ELLENSBURG (Nov. 15) -- Five high school seniors, including four from the state of Washington, have signed letters of intent to attend Central Washington University and play volleyball for the Wildcats beginning in 2012, CWU head coach Mario Andaya announced Tuesday.

Signing to join the Wildcats next year are Linden Firethorne (Clinton/South Whidbey HS), Sarah Joffs (Yakima/West Valley HS), Kiah Jones (Port Angeles), Kelsi Kemper (Prineville, Ore./Crook County HS), and Erika Waldner (Olympia/Tumwater HS).

"We addressed our needs to be a more physical, competitive, and intelligent team with this year's recruiting class," Andaya explained. "All five of these players have the character to represent CWU at the highest level, and their talents on the court will make our volleyball program better right away."

Firethorne, from Clinton and South Whidbey High School, stands six feet tall. She was selected to the all-Cascade Conference team three times, including first-team selections each of her final two seasons with the Falcons. An outstanding hitter at the high school level, Andaya expects her to be a versatile player once she joins the Wildcats.

"After watching Linden play a couple of times, I knew we had to sign her," Andaya described. "She is very quick off the floor, has a tremendous reach, and has a good arm. Linden plays at full throttle all the time, but she has good vision and shows great control. All of these elements will enable her to acclimate to the speed of play at this level and process things very quickly. She is a personable and likeable person, but has a strong competitive spirit, and she has all the dynamics to be a great team player."

Joffs, a 6-foot middle blocker from nearby Yakima and West Valley High School, helped lead the Rams to the WIAA Class 3A state championship last weekend. She was a two-time all-Columbia Basin Big Nine League selection for head coach Katie (Orgill) Hinckley, a former standout outside hitter at CWU.

"We saw Sarah singlehandedly dominate the net at the state tournament her junior year and felt she could be a special player for us," Andaya said. "She has size, a tremendous reach, and very good balance and vision on the block. Offensively, Sarah hits at a high contact point and snaps the ball down at a high velocity. She will be a force in the GNAC, and as she gets stronger, her presence will be recognized beyond that."

Jones, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter from Port Angeles, was a four-time all-Olympic League selection, including a first-team honoree each of her final three seasons with the Roughriders. Also a 4.0 student in the classroom, she earned Olympic League Most Valuable Player honors this fall and was also a two-year team captain for Port Angeles.

"Kiah is just beginning to understand what she is capable of on the court and I am looking forward to being a part of her growth," Andaya said. "She has all of the physical tools -- good length, a tremendous vertical, and a strong arm. Her approach to training at this level will determine how fast she will become a difference-maker for us, and from what I know of her now, that will be sooner than later. Kiah is an intelligent kid with a competitive spirit, and I am very anxious to get her in our gym."

Kemper, a 5-foot-7 setter from Prineville, Ore., and Crook County High School, was a four-time Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) Class 4A state champion for the Cowgirls. She averaged 10.6 assists per set and earned her second consecutive all-Intermountain Conference first-team selection after being a second-team all-IMC pick as a sophomore. She was a second-team all-state honoree in 2010 and she earned all-tournament team honors each of her final two years at the OSAA state tournament.

"Kelsi flat out competes, and wins," Andaya explained. “Kelsi makes good decisions, and her physical strengths are very good, but the intangibles she brings make the people around her winners. She has a very good IQ and knows how to put her team in a position to win. I look forward to training her, but I really look forward to the instinctive part of her game she will bring that can't be coached."

Waldner, a 6-foot middle blocker from Olympia and Tumwater High School, helped the Thunderbirds to a runner-up finish at the WIAA Class 2A State Championships last weekend. Waldner played on a pair of conference championship teams -- at Tumwater High in 2011 and at Olympia High School in 2010. She was a first-team all-Evergreen Conference selection as a senior at Tumwater.

"Erika will be a force wherever we put her," Andaya said. "When she hits, defenders open up and want no part in digging her. She has good size, good control, and crushes the ball, but her overall energy on the court makes her such a positive presence for her teammates, and an intimidating one for her opponents. Erika is versatile and wants to get better. We will look to move her around the front line, to score in various ways for us.

"CWU is a tremendous institution," Andaya continued, "and we are glad that these student-athletes have chosen to fulfill their academic goals here. We can't wait to get them on our campus."

Central Washington finished the 2011 season with a 15-11 overall record and placed sixth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 9-9 league mark. The Wildcats have finished .500 or better in conference play in each of their past 13 seasons under Andaya, who completed his 16th season as the CWU mentor in 2011.