SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga volleyball head coach Diane Nelson announced Wednesday that three players signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Bulldogs. Tia Andaya, Alyssa Hughes and Zoe Thiros will join the Zags for the 2019 season.
 
Tia Andaya | 5-10 | OH/S | Ellensburg, Wash.
 
Andaya, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter/setter for Ellensburg High School is a three-time Central Washington Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Yakima Valley Sports Volleyball Player of the Year and a 2017 2A State First Team selection. Most recently, she led Bulldogs to a 22-7-3 overall record including a perfect 11-0 mark in district play in addition to the league and district championships. Over the course of her high school career, Andaya has collected 1,249 kills hitting .302 to go along with 1,255 assists, 999 digs, 214 aces and 137 blocks. In her senior season she averaged 4.5 kills per set hitting .423 to go along with 3.5 assists per set and 3.1 digs per set.
 
Why Andaya chose Gonzaga: "I chose Gonzaga because it is an amazing school, and all the people I've met from there are amazing as well. I felt so welcomed by everyone, and I love the feeling that everyone is one big family. Go Zags!"
 
Coach Nelson on Andaya: "Tia is a person and player that will make an immediate impact by her enthusiasm and competitive drive. She's self-motivated and has been so impressive in her high school career. Tia has a high ceiling and will help continue to lay the foundation for a winning culture in our gym."
 
Alyssa Hughes | 6-2 | MB | Portland, Ore.
 
Hughes is a four-year varsity performer at Jesuit High School in Portland, Ore., and led the Crusaders to the 6A Oregon State Volleyball Championship title in early November, the second state title of her career. She was named the 2018 Co-Metro Player of the Year, an Under Armour Girls High School All-American Honorable Mention and is a three-time All-Metro selection including two first team selections. Over the course of her prep career, Hughes tallied 661 kills hitting .371 with 143 total blocks and 53 aces. Her senior season she finished with 227 kills for a 2.60 per set average while hitting .581 on the season. She added 53 total blocks, 58 digs and 53 aces to her line in her final season.
 
Why Hughes chose Gonzaga: "I wanted to play for Gonzaga because of the Jesuit Catholic education and strong community it offers. Gonzaga has academic program I am interested in and amazing athletics that I am so excited to be part of!"
 
Coach Nelson on Hughes: "Alyssa is a perfect fit for Gonzaga volleyball. She is so well trained, very well spoken and knows what she's after. Her maturity and habits of discipline are a key to her success and will add so much to our team."
 
Zoe Thiros | 5-11 | OH | Pocatello, Idaho
 
Thiros will arrive in Spokane following a decorated prep career at Century High School in Pocatello, Idaho. The 5-foot-11 outside hitter is a two-time 4A District 5-6 Player of the Year, three-time Great Basin Conference Player of the Year and was named the Idaho State Journal 2017 All-Area Athlete of the Year. Most recently, Thiros joined fellow signee Hughes as an Under Armour Girls High School All-America Honorable Mention selection.  She led Century to two 4A Idaho State championship titles in 2015 and 2018, and over the course of her prep career, she played in 372 sets registering 1504 kills hitting .311 to go along with 1,146 digs, 191 aces and 162 blocks. In her senior season alone, Thiros recorded 455 kills for a 4.7 per set average to go along with 380 digs, 53 blocks and 56 aces.
 
Why Thiros chose Gonzaga: "Signing the NLI to play for Gonzaga represents a great day for me. I know it is a place where I will be pushed hard and cared for deeply. It's the perfect place to grow into the player and person I want to be. I'm grateful for this opportunity, and I plan to make the most of it. I can't wait to see where being a Zag takes me."
 
Coach Nelson on Thiros: "Zoe cannot be slowed down. Since the first day I met Zoe, I knew she had the qualities we wanted in our program. She's driven, she's a work horse, and she's always finding ways to get better. She's a special kid with an unbelievable work ethic. Her business-like attitude fits our culture perfectly."