CHICO – Head Coach Cody Hein has gone to great lengths during the spring to recruit players that would bring both talent and depth to the Chico State volleyball team. With a combination of nine middle and outside hitters on the roster, the Wildcats appeared to have a well-stocked array of offensive weapons already in place. But with the team’s latest addition – outside hitter and prep standout Makenzie Fahnestock – the ’Cats become even more versatile and dangerous offensively as the team prepares for the upcoming 2010 season.

The 5’10” Fahnestock comes to Chico after playing two years of varsity ball at Eagle High School in Eagle, Idaho, leading the Mustangs to back-to-back 5A district and state championships. “Makenzie is a great hitter, a consistently solid passer and a lights-out defender who picks up a lot of balls,” Hein said. “She brings us exceptional two-contact play, where she can pass or dig, then transition athletically enough to be able to hit with good velocity. She does not have a weakness in her physical game.”

Fahnestock racked up 345 kills in her senior year at Eagle High – an average of 3.1 kills per game – earning first team All-5A Southern Idaho Conference honors. She also added 13 aces, 21 kills and 120 digs to the Mustangs’ attack.

Hein also likes the intangibles that Fahnestock brings to the ’Cats. “She is a great leader and a winner,” Hein said. “We spent 18 months recruiting Makenzie, and it’s evident to me she’s got what it takes to make an immediate and major impact on the program, both on and off the court.”

Chico State begins the 2010 season in September at Sonoma State’s Seawolf Spike Tournament in Rohnert Park.