Volleyball Standout Christi Hahn Signs With A&M
Jan 23, 2003 | Volleyball
January 23, 2003
Christi Hahn, a six-foot, all-state middle blocker from Leander, Texas, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at Texas A&M, Aggie coach Laurie Corbelli announced.
"The thing that stands out the most is Christi's passion for playing the game," Corbelli said. "She is one of the hardest working and committed players, and it is so noticeable when she is on the court. And knowing her academic success as well as her volleyball accomplishments, we considered her to be a great fit for our program even when she was a junior."
Hahn, who posted 37 kills in a three-game victory over Cypress Falls in a Region II area-round playoff match in November, was an all-state first-team selection by the Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) and an all-state honorable mention by the Texas Sports Writers Association following her senior year in which she led the Leander Lady Lions to the District 14-5A title and the regional quarterfinals of the Texas high school playoffs.
A three-year standout for coach Sally Schlobohm Tan at Leander, Hahn also was named the All-Central Texas co-player of the year by the Austin American-Statesman and was selected to the 12-member All-Texas Team by LonestarVolleyball.com. In addition, the 2002 District 14-5A co-player of the year is a two-time member of the all-district first team and will represent Leander as part of the TGCA All-Stars match.
Hahn, whose sister, Kathy, was an all-region and all-Big 12 Conference middle blocker for the University of Texas as a sophomore last fall, is a member of the Austin Juniors Club volleyball team and was named to the 2001 Tour of Texas all-tournament team.
"With the experience she has playing in the middle for one of the most successful club teams in Texas, Christi is familiar with what shots to look for and she is aggressive and takes the initiative with the offense," Corbelli said. "She has a lot of speed, which is something we are looking to use more of. Not only is the speed there, but she is very efficient with her footwork and moving from antenna to antenna."
Ranked first in her class of more than 500 students, Hahn was recognized for her accomplishments in the classroom as she was recently named to the academic all-state team.
"Christi brings the type of maturity to be a top player and student," Corbelli said. "She has the mind frame that she wants to be the best, and it is nice to see that drive in a high school player."
In addition to volleyball, Hahn is a three-year member of the Leander track team and was named the squad's co-MVP as a junior. She also is a member of the National Honor Society, the Youth Leadership Team and the Good Shepherd Youth Group.
The Aggies lose two-year starting middle blocker A.D. Achilefu, who completed her eligibility after helping A&M advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament and a 21-10 record. And with two other middles - Carol Price and Jayna Baker - being moved to the outside, Corbelli expects Hahn to make significant contributions in the upcoming season.
"Because we moved Price to the right and Baker to the left, there is an immediate need for Christi," Corbelli said. "Because she has trained and competed at a high level for so many years in juniors, we expect her to make a very smooth transition to the college game, and we are certain that she will offer help to the team in the 2003 season."
