Naomi Hernandez, a senior at Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, Calif., has signed a letter-of-intent to play for the Lewis-Clark State College women's volleyball team, Warrior assistant coach Burdette Greeny announced on Thursday.
Hernandez is a 5-foot-9 setter and plays for the club team Mizuno Long Beach, the same club team that current Warrior Lauryn Herrick played for. The two actually played together on the team for one season under coach Keli Pula.
Hernandez also played in the Junior Olympics six times and is captain of her club team this year.
At Bishop Armat, under coach Richard Huynh, Hernandez played on the varsity all four seasons. She won the Lancer Award as a freshman and then was a second-team all-Del Rey League selection as a sophomore and junior before being named to the first team as a senior. She also was the team captain her final two years and was the team's Offensive MVP as a junior and overall MVP as a senior. She also won the team's Scholar Athlete Award.
"Naomi comes from a very good club program and has played against a high level of competition for many years," Greeny said. "She has good hands, is consistent, and has an all around solid game. What impressed Jen (LCSC head coach Jen Greeny) and I is her maturity in commanding the floor. Naomi was in control and surprised us with her vocal nature while on the court. She came across as quiet and reserved off the court, but while she was playing it was altogether different. This is something we really liked and need in our setters."
Hernandez also excels in the classroom. She has a perfect 4.0 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, and International Baccalaureate Program. She is also the school's student body treasurer.
"We believe we have found someone who fits the type of student-athlete we are always looking for," Greeny said. "Passion is our most important core value and it is our impression that Naomi breathes it. She is an absolute standout in the classroom. Naomi loves volleyball and wants to win. She also seems to possess something we seek from our players - the desire to not only excel at what is asked of them, but willingly go above and beyond to make whatever they are involved in better. We think Naomi is a winner in every sense of the word and are humbled she chose us. "Hernandez is the daughter of Analisa and Jose Hernandez and she has a 3-year-old sister Maya. She plans to major in Business at LCSC.
"I decided to sign with Lewis-Clark State because it had everything I was looking for in a college experience both academically and athletically," Hernandez said. "The team also impressed me and I feel that they have the same eagerness to win that I have, since I am very competitive. Although I wasn't initially looking to go far from home, the players and coaches won me over with the great chemistry they shared, their values, and the sense of family among them."
Hernandez lists her hobbies as being with friends and family, going to the movies, and playing any sport.
LCSC tied for the Frontier Conference regular-season title last year, the third straight season the Warriors have finished in first place. LCSC also won the conference tournament title for the third straight year and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament. LCSC posted a 25-9 record last year.
