148 digs…Dad, Jeremy, works for the City of Winfield; mom, Kristina, is a home-daycare provider…Honorable Mention All-Chisholm Trail junior and senior year…2019-2020 Kansas Honors Scholar…Principal's Honor Roll all four years in high school…Was diagnosed with scoliosis her senior year…three-year varsity starter…Wants to be a physical therapist…Favorite team: Wichita State…Favorite athlete: Kerri Walsh Jennings
Coach Hiltz on Sultz: She put a lot of faith in us. I think she's going to come in and work really hard. She's a humble kid. We've got three really good setters, and it's going to be a battle on who is going to lead our offense.
JESSE LAWTON (SETTER) LOWANNA COLLEGE | NEWBOROUGH, AUSTRALIA
Also played netball in high school and the clarinet…Played in the USA High-Performance tournament…Dream college is Hawaii and California…Parents are Dad, Matthew, who is a handyman and mom, Michelle…Dad is a pretty big official in Australia…Was the captain of the 2019 Under 21 Australian Team in Thailand…Won coaches award for best player in the league in 2018…Division I MVP in 2017—led team to country championship…Works at Ghanda-a clothing-retail store…Has played volleyball for nine years…Played for national team the last two years…Started out as a libero; then moved to setter, where she's played the past six years…Wants to be a police officer; maybe play professionally in Denmark…Favorite team: Hawaii and Florida
Coach Hiltz on Lawton: Just a really fun kid. Every time I talk to her on the phone, she's so enjoyable. She has a great outlook on life. She's got some high-level experience and will definitely be in the mix. She's very capable, and I fully expect her to contribute. She has a great personality.
KELBI RICHTER (LIBERO) GARDEN CITY HIGH SCHOOL | GARDEN CITY, KS
Played volleyball and softball in high school…Grew up in Lakin before moving to Garden City in third grade…Mom, Jade, is a Respiratory Therapist in Lakin; dad, Doug works for Linn Energy in Ulysses…Younger sister, Aspyn, plays softball and volleyball (sophomore at the high school)…brother, Kaven, plays baseball and wrestles (Horace Good Middle School)…Had more than 1,000 career digs in high school…second-team All-WAC junior and senior year…Works at Hard Rock Lanes Bowling Alley…Has dealt with back and ankle problems…three-year starter in high school…Wants to be an ultrasound technician…Part of a program that won nine straight conference titles; qualified for state as a senior…Favorite team: KU
Coach Hiltz on Richter: Kelbi reached out to us at first. I wanted to see exactly what her plans were. Her instincts are as good as I've seen in a really long time. It will give us a level of defense that we haven't seen. She will put us a few steps ahead because of that.
REAGAN KARLIN (OUTSIDE HITTER) GARDEN CITY HIGH SCHOOL | GARDEN CITY, KS
Originally committed to Creighton…4.0 GPA…Had Division-I offers from Marquette and KU…Had more than 1,000 kills in her high-school career…385 kills as a senior, 343 as a junior, 387 as a sophomore and 232 as a freshman…Led Buffaloes to 33-5 record and the state tournament as a senior…Garden City was one of the top teams in 6A last year…Had 782 career digs as a prep…Dad, Steve, is the Superintendent of Schools for USD 457; Mom, Mary, is community liaison/grant facilitator for USD 457…Kansas Honors' Scholar…Three-time, First-Team All-State selection…WAC Player of the year in 2018…All-Area Player of the year in 2017…Four-year starter in high school…Wants to be a pharmacist…Hit .500 as a senior…Won Show-Me National Qualifier in 2012
Coach Hiltz on Karlin: She's a special player. People have known that about her for a long time. The trick for us is to help her out so she's not taking on all the load. Everybody knew where the ball was going in high school. I think with her coming in, it tells others that really good players can play at this level. It's not very often you land a kid this talented at the four-year level, let alone at the two-year level.
REMI VARGAS (SETTER) GARDEN CITY HIGH SCHOOL | GARDEN CITY, KS
3.9 GPA…Played for her dad, Chris on traveling teams; he's also the manager at UPS; mom, Norma, is the supervisor at the Juvenile Detention Center…Kansas Honors' Scholar, team captain in 2016 and 2019…WAC Player of the Year as a senior…three-time All-WAC first team…National Honor Society member…three-year starter in high school…Had more than 2,000 career assists in high school…Majoring in science…Was part of a video documentary about Garden City…Played for Southwest Kansas High Performance…Led Garden City to 33-5 record last year and the state tournament…Favorite volleyball team: Stanford…Had more 1,000 kills during prep career.
Coach Hiltz on Vargas: Has lived and breathed volleyball her whole life. She's been brought up by a solid coach in Chris Vargas, who I respect so much, I'm blessed that he's entrusted me with his daughter. To have somebody with that kind of volleyball I.Q., it really adds a totally different layer to our team. It makes us one notch better. She has great hands, and she's used to winning.
SARA RAMIREZ (MIDDLE) DODGE CITY HIGH SCHOOL | DODGE CITY, KS
3.1 GPA…Was on the bowling and swimming teams as well as volleyball…Was also involved in the art club…Mom, Heidy, is the executive secretary and development assistant at the Catholic Chancery of Dodge City…Dad, Carlos, works at USD 443 maintenance…Dad played volleyball in Chihuahua, Mexico where he led his team to three runner-up finishes; has coached volleyball at Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic School in Dodge City for the past five years…Offensive and defensive player of the year as a senior…Led Red Demons in blocks, aces and kills…Second-team All-WAC last year…Works at a second-hand store called Hidden Butterfly; her sister owns the shop…In 2018-tore three ligaments in right ankle…two years as a starter…Has played all front positions during her career…Played volleyball year round…Wants to be a social worker or counselor…Can sing in Spanish and taught herself how to write in Spanish
Coach Hiltz on Ramirez: Sara is one of those kids that works hard and knows she can be good. There are times you watch a play and you're like holy cow. She is working on her fundamentals. But I expect her to be one of the biggest surprises on the team.
TAUJA DURHAM (OUTSIDE HITTER) FOUNTAIN FORT-CARSON HIGH SCHOOL | FOUNTAIN, CO
Played basketball and volleyball in high school…Really likes the University of Texas…Attended middle school in Leavenworth, KS before moving back to Fountain, CO her freshman year…Dad, Kevin, works at St. Evans Hospital; mom Keisha, works at Cardinal Health in Denver, CO…Team MVP junior and senior year…Second-team all-conference junior and senior year…Two-year starter in high school…First three years of high school played middle before moving to outside hitter her senior year…Wants to be a veterinarian…Initially, mom didn't want her playing volleyball…Started playing in fifth grade
Hiltz on Durham: She is just another pure athlete. We saw her early in the process. My assistant coach, watched her and was absolutely ecstatic. She has some high-level capability on the outside. Her athleticism, along with her fundamentals, makes her a really scary player.