Two years ago, Kelly Reeves, Natalie Hagglund, Katie Dutchman, Natalie Loos, Kendall Polan and Jenny Woolway were 16-year-old Junior Olympic national champions while playing for The Wave Volleyball Club.
Today, the fantastic six are signed, sealed and delivered for college after signing national letters of intent during the one-week, early signing period that ends next Wednesday.
They signed their letters, along with other athletes from baseball, softball, tennis and basketball.
Reeves, from defending CIF State Division III champion Cathedral Catholic, signed with UCLA.
Hagglund, from defending CIF State Division I champion La Costa Canyon and Reeves' partner in beach volleyball, signed with rival, USC.
Dutchman, from Torrey Pines chose Northwestern while La Costa Canyon's Loss went with St. Mary's despite not playing this season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, Polan, also from La Costa Canyon, is headed to Yale and Woolway is going to play at UC Davis.
"Six players off one team, even an elite team, is somewhat high,'' said Ed Machado, the director of The Wave Volleyball Club. "A few teams have five or six players at one time, but only a small handful of teams fall into that category.
"These six girls are really top quality kids. That's why they've been so successful since they were 12.''
In addition to winning the 2008 national title in Dallas, the Wave won a bronze medal in Miami last June.
"We might have won another gold medal except Katie Loss' injury in the quarterfinals slowed us down,'' Machado said. "Winning that gold medal may not be as important as signing for a college education, but they'll never forget what they did in '08.
"The six of them are more like sisters than just teammates. Hagglund has been coming to us the longest, since she was 9. That's a decade now.
"I will miss this group. I feel lucky to have been around them over the years.''
The six will play the upcoming club season with the Wave and hopefully reach this year's national championships in Reno.
Other athletes signing letters of intent this week included baseball player Zack McCoy of Westview (Missouri) and La Costa Canyon baseball player Max MacNabb (USD).
Poway volleyball players Lauren Plum (Oregon) and Mariah Horvath (Rutgers), baseball players Keegan Yuhl and Josh Anderson (both San Diego State), and tennis player Kaley Schultz (Colorado State) all signed letters of intent on Thursday.
Rancho Bernardo's boys volleyball player Tanner Clayton, a 6-foot-8 middle blocker, signed with USC and baseball pitcher Trevor Williams, who was 9-3 with a 2.49 ERA last season, signed with Arizona State.
La Costa Canyon basketball center Dennis Kramer picked USD.
At Rancho Buena Vista, baseball players Anthony McIver (Notre Dame), Reed Reznicek (Indiana), Tony Wolters (USD) and Jimmy Allen (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) signed, joining volleyball player Lisa Staight (Cal State Monterey Bay) and softball player Berkleigh Massey (Fairleigh Dickinson).
Other North County signees include:
-- Alyse Hensley of Torrey Pines will play volleyball at Loyola Marymount.
-- Chelsea Weedman of Cathedral Catholic signed to swim next year at Penn State.
-- Escondido's Tim Zier signed with San Diego State to play baseball.
-- El Camino softball pitcher Naomi Amu signed with Utah.
The signing day for football, field hockey, soccer, track, cross country and boys water polo is Feb. 3, 2010.
Bird commits
Aimee Bird, a 5-foot-11 setter for the Palomar College women's volleyball team, has verbally committed to play next season at Point Loma Nazarene.
Bird, who attended the Naval Academy after graduating from Tri-City Christian High in 2008 before transferring to Palomar, chose the Sea Lions over Cal Lutheran, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Northridge, Indiana State, UC Riverside, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State San Bernardino.
A sophomore, Bird was a first-team All-Pacific Coast Conference selection last season after leading the Comets to the conference championship.
Contact staff writer Terry Monahan at 760-739-6648.
