By Jocelyn VerVelde, TTU Sports Information Coordinator/Volleyball contact
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech volleyball team inked another 2014 signee recently in Muskego, Wis. native Jordan Wachowiak.
"I chose Tennessee Tech because I felt at home the moment I got there," Wachowiak said. "I have always wanted to go to school in the south. The campus and city of Cookeville matched up perfectly with my personality and what I was looking for. I really love the way that the offense for the team is set up, emphasizing middles and right sides, as those have always been my positions and I love playing them. I also see myself learning a lot at TTU on the court, and off the court as well. On the court, I think TTU offered me the best opportunity to improve individually as a player and especially as a middle hitter.
"Off the court, I was impressed with the business school," Wachowiak added. "After talking to the Business School adviser, she made me feel comfortable that I will have the opportunity and all the means to excel in the classroom while also on the court, which is very important to me. I also really like how involved and committed the coaches and all the advisers are to helping student athletes at TTU excel academically."
Wachowiak, a six-foot-three middle blocker, comes to Cookeville after a very successful prep career. She wrapped up four years of play at Muskego High with a hitting percentage of .318 while tallying 425 kills. She also showcased her exceptional blocking skills with 308 block assists and 148 solo blocks. With her high school teammates, she qualified for state every year, including a state runner-up finish at the Division 1 level. With her club volleyball team, Milwaukee Sting, she registered multiple top five finishes at the AAU National Tournament, including a national runner-up in June of 2012.
"Jordan brings a lot to our program," head coach Dave Zelenock said. "Obviously her height is going to be helpful right away, but the way she uses it is the most important thing. She is a very natural blocker and has a great instinct for it. Our job is going to be turning that killer instinct for blocking into offense as well. She is a great worker who is pretty easy to set, so we expect her offense to evolve pretty quickly. She comes from a very good club that has been playing at the open level, so her volleyball IQ is going to help a lot as we continue to build the program. As she adjusts to the speed we play at and the level in college we think she is going to turn into a really good middle in the OVC."
