USIU Signs Five Volleyball Players

SAN DIEGO — United States International University, headed into the West Coast Athletic Conference in women’s sports in 1985-86, has signed five volleyball players to letters of intent.

“I feel this is our best recruiting year ever,” Coach Fred Featherstone said. “It’ll put us on solid ground going into our new conference.”

Two of the women are from San Diego County--outside hitters Teresa Gonzales from Grossmont College and Susan Phillips from San Marcos High. Gonzales was county Player of the Year in 1979, but she didn’t start college until last fall. Phillips was Most Valuable Player in the Avocado League last season.

Others signed were Erin Tomblin, a 5-foot 5-inch setter who was first team Southern Section 4-A at Edison High in Huntington Beach; Claudia Johnson, a 6-1 middle blocker with a 10-3 jump reach from Banning High in Wilmington; and Raquel Brown, a 6-0 middle blocker who was all-league at Garden Grove High.

USIU, 15-17 last year, is 54-49 in Featherstone’s three years as coach.