Dec. 10, 2007
SAN DIEGO - SDSU head volleyball coach Mark Warner has announced that Lauren Van Orden, a 6-0 right side hitter/setter from Grandview High School in Aurora, Colo., has signed a national letter of intent to play at San Diego State beginning next fall. She becomes the third high-profile recruit signed by the SDSU coaching staff during the early signing period. A four-year starter at Grandview, she helped the Wolves capture three 5A state titles and one runner-up finish during her four-year prep career.
Van Orden was recently honored as the Gatorade 2007 Colorado Volleyball Player of the Year. She was also named to the Rocky Mountain News All-Colorado team and was tabbed by that publication as the Colorado Player of the Year. In addition to garnering first-team all-state honors, she was selected to the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News 5A 2007 all-state tournament team as well as the MVP of that event.
Van Orden earned first-team all-Centennial Leaguer honors after a season in which she hit .357 while average 4.04 kills, 2.63 digs, 5.44 assists, 1.43 blocks and 0.84 service aces per game. She served as the team captain this past season and was selected the Fox News/Denver Post Player of the Week on Nov. 25.
As a junior, Van Orden was second-team all-state and first-team all-Centennial League. She was voted "Leader of the Pack" (MVP) by her teammates on a squad that featured five seniors who signed with Division I institutions. Her stats included a .355 hitting percentage along with 732 assists and 174 digs. She earned second-team all-league honors as a sophomore.
Van Orden played club volleyball for Front Range from 2002-07. She led the team to a second-place finish at the Junior Olympic 15 National division in 2005, fifth place at the 16 Open Division in 2006 and third place in the 16 open Division in 2006. She is currently playing for Colorado Performance.
Van Orden joins a pair of other all-state volleyball athletes in Paije Pearson (Chandler HS; Chandler, Ariz.) and Kyley Sexton (West Salem HS; Salem, Ore.) who have committed to play at San Diego State beginning next season.