Bronx, N.Y. – Head coach Ian Choi and the Fordham volleyball program announced its 2020 recruiting class made up of three incoming freshman in the Class of 2024 – outside hitters Lauren Arzuaga and Whitley Moody and middle blocker Isabel Fichtel, who signed National Letters of Intent to join the Rams next Fall.

 

"This class is competitive. We're adding a lot of physicality and athleticism to the program and, most importantly, their attitudes will fit in well with our methods to evolve and grow." Choi said, "Simply put, we're excited to see this permutation of Fordham volleyball." 

 

Arzuaga, a 6'1 outside hitter from Laredo, has played her last three seasons at United High School. Named the Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, she's added Offensive Player of the Year and District MVP to her resume, and reached 1,000 career kills last year as a junior. She helped her school to the Sweet 16 at Nationals, a first for United, and was named All-Tournament as a result.

"Lauren plays with a type of unmatched passion and confidence that only serves to complement the program's values. She can play on the left or right side with efficiency and she'll add some much-needed depth to the pin position."

Fichtel, a 6'1 middle blocker from San Antonio, has earned three letters at Winston Churchill High entering her senior season. As a junior, Fichtel was a unanimous First Team selection on the All-District and All-State teams and was named a TGCA All Star. Prior to that, she earned Second Team All-District recognition as a freshman and sophomore. So far this season, she's been named to the NISD All-Tournament team.
 

"Izzy is a well-rounded middle blocker hailing from a competitive region of San Antonio. She has the mental, physical, and athletic skill sets to make an instant impact on the program."

Moody, a 6'1 outside hitter from San Jose, has been a starter and a captain all three previous seasons at Willow Glen High School. She made a quick impact as a freshman, garnering First Team All-League honors and was voted as both the Sophomore of the Year and Junior of the Year each of the past two seasons. At the club level, she helped her team to a 2017 National Division Gold medal.

"Whitley's work ethic and maturity really stood out to me. In club, she played on older teams for two years, which made her grow up pretty quickly. She's a true six rotation outside hitter who can terminate and that's becoming a rarer sight in this cultural trend of hyperspecialization."
 
The 2019 Rams wrap up their regular season at George Washington and George Mason on Friday night at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m., respectively.