Report by LBSU

Women’s Volleyball head coach Brian Gimmillaro has announced that Kiri Hirini, a 6-1 middle blocker, has signed a National Letter of Intent to come to Long Beach State beginning in the 2010 season.

Hirini will follow in a tradition of foreign players at The Beach, coming to Long Beach State from The Lakes in Tauranga, New Zealand. A middle blocker at Bethlehem College, the 6-1 freshman will remain at that position, though she has experience as an outside hitter as well.

 “We are very happy to sign Kiri,” stated Gimmillaro. “She is an experienced middle blocker with an excellent competitive spirit, and we are hoping that she can make an immediate contribution to our success.”

Also a top beach volleyball player, Hirini competed for Team New Zealand at the U19 FIVB Beach Volleyball tournament. She is also involved in indoor volleyball at the national level, having been selected for the national team at both the youth and junior levels.

Hirini joins a strong recruiting class that includes four other incoming freshmen for the 2010 season, along with returning All-Big West honorees Caitlin Ledoux and Ashley Lee. The 49ers have won two straight Big West Conference titles and extended their NCAA Tournament appearance streak to 23 consecutive years in 2009.