DENVER – University of Denver Volleyball head coach Tom Hogan announced five additions to its recruiting class on Tuesday. The new additions add to the class for the upcoming 2022 season. 

Merle Weidt, Mackenzie Fidelak, Jordan Lockwood, Alayna Finucan and Isabella Vasquez are set to join the incoming class of Lauren Carter, Ava Reynolds, Genevieve Lewis and Cadi Boyer for the upcoming fall season.

"We are extremely excited to welcome such a deeply talented and well-rounded class to the DU volleyball family," Hogan said. "Our 2022 signees come from diverse backgrounds and cover all positions, yet they share a lot in common: they are profoundly dedicated, athletic, and full of potential.
 
"They are hard workers both on the court and in the classroom, and all are excited to help raise the level of our program."
 
Weidt comes to the Pioneers after spending the past two seasons at Arizona. The 6-foot-1 middle blocker was a force with the Wildcats, starting in 46 matches. The native of Germany was efficient in the middle, recording 106 kills on an uber-efficient .381 hitting percentage, third in the Pac-12. Weidt posted 80 total blocks.
 
"We are incredibly excited to add a player with the caliber of Merle to our roster," Hogan added. "She is a very talented player that stood out in an extremely good conference all year long this past season. She is competitive and driven and will continue to help us elevate our program. I look forward to coaching her."
 
Fidelak joins the Crimson and Gold after a four-year run at Stanford. While with the Cardinal, Fidelak was a member of two national championship teams in 2018 and 2019. As a junior in 2020, had a career-high 22 assists in a victory over Arizona State. The Colorado native returns home, where she was a four-year letterwinner at Niwot High School. The incoming Pioneer also was named to the VolleyballMag.com Fab 50 as a senior in high school.
 
"Mackenzie has had an incredible career at Stanford filled with conference and national championships, and we are thrilled to add her experience to our program," Hogan said. "On top of being a high-level player, Mackenzie is an incredible person who has an amazing impact on those around her. We are excited to welcome Mackenzie home to Colorado."

Joining the roster is another player from a prestigious Power-5 school in Lockwood. The incoming transfer spent the last two years at Pittsburgh and is coming off national semifinal appearance in 2021, the first in program history. As a senior, the 6-foot-2 outside hitter appeared in 22 matches, logging 83 kills on the year, highlighted by a season-high nine kills in a win against Baylor. She was also the AVCA National Player of the Year at Navarro College on the junior college level in 2019 before going to the Panthers. 
 
"Jordan comes to the Denver Family with a lot of high-level experience," Hogan said. "She is a very physical player who loves nothing more than to compete and win. Jordan will immediately add to our depth at the outside position and is an experienced leader both on and off the court."
 
Vasquez comes from just down the road, spending four seasons at Colorado College. While there, she notched 819 career kills, including a career-high 353 during her senior campaign, where the team posted a 30-6 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
"Bella is a very physical player with a lot of potential," Hogan said. "As a six rotation outside hitter, she has a complete game and can execute each skill at a very high level. Bella's collegiate experience will allow her to immediately transition to our Denver gym, and she will have an instant impact on our program next season."
 
Finucan continues the strong Iowa pipeline, coming from Webster City after wrapping up her high school career for the Lynx last year.
 
"Alayna is a very talented libero who lives and breathes volleyball," Hogan said. "She will immediately raise the level of our team's ball control, and her work ethic and ability to learn, will help her make a natural transition to the collegiate game."
 
Denver will return to action in preparation for the 2022 season in the fall.
 
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