FORT COLLINS — Colorado State’s volleyball roster underwent change on Thursday as coach Tom Hilbert said freshman Michelle Lawrence will not return to the school, while adding a recruit out of Croatia.
Lawrence was a major contributor for the Rams in 2013, hitting .280 and finishing second on the team with 2.89 kills per set. Considered to be a building block coming off a 28-2 season, she is not returning to Fort Collins next semester for personal reasons.
CSU media relations assistant Nic Hallisey said Lawrence did not want to comment. Hilbert didn’t want to elaborate on her reasons, but shouldered the blame for Lawrence not returning.
“When you lose players like this, it’s a failure by our team and by me as a coach,” he said, his team coming off a 28-2 campaign. “It’s a shame that these things happen, because I of all people want to create an environment where people are happy and where they understand what it is they’re going to and that they have a support system around them that supports them 100 percent. Those things are important to me. We wouldn’t be losing her if we had done those things right.”
Lawrence, who finished with 289 kills and 58 blocks in 85 sets played, started in Colorado State’s opening round NCAA game and played well. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter from Walnut Creek, Calif., missed five matches with an ankle injury, but totaled 14 matches with double-digit kills, including a career-best 19 in a win over Wyoming. She led the Rams with 18 in the five-set loss to Cal-State Northridge in the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s extremely tough for me,” Hilbert said. “She’s an outstanding player for her age and was only going to get better. I was so pleased when I got her committed, I was so pleased to sign her and so pleased with her performance this year. It’s sad when you lose a player like that. You don’t find them very often.”
Her loss leaves an opening on the outside for the Rams, one that the newest recruit will challenge to fill. Cizmic is a 6-1 outside hitter who Hilbert first came aware of thanks to former Ram All-American Megan Plourde, who saw her while playing overseas. Her current club team won the 2013-14 HRV National Cup and will compete in the 2014 European Cup. She has signed with CSU on the initial signing date, but Hilbert did not release her information until now waiting for some other paper work to be cleared.
“She can do everything,” Hilbert said. “She can pass, defend, hit shots. She has pretty good velocity as an attacker, and she’s athletic.”
The addition of Cizmic gives Hilbert three in the current recruiting class, joining Jasmine Hanna and Alexandra Poletto. Doherty setter Gabby Simpson verbally committed to sign this year, but hasn’t to this point.
Mike Brohard can be reached at 635-3633, mbrohard@reporter-herald.com and @mbrohard
